Is my cat depressed?

Question

My cat is called Suzy and she is 16. She usually stays in the kitchen where her bed is but today she was hiding under my mums bed and just wouldnt move at all. She had a sort of sad / nasty look on her face and yet when I tried stroking her, she did not purr which she always does. I could not tempt her out with food either. I had to push her out but she didnt move her paws at all. Shes been a bit sick lately too, does that have some effect on it? Also, [it may have just been me] but she doesnt walk as steady as she used to and isnt as perky. Is it a wise choice to take her to a vetranarian or is there a simple solution?

Answer 1

i would take her to the vet. could be a type of animal dementia as she is an old thing. If your cat is behaving out of character it could be a number of reasons so maybe worth giving her a day or 2. if shes still out of sorts then take her to the vets.

Answer 2

At 16 yrs old your cat should be having regular check ups at the vet, in any case.

You really do need to take her to a vet straight away.

At 16 yrs old your cat is probably suffering from depression due to a serious illness as cats don't get depressed like humans for any other reason. The vet will probably listen to her heart and take a blood test to rule out kidney failure and other serious illnesses. I know your probably upset and scared of what the vet will say but if you take her now you may keep her for few more years. Its not fair to your cat to leave this situation. Please make the appointment tomorrow morning and I wish your cat well.

Answer 3

I would take her to a vet, however it may be due to her age. Unfortunately when cats get older and become sick they often hide somewhere to die alone. Since she is obviously so unhappy at the moment if the vet does find that she has something wrong with her he may suggest putting her down if the likelihood she will not start feeling any better.

Answer 4

There isn't a "simple solution" from your description of her behavior which indicates physical illness to me. She is 75 years old in human terms and very few humans get to that age without some physical issues that can be addressed medically and lead to a better quality of life.

So, yes, it is a wise choice that she have a good workup by a qualified vet to see if there is something that can be done to help her achieve greater joy in her life.

Answer 5

It is a wise choice to take her to a vet. There's never a simple solution if you don't know what the problem is!

Cats get depressed if something has changed, like if they've been moved to another house or if their owner or friend has died. When they're ill they become lethargic - not moving much is pretty much the only sign of illness or pain cats will show, unlike us.

The vomiting and lethargy is a clear indication that your cat is ill, so do get him to a vet. Your cat is pretty old, and the older animals get, the more likely they are to becoming ill.

Chalice

Answer 6

Your ONLY option is to get her to the vet as soon as possible. She is 16, which is a good age for a cat. It may be her time to go. I know this a hard thing, but part of our responsibility towards the animals in our care is knowing when to let them go.

Answer 7

To the vet is the best possible choice. I did find this to be an interesting web site regarding why pet, especially cats, might suffer from depression.

http://www.avma.org/careforanimals

Answer 8

Yes you should take her to a vet, but it sounds like she is very old aswell, then she being sick like you said would have a big affect for a cat that old, so again yes you should take her to the vet asap.

Answer 9

Is your cat Spayed?She could be pregnat, but probly not at this age,.
She just might be passing on soon, she's very old for a cat.
I would at least phone the vet, see if that's a sickness or if you can help it.

Good Luck!Hope This HElps

Answer 10

She's a senior cat and is more prone to illness and disease.
Bring her to the vet to be examined, at least. Don't take any chances self-diagnosing.