Foreign My name is Samantha Rambo from Top Dog Tips this is my cat Elsa and today I Wanted to talk about how to tell if your Cat is depressed I have people ask this More often in the winter months and Sometimes throughout the year so I Wanted to make a video to address it Cats are sensitive creatures I think Everyone knows that if you're a cat Owner or had experience with cats like Humans some cats are more sensitive than Others And sadly the answer to this question is Yes cats can become depressed just like They're humans pets can be affected by a Number of different things changes in Their routine or environment losing a Family member moving to a new home a Change to the family's normal routine And health problems can all lead to Depression so you know depending on how Sensitive your cat is let's say that you Take a new job so you're home for Different hours of the day some cats That are very sensitive can be affected By something that small it may not be a Big change to you maybe you're home the Same number of hours every day but it's Just different a different timeline that Can affect some cats some cats that take Something a little bit more severe like The loss of a family member whether it's A human family member or a family member
Cats can become depressed after a loss Like that and it's really important for You to understand that and for you to be Looking for signs of depression and Um as I mentioned some cats are more Sensitive than others so for this reason Some cats have very obvious Behavior Changes when they're struggling with Depression other cats may try to hide Their struggles As I mentioned some cats are more Sensitive than others so for that reason You know cats Behavior can be very Different if they're suffering from Depression some cats it's going to be a Lot more noticeable where some cats it May not be as noticeable so some of the Things that you should be looking for And concerned about if your cat or if You are concerned that your cat is Struggling with depression the first one Is lethargy typically cats do sleep Quite a bit but if they're depressed They're going to be sleeping more so Than normal Um a loss of interest in things that They used to like it might be toys Um socializing with humans or other Animals in the home less interesting Grooming themselves less interesting Going outside if they're allowed to do That or any other typical behavior that Your cat May exhibit so for example you Know if your cat is typically social
With other animals in your home or Humans and they stop showing interest in That or the other way around if your cat Typically is a loner and kind of Reclusive and likes to be by themselves And now you're sort of seeing them out And about they're maybe pacing a little Bit more and they just seem kind of Uneasy and can't settle into that normal Routine that can be a sign that your cat Is depressed Increased vocalization if your cat is Normally quiet or decreased vocalization If your cat is normally quite vocal we Have six cats in our home so we kind of Have our variety of that I have some Cats that talk to us quite often and I Have some cats that hardly ever make any Noise so again it's that change in a Typical behavior is what you're looking For not consistently using the litter Box so Um let's say that your cat starts having Accidents around the home or starts Going outside the litter box that's a Change in a typical behavior that needs To be recognized and this is one that You know if this is the case you should Just call consult with your veterinarian Because it could be a sign of something Else like a urinary tract infection but It can also be a sign of depression so This one is especially Um considered a sign of depression if
You notice it in conjunction with any of The other symptoms that I had been Talking about so you know if your cat's Kind of losing interest in the things That they normally like and they're Starting to have accidents that can Definitely be a sign that your calf is Depressed this is my cat's Stitch he's Making an appearance for the second half Of the video Um and in this part of the video I want To talk about what to do if you think Your cat is depressed so we've talked About depression and calf we've talked About the symptoms but what do you do if Your cat is depressed um the first thing That you can do is spend more time with Them now they may not like this Stitch As you can tell has no problem being Coddled and subtle like a baby but if Your cat's depressed they may not want That so you don't necessarily have to Pick them up and hold them and cuddle Them but just being where they are be Around your cat maybe sit with them and Pet them you don't necessarily have to Pick them up be close to them and just Spend some extra time with them there is Music designed especially for cats so so Um this is important like if your cat's Left alone for longer periods of time or If you've changed environments if you've Moved to a new house you can play some Calming music designs specifically for
Cats to help them and help to calm the Stress and Anxiety that they're feeling That's leading to the depression you can Also try feline pheromones these are Specifically designed to mimic Traditional pheromones that are that are Released to Comcast they have a a smell That we can't smell but cats can and you Can get these in liquid form you can get Them in a plug-in form that disperses Through the air you can get them in Sprays if you click the link below this Video there's some more information on Feline pheromones and the different Types that are available You can try that to help calm your cat As well introduce some new toys and try Some interactive games catnip can help Entice your cat Um you you want to do things to try to Stimulate them and and you know kind of Help them out of the depression that They're in show them that you know You're here you want to play you want to Interact with them give them some fun Stuff that can kind of take their mind Off of what's troubling them and get Them involved in something else if You're going to try this one just make Sure that you rotate the toys and games That you provide so that they don't get Bored if you buy just one toy one of the Most common ones is those little round Fixtures that have a ball inside that
Your cat can bat around your cat's gonna Get bored doing that day after day so Just be sure that you're rotating that And giving them some options so they Don't get bored speaking of that you can Also try some new treats or some new Food if you notice that your cat isn't Eating as much as they normally do this Can be a great great way to get them to Eat a little bit more and to give them Something you know to look forward to Cats love treats and they love special Kinds of food so like typically if you Don't feed your cat a lot of wet food or You can make homemade food and treats Again the link below has some of my Favorite recipes if you want to try some Homemade things for your calf now to Sort of try to entice them and and make Them a little bit happier give them Something a little exciting to look Forward to You can also consider getting another Cat this is often recommended by feline Behaviorists and veterinarians For example if you lost a family member If you lost a pet that your cat was Really attracted to attached to you want To maybe try getting another animal but You want to test that theory first so if You have friends if you're considering Getting a dog or another cat you know Borrow one from your friends for a Little while
Um have that theory tested to make sure That this is something that's actually Going to work and cheer your cat up and Not make them even more stressed and if You do decide to adopt a new animal make Sure that there's a meet and greet time At the shelter or the rescue that you're Working with so that you can get your Cat around this other animal to see how That's gonna evolve before you actually Bring the animal into your home Foreign [Music]
