Cat depression after new kitten

But what does it mean if your cat is acting depressed? Do cats even suffer from depression? Certainly cats can exhibit depressed behavior, but the general consensus is that they do not experience the same emotional changes associated with clinical depression in humans. The clinical signs we see tend to be loss of appetite, avoidance behavior, less active, and abnormal behavior, like hissing, says Hendrix. Some cats may show changes in cat litter box usage, while others have disturbed sleep patterns.

Unfortunately, those symptoms are caused by a wide variety of conditions in felines, so getting to the root of the problem usually involves a visit to the veterinarian to rule out other problems.

Medical problems such as kidney disease or GI cancer can cause nausea and decreased appetite that mimic depression. According to Hendrix, pain is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in cats, seniors in particular, and is one of the leading causes of clinical signs of depression. Most of the time, there is pain or physical disease causing a cat to act depresse she says. In Hendrixs experience, many pet owners who are dealing with terminally cats are concerned that their cat is experiencing depression, often mirroring their own sadness about a pets illness. Hendrix encourages those owners to consider medical causes instead.

Often, it is sick behavior, she says. See full list on petmd. In general, depression in humans is considered a multifactorial disease, says Dr.

Lynn Hendrix, the owner of Beloved Pet Mobile Vet in Davis, California and a palliative care expert.

Depression can be situational, caused by a stressful situation, or medical, due to chemical imbalances in the brain. The diagnosis is based on self-reported symptoms, says Hendrix, meaning that the symptoms can be expressed verbally to the doctor or psychologist. Those diagnostic criteria are not available to veterinarians.

Since we cant ask cats exactly what they are feeling, whether theyre sad or angry or anxious or joyous, we must rely on the clues they give us through their behavior and daily activities and make our assessments based on that. Veterinarians will begin the evaluation by taking a full history of the symptoms and performing a complete physical examination. Bloodwork, chest x-rays, and abdominal ultrasound may be suggested by your veterinarian, says Hendrix. Those baseline tests usually provide a good overall look at a pets health and organ function.

Depending on the , other tests may be recommended. Although cats tend to be independent and resilient, they can suffer from anxiety due to changes in routine, feeling threatene or the addition or loss of family members. Anxiety is, in fact, one of the major behavioral conditions seen by veterinarians. Chronic stress can have an impact on a pets emotional, and even physical, health. Self-inflicted hair loss, aggression, or changes in litterbox usage are often traced back to anxiety.

If a stressor can be identified and eliminate often the symptoms will improve or resolve. A veterinarian or trainer experienced in cat behavior can help with recommendations to make a home environment less stressful to an anxious cat. For more severe cases, veterinarians can prescribe a cat anxiety medication, which has been known to help with anxiety in some cats.

Trazodone, gabapentin, alprazolam, and midazolam are just some of the options that a veterinarian may recommen depending on the situation. A practitioner may also recommend referral to a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, who deals exclusively with behavior issues and can manage the problem through behavior modification suggestions as well as prescribe cat medications. Regardless of the cause, a cat showing signs of depression can benefit greatly from a prompt evaluation by a veterinarian.

If we resist applying the human definitions of mood disorders to our feline friends and instead evaluate them strictly from a cat-friendly perspective, there is often much we can do to make our beloved kitties happier and healthier!

As another environmental modification, some cats respond to cat calming products, like pheromone diffusers such as Feliway, which can have a calming effect. We got a new kitten a few weeks ago, Pepper, and slowly introduced her to our year old Gus. There was some hissing and fluffy tails but no swats and by day they were sleeping on the same chair.

I think the actual intro went quite well. But now Gus seems very depressed. Cat depression may be caused by divorce , children leaving for college, a new spouse or any other change in what they’ve come to know as “home.

Being in tune with your cat ’s behavior changes and. How do we keep our first cat happy after adopting a new kitten? Can cats be depressed? What are the signs of depression in cats? What to do when your cat is depressed?

A happy kitty’s tail moves like a soft feather duster , but a sad or depressed cat may issue quick, hard strikes with its tail, says Danielle Bernal , a. This can be used as a spray or a plug-in diffuser. After giving your cat a break, he might like an older companion cat friend. Every cat has its own personality, with some being more outgoing than others, but when a typically social cat is suddenly quiet and reserved it can be concerning. In most cases, cat owners have no idea why their cat is sad or depressed. But, by looking out for some signs, you can rest easy in knowing that it may be temporary.

This will ease the new and existing cats into a relationship together and reduce the chance your existing cat will become depressed. Reflect on recent changes in the cat ’s environment and see if you can find potential causes of the depression. Read on to find out if your cat may be dealing with depression , and what you can do to help your sad cat.

Signs Your Cat Could Be Depressed. Cats normally sleep a lot, but you will notice if your cat ’s activity level decreases, he lacks energy or seems to be asleep all the. They don’t respond well to change whether it’s their foo your habits, or the living environment. Common signs of depression in cats include isolation, hiding, lack of grooming, lethargy, and even aggression.

Do Cats Help With Anxiety? Cats can help with depression , anxiety, and other mental health. We tried our best to keep the cats separately, but the new cat was DETERMINED. Every barrier we made she broke down or figured out.

She went after our other female. A cat may seem depressed and not like his usual self for quite a while after the passing of a sibling. If your cat is sleeping more than hours per day, this may be a sign of depression. Depressed cats may over or under eat and vocalize more than usual when depressed.

If you happen to notice considerable changes in your pet’s behavioral patterns, you may be dealing with a classic case of cat depression after moving. Depression From the Loss of Your Cat Almost everyone experiences the stage of grief known as depression. Crying, sleeping a lot, not wanting to do anything, feeling lonely, not wanting to eat, and other symptoms of sadness are very normal for you to exhibit after your cat has passed away.

A male will leave to claim his own territory and sow his seed. Sometimes a kitten may refuse to eat or seem depressed for several days after leaving his mom. The kittens , however, may have a little more trouble with the process.