You can very easily attribute human emotions to your pets. However, once we spend more time with our furry friends, we start to notice they have traits and manners like humans. Especially when it comes to cats.
Contrary to popular belief, cats are a sucker for love and affection. They have ways to let their owner know when they need attention. Sometimes they may even signal you to give them pets on their tiny little heads. It is up to you as your pet’s caretaker to understand your cat’s needs.
Taking care of a pet is a huge responsibility. One thing owners sometimes fail to realize is that animals share similar emotions and feelings to us humans. They have ways to express such emotions through actions.
Of course, an animal cannot indulge in verbal communication, which is why it is essential for us as their parents to learn to understand their needs through their behaviours.
What Are Cats Like In Nature?
Cats, by nature, are very aloof and reserved. They value their personal time, where they prep and groom themselves without human interaction. They are also quite disciplined and amongst the cleanest animals ever known.
According to behaviour analysis, researchers found some traits in cats that align significantly with human emotions. For example, like us, cats also feel happy, sad, depressed or even mourn the loss of a loved one.
Studies also suggest that cats are highly social creatures and make great mothers. The motherly instinct of a cat is as strong as that of a human mother for her child.
Other displays of emotions that cats exhibit through their actions are:
Slow Blinking:
You may have seen your cat partially close its eyes and blink slowly, which signifies they are happy and content by being in your company.
Being Chatty:
Yes, cats are incredibly chatty. They will meow if they want food, want to be petted, or want your attention.
Tail Wagging:
Some may think tail wagging is a sign of happiness, while it’s for dogs, but that is not the case with cats. More often than not, a cat wagging its tail is a sign that it is irritated or just wants to be left alone.
Kneading with Paws:
An unusual habit of a cat is paw kneading. They would knead on a soft surface such as a pillow or a couch to show feelings of comfort and happiness. They also exhibit maternal feelings through this motion.
Howling and Hissing:
The emotions are self-explanatory. These are the moments when your pet cat is highly irritated and gives you signals not to come near them. In this case, it is better to leave them alone until they come back to you for some attention.
Other than these human-like emotions, cats feel one other emotion that is often unnoticed.
Cats tend to fall into depression, and it is challenging to get them out of such a state sometimes. The first step to helping a depressed cat is identifying its low mood’s root cause. A lot of factors contribute to why your cat might have developed depression.
So here are ways you can identify and help a sad cat.
Mournful Yowls:
As previously mentioned, cats are chatty and would let you know what they want by just meowing. However, a depressed cat would yowl in a low voice rather than meow. Therefore, the yowling of a cat indicates sadness and yowling as a result of a loss of a loved one.
Her litter that she recently lost could be the cause of it.
Not Eating:
A hungry cat will never refuse food on her plate, but a depressed cat will. If your cat is not eating, this is one of the alarming signs that your cat is sad or might be going through an underlying health problem. You are responsible for contacting the vet in both cases so your cat gets immediate attention.
Call your vet immediately if you suspect your cat is not eating due to some illness. Pet insurance is one of the first things you should consider to ensure your pet’s maximum security. In this case, Petsy can help you get the best pet insurance that can help save your pet’s life. They offer services at excellent discounts, and all you will have to do is use Revounts to avail of the deal.
Poor Grooming:
One of the major signs of depression in cats is their lack of daily grooming activity. Cats love to self-groom and clean their bodies. However, if you see that your cat has not been grooming herself lately and looking dirty, you should become aware of it.
Lack of Interest in Activities:
Cats love to play with props, fur balls or even with your clothes or hands. So if your cat has been lying around all day without engaging in any of these activities, she might be depressed.
Not moving from one Spot for Hours:
A depressed cat becomes lethargic and sleeps a lot. Cats are independent creatures and love to go on a troll at any time of the day. Because they know their way back to you, they don’t usually require constant watch over and would ultimately return to you after taking a walk around the block.
However, if your cat hasn’t moved from one spot all day and spends most of its time sleeping, it’s one of the signs that it might be depressing.
Aggressive Outbursts:
If your cat keeps lashing at you or is more reactive than normal at the sight of strangers, this is one of the signs that it is sad and going through some personality changes.
These behaviours aggressive indicate whether your cat is sad or not. While these signs are easily detectable, they often go unnoticed as “natural behaviours”. But once you figure out your cat is depressed, you can take specific measures to help them through a tough time.
How Can You Help A Depressed Cat?
Start Bonding With Them:
Even though there may be times when your cat will lash out at you, they will usually still demand your presence. So spend as much time as you can with your cat and pat their head, as cats tend to like patting a lot.
Offer Treats To Your Cat:
While keeping your cat’s diet in check and ensuring they eat healthily, you can add a few treats here and there to lift their mood with a bit of sweetness.
Get Your Cat a New Friend:
Adopting a cat is a huge responsibility and takes up much of your investment and time. Instead, consider getting a new friend and giving your cat a companion to play with so they feel less lonely and will always have someone around to play with all day.
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Final Thoughts:
Taking into account all the factors, you will be able to understand your cat’s feelings. This will also allow you to give them the best support and comfort in times of sadness. Cats, one of the liveliest creatures on our planet, do not deserve to be sad at all, and as humans, we have a lot we can do to help them get out of their slump with love and affection.
