Just like us, cats experience emotions that influence their mood. Thus, a cat, if it lacks attention, stimulation or freedom, can quickly become unhappy. Worse, it can even cause depression, a disease that is almost always fatal to our feline friends. But before your animal locks itself in its discomfort and falls into the infernal spiral of depression, learn to recognize the warning signs in order to give it a taste for life!
1. It sleeps more than usual
A cat sleeps about 16 hours a day. However, if your hairball starts sleeping more than usual, there is an undeniable problem.
2. It eats less
Just like us, cats tend to lose their appetites when depressed. However, it can happen that your tomcat also starts to eat like an ogre, which is also indicative of a deep malaise.
3. It is aggressive
If your usually cuddly cat suddenly becomes distant or even aggressive towards you and the other animals in the house, something is wrong.
4. It no longer grooms itself
The cat is an incredibly clean animal. Their hygiene must always be irreproachable. Thus, it spends a third of their time licking their body in order to untangle any knots but also to remove all the dust and parasites that could have lodged in their hair. If your cat no longer washes (or on the contrary licks excessively), this is a sign that it is depressed.
5. It isolates itself
Even if it is true that felines like to hide in unlikely places to take their nap quietly, it is not normal that your cat so often tries to isolate itself and flee contact with you.
6. They pulls their hair out
A cat that pulls out its hair several days in a row not only runs the risk of hurting itself, but it also reveals deep anxiety. It is urgent to consult a veterinarian to determine the source of his stress.
7. They’re lost their spirits
Before, when you took out your cat’s favorite toy, the latter did not need to be asked for a little game. Likewise, it often enjoyed running around the house in pursuit of unseen prey. If your furball no longer has any enthusiasm for playing or even going out for a walk, it is because it is deeply unhappy.
8. It pees everywhere
Generally, a cat that begins to become unclean for no reason (that is to say that strictly nothing has changed in its environment), wants to send a message.
9. It has unusual gestures
If you notice that your cat is adopting more and more unusual behavior (it turns in circles, taps its tail on the ground, always positions its ears downwards…), you should be worried.
10. It no longer communicates with you
If your cat used to tell you about their misfortunes on a regular basis and suddenly stops meowing, it’s not feeling well. Likewise, if it starts meowing excessively, that’s also a sign that something is wrong.
If you observe one or more of the signs described above in your cat, try to give it back its joie de vivre by stimulating it: buy it new toys, a cat tree, a scratching post, puzzle games or even a vending machine. interactive croquettes. And above all, pay more attention to it!
