Can domestic cats suffer from bipolar disorder? A lot of websites answer the question. They seem to be saying, anecdotally, that domestic cats can suffer from this condition. But I seriously doubt that they are correct. What is bipolar disorder? … continue reading…
The words of the title come from Nathan Winograd, America’s leading expert on animal shelters and one of the country’s leading animal advocates. He is referring to new legislation for New York State that came into force recently having been … continue reading…
Self-harm in cats is often a displacement activity. This is a complicated topic because even the experts don’t really have a handle on it and it often concerns mental health. In the same way that self-harming in people concerns mental … continue reading…
Here’s the deal: you can’t answer the question in the title in an article on the Internet. The problem is too deep and too complicated to do that. The answer depends upon observing the cat and looking at the conditions … continue reading…
Photo by General Wesc Hair loss in cats is often a frightening sight for pet owners who might immediately rush their companion to their veterinarian for a diagnosis. When it comes to the domestic cat, there are many conditions and … continue reading…
The idea that all domestic cats suffer from Asperger’s syndrome is based on their character. The domestic cat character is like that of a child diagnosed with Asperger’s which is an umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. So, what is … continue reading…
It can difficult to tell if your cat has mental health problems. The subject of mental health in domestic cats is a very difficult one even for the experts, including veterinarians because we don’t know enough about it. And we … continue reading…
This is a very tricky problem. Firstly, you have to assess whether your cat is genuinely biting his tail. He may be playing with his tail and cats do this innocently without causing harm. Nothing to concern you if it … continue reading…
This is a nice philosophical question. In the video on Reddit.com a ginger cat plush toy is being fought over by two pet dogs. Watching in the wings is the family’s ginger tabby-and-white cat. The cat looks concerned while the … continue reading…
I think you could extend the word ‘autistic’ to describe the behaviour of unsocialised cats. I explain why. A couple of years ago I wrote about pet vaccinations and the belief by some cat owners that they can cause autism … continue reading…
As I understand it, no authoritative words have been written which tell us that animals can and do suffer from schizophrenia including of course domestic cats. It appears that schizophrenia is a uniquely human mental illness. That is not to … continue reading…
I’m discussing domestic cats and whether they can get eating disorders, a definition of which is “…a range of psychological disorders characterised by abnormal or disturbed eating habits….’ What are we referring to? I have a feeling that some websites … continue reading…
Can cats suffer from agoraphobia? It is a condition where the sufferer becomes anxious in places that are strange and where they don’t have control. It usually refers to a fear of wide open spaces. In the case of cats, … continue reading…
I’m surprised that people ask the question, “Is it safe for cats to smoke marijuana?” Patently it is unsafe. Come on, there are stories on the Internet and in the newspapers about people who smoke marijuana suffering mental health problems … continue reading…
Patience and plenty of TLC can turn around an aggressive cat. It has happened many times. Often it concerns feral cats. In this instance a rescue cat became aggressive because of an unfortunate incident. It took patience, wisdom and commitment to get things back on track.
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