She may also lose interest in playing with her favorite toy or fail to be engaged by her favorite activities or games.
If your cat displays symptoms like increased thirst, altered appetite (decreased or increased), changes in bowel movements (diarrhea or constipation), and other physical abnormalities such as vomiting or sneezing, these may all be signs of a physical illness. It can be difficult to distinguish psychological issues and physical illness in your cat, as there is a big overlap with the quiet behavior of a depressed cat and a cat that is ill. So, if your cat starts behaving oddly in any way, get her checked out by the vet to ensure she is not sick. From this diagnosis, you can consider if your cat is in fact depressed.
Use treats to motivate her to play or move around, but do not use physical force.
Provide events for the cat to look forward to, such as mealtimes before you go to work and when you return, a grooming session before bedtime, and a play session when you get home from work.
Ideally, have a grooming at a similar time every day to build that sense of routine and security.
Introduce a new toy, especially one that triggers natural hunting behavior like a mouse on a string. Be patient if she does not react right away. Start by putting the toy near her paw and jerking it to encourage hunting behavior. Do this for five minutes, even if your cat doesn’t respond. The fact that you are giving her your undivided attention will make an impression on her. Once she starts to play, this will engage her hypothalamus and send out hormones that are beneficial for counteracting depression. An active cat is a happy cat.
You can also try to tempt her to come out from hiding with a treat or irresistible snack that she likes.
Though Feliway won’t provide a quick fix as it typically takes a couple of weeks to make any visible difference on a cat’s behavior, it does work slowly to reassure your cat and reduce her anxiety.
Don’t worry, these diffusers are odorless to people and have no effect on humans.
Before using these supplements, consult a veterinarian who prescribes them to cats a regular basis. Just because a supplement is not a prescription drug doesn’t mean it is free of side effects. The nutraceutical Zylkene has been developed to decrease stress in cats. As stress is a major cause of feline depression, decreasing this can help get your cat back on her paws. Zylkene contains a molecule derived from milk, which acts on the brain receptors. It has a similar calming effect to certain prescription medications but with fewer potential side effects. This will help to soothe your cat’s anxiety and reduce her fears, both of which are powerful drivers for depression. The effect of nutraceuticals are not rapid, so it can take up to seven days before you notice any clear differences in your depressed kitty. Zylkene comes as a capsule. The dose for an average-sized cat is one 75mg capsule once a day.
Giving supplements should always be done under the advice of an integrative veterinarian. Talk to your vet before pursuing natural remedies. Dorwest Valerian Drops come in a dropper bottle. A quarter of a teaspoon can be added to your cat’s food once or twice daily or dropped onto her bedding. An alternative is Skullcap and Valerian tablets, also by Dorwest Herbs, with a total daily dose of two tablets.
Your vet will prescribe a total dose of 2- 4 mg once a day. The smallest tablet is 5mg so an ideal starting dose is half a tablet a day.
The prescribed dose is 5-10 mg per cat once daily. The smallest available tablet is 10mg so this is equivalent to taking half or one tablet a day.
The prescribed dose of fluoxetine is 2. 5-5 mg per cat (a quarter to half of a 8 mg tablet) once a day. The prescribed dose of paroxetine is also 2. 5 - 5 mg per cat (a quarter to half of a 10 mg tablet) once a day. Keep in mind that it may take two weeks before therapeutic levels are reached in the blood stream.
If this fails, try popping the pill directly into her mouth and over the back of her tongue. Syringe a teaspoon of water into her mouth afterwards to make sure she has swallowed the pill all the way down.
Giving your medication to your cat also means you be short on your own daily dose.
