Feline Depression: Symptoms and How to Help Your Cat Recover

1 What Causes Feline Depression

Several factors can trigger depression in cats:

1. Too little attention and affection from the owner

Most people assume cats are completely independent and can look after themselves. So long as the litter box is scooped and meals are served on time, the job can feel done.

In reality, what a cat needs most of all is its owner’s love. Picture yourself in your cat’s place: alone in a small space all day with nothing to do but wait for you to come home and let it out for a breath of fresh air — wouldn’t that feel stifling?

On top of that, cats experience time more slowly than we do. When we are out for at least twelve hours a day, that stretches to roughly a day and a half from the cat’s perspective, and overtime only makes it longer.

If the owner comes home exhausted and collapses straight into bed without acknowledging the cat, the cat may go almost the entire day without any attention or affection. Over time, depression becomes a real risk.

So when you get home, let your cat out right away and spend as much time playing and interacting with it as you can.

2. A major change in living environment

Sometimes an owner travels for work and boards the cat elsewhere; other times a job change means moving the cat to a brand-new home. Timid cats can struggle to adjust to such sudden change, growing anxious and uneasy — and that can easily tip into depression.

3. The cat’s own sensitivity to outside stimuli

Some cats are outgoing and settle into new surroundings or make new friends quickly. Others are shy and withdrawn, and react far too intensely to a sudden change of scenery or to new cats and dogs arriving in the home. When overstimulated, a cat’s fur may stand on end all over its body.

A cat that lacks trace minerals or is dealing with an illness can also become insecure. Shy, insecure cats are the most likely to develop depression.

2 Helping a Depressed Cat

There is no medication that cures depression, though drugs can ease the symptoms. But the side effects of drug therapy are considerable — a cat may suffer heavy shedding, weight loss, and possible liver damage, none of which helps its long-term health.

So the best remedy is simply companionship. What beats depression is always happiness. After work, use a wand toy or other playthings to interact with your cat, offer the occasional treat, and give it plenty of gentle petting. That simple company and interaction are enough to dissolve the loneliness it has built up all day.

If you can manage it, consider keeping two pets so they can keep each other company and play together. Choosing to keep a cat means taking responsibility for its healthy growth. Don’t treat it as a possession for your own amusement — cuddling it when you feel like it and ignoring it the rest of the time.