The Winter Blues

By Jennifer Herne, LVT

We are getting closer to Spring each day now, my cat is starting to go outside more often but the last month or so she hasn't been going outside very much. I have noticed that she is getting more excited these days. However, I was worried about her the last few weeks. She was sleeping more, eating more than usual but not her usual playful sociable self, and wasn't interacting much with us. I knew she wasn't suffering anything medical and then it dawned on me, does she have winter blues? I thought no way, animals aren't affected by the winter weather, are they? Yes, they are. If your pet spends a lot of time outdoors during nice weather and they have been cooped up indoors all winter they can become depressed. Some signs of depression may be excessive eating leading to weight gain, increased sleeping and irritable behavior. So as a pet owner I should be providing a more stimulating environment, meaning some interactive playtime with my cat, or if you have a dog the same philosophy applies. Instead of just providing the toys for our pets, we need to make play time a little longer. My cat prefers the laser to all other toys but whatever your pets' choice of toy is, the key point here is more interactive playtime. If you have a story or pet photo to share, message us on Facebook at Ahkwesahsne Animal Wellness Clinic and you may be featured in one of my articles!