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It is well-known that mental illness can occur in humans. In fact, the CDC explains that “1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year.” Considering how common mental disorders are in people, is it far-fetched to wonder if cats can be mentally ill too? With that said, we found a handful of mental illnesses that cats can have.
What is Mental Illness?
According to the Mayo Clinic, mental illness “refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and addictive behaviors.” There is no single cause for mental illness. However, some potential causes include trauma, chemical imbalances in the brain, use of alcohol or drugs, etc.
Which Mental Illnesses Can Cats Have?
1. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is a mental disorder that causes excessive thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Believe it or not, OCD is not limited to humans. According to PetMD, cats with this disorder “engage in repetitive, exaggerated behaviors that are seemingly without purpose”. For example, they may obsessively groom themselves until the fur is rubbed off, compulsively pace, excessively repeat vocalizations, etc. It is suspected that these behaviors come about in order to release pain-relieving chemicals in the brain. With that said, cats may develop OCD as a coping mechanism when the cat deals with a stressful environment.
2. Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome
Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome, or FHS, is a pretty rare disorder in cats. This disorder can occur at any age. FHS causes the cat to “react to physical stimuli that should not cause pain.” When they feel the pain, the skin and muscles on the cat’s back often can be seen rippling or rolling. For this reason, FHS is also called “rippling skin disorder.” Additional signs of this disease can be aggressive behavior, uncontrolled urination, wild vocalization, and salivation. With this disorder, cats have quick bursts of erratic behaviors like obsessive biting or licking all over, which is why it can sometimes be confused with OCD. In addition, FHS seems to be more prevalent in Asian cat breeds, one example being the Siamese. This is possibly due to a genetic predisposition.
3. Feline Cognitive Dysfunction
Feline Cognitive Dysfunction, also called Senility, is like the cat-equivalent of Alzheimer’s Disease in humans. Although Alzheimer’s Disease is not a mental health disorder, it is still a disorder that affects the brain, which is why we decided to include it on this list. Feline Cognitive Dysfunction usually occurs in elderly cats over the age of 15. With this disorder, cats can fail to recognize their owners or other familiar people. it can also cause confusion, aimless wandering, and getting stuck in corners. This disorder can also cause cats to forget how to use a litter box. The reason why this disorder resembles Alzheimer’s is that these symptoms are sometimes caused by a waxy protein known as beta-amyloid deposits in the brain, which can build up and cause mental deterioration. These deposits are exactly what causes Alzheimer’s disease in humans.
4. Depression
In humans, a depression diagnosis is based on self-reported symptoms. In cats, depression is trickier to diagnose because we cannot ask how they’re feeling. With that said, veterinarians have to rely on clues from their behavior to determine if a cat is depressed. According to Dr. Lynn Hendrix, the owner of Beloved Pet Mobile Vet, “The clinical signs we see tend to be loss of appetite, avoidance behavior, less active, and abnormal behavior, like hissing.” other signs include a change in litter box usage and disturbed sleep patterns. Dr. Hendrix says that pain or physical disease is usually what causes a cat to be depressed. This is because pain is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in cats since they hide pain so well.
5. Chemical Imbalance
We found a real-life example in which a veterinarian concluded that a cat had a chemical imbalance. Although a chemical imbalance itself is not a mental disorder, if left untreated, chemical imbalances in the brain can sometimes cause mental disorders. In this case, Coco the cat used to attack her owner, Tawny. Coco ended up being featured in an episode of My Hat From Hell, starring Jackson Galaxy, a cat behaviorist. After being evaluated by a veterinarian, it was concluded that Coco had a chemical imbalance. Jackson explained that after she was put on mood-stabilizing medication, the cat was “much more workable.” After getting Coco’s mental health under control, Tawny was no longer terrified of her.
DISCLAIMER: This article is made for entertainment purposes only. This is NOT medical advice. Use the information presented in this video at your own risk. ALWAYS seek medical advice from licensed veterinarians and doctors. NEVER assume your cat is mentally ill without a confirmed diagnosis from a veterinarian.
Resources
https://www.petplace.com/article/cats/pet-behavior-training/crazy-cats-can-cats-be-mentally-ill/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968
https://www.onlinepsychologydegree.info/lists/information-mental-disorders-in-animals/
https://www.cuteness.com/13715573/can-cats-be-mentally-ill
https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
https://www.mypetneedsthat.com/mentally-ill-cat/
https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/behavioral/c_ct_compulsive_disorders
https://www.petmd.com/cat/behavior/can-cats-get-depressed
https://www.today.com/pets/could-your-kitty-have-chemical-imbalance-cat-hell-star-talks-2d79607498
Disclaimer: The Purring Journal is not in the medical field. This post is made for entertainment purposes only. Use the information presented in this article at your own risk. Always seek medical advice from licensed veterinarians.
