<p>There is a lot of research on depression in animals.</p>

<p>Wikipedia has a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_models_of_depression#Modeling_depression_in_animals">good summary</a> of the comparison of depression between animals and humans:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>It is difficult to develop an animal model that perfectly reproduces
  the symptoms of depression in patients. Many animals lack
  self-consciousness, self-reflection, and consideration; moreover,
  hallmarks of the disorder such as depressed mood, low self-esteem or
  suicidality are hardly accessible in non-humans. However, depression,
  as other mental disorders, consists of endophenotypes[5] that can be
  reproduced independently and evaluated in animals.</p>
  
  <p>The following endophenotypes have been described:[5]</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Anhedonia: The loss of interest is a core symptom of depression.</li>
  <li>Anhedonia in rodents can be assessed by sucrose preference or by
  intracranial self-stimulation.</li>
  <li>Behavioral despair: Behavioral despair might be assessed with tests such as the forced-swimming test or the tail suspension test.</li>
  <li>Changes in appetite or weight gain: Depression is often associated with changes in appetite or weight gain, which is easily measured in
  rodents.</li>
  <li>Neuroanatomy: Depressed subjects display decreased hippocampal volume and rodents exposed to chronic stress or excess glucocorticoids
  exhibit similar signs of hippocampal loss of neurons and dendritic
  atrophy.</li>
  <li>Neuroendocrine disturbances: Disturbances of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) are one of the most
  consistent symptoms in major depression. The functionality of the HPA
  can be assessed by dexamethasone suppression test .</li>
  <li>Alterations in sleep architecture: Disturbances in the circadian rhythm and especially in the sleep architecture are often observed in
  depressed. In rodents, it is accessible via
  electroencephalography(EEG).</li>
  <li>Anxiety-related behavior: Anxiety is a symptom with high prevalence in depression. Therefore, animal models of depression often display
  altered anxiety-related behavior.</li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<p>One of the early popular models of depression based on animal behaviour is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learned_helplessness">learned helplessness</a> theory:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Learned helplessness theory is the view that clinical depression and
  related mental illnesses may result from a perceived absence of
  control over the outcome of a situation.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This has been replicated in many animals, including cats. (A nice review of learned helplessness in humans <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMPzDiraNnA">here</a>.)</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_depressive_disorder#Causes">Modern theories of depression</a> include many other causes besides learning, not all of which are applicable to animals.  So ultimately, cats do get depressed, in a way similar in some respects to humans, but in other aspects, not the same.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-18T20:13:18.270Z
2015-05-18T20:13:18.270Z
Arnon Weinberg
<p>Human depression has been modeled in a variety of animal models, including cats (<a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00427414" rel="nofollow">Wilner, 1984</a>). Cats show comparable signs of distress when subject to maternal separation, including separation phenomena of protest, followed by despair. Although it is hard to project the DSM-V criteria onto cats, they can show comparable behaviors when subject to anxiety and stress. </p>

<p><sub><strong>Reference</strong><br>
<strong>-</strong> <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00427414" rel="nofollow">Wilner, <em>Psychoneuropharmacol</em> (1984); <strong>83</strong>(1): 1-16</a></sub></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-18T12:44:10.860Z
2016-05-12T07:17:45.103Z
2016-05-12T07:17:45.103Z
AliceD
<p>Most of the research on depression seems quite human focused. Can cats also get depressed in the same way there's depression for humans?</p>

<depression>
Can cats get depressed in a way similar to humans?
Christian
# Can cats get depressed in a way similar to humans?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-05-18)

Most of the research on depression seems quite human focused. Can cats also get depressed in the same way there's depression for humans?

**Tags:** depression


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-05-18. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

Human depression has been modeled in a variety of animal models, including cats ([Wilner, 1984](http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00427414)). Cats show comparable signs of distress when subject to maternal separation, including separation phenomena of protest, followed by despair. Although it is hard to project the DSM-V criteria onto cats, they can show comparable behaviors when subject to anxiety and stress.

**Reference**  
**-** [Wilner, *Psychoneuropharmacol* (1984); **83**(1): 1-16](http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00427414)


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### Answer by username_1 on 2015-05-18. Score: 6

There is a lot of research on depression in animals.

Wikipedia has a [good summary](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_models_of_depression#Modeling_depression_in_animals) of the comparison of depression between animals and humans:

> It is difficult to develop an animal model that perfectly reproduces
> the symptoms of depression in patients. Many animals lack
> self-consciousness, self-reflection, and consideration; moreover,
> hallmarks of the disorder such as depressed mood, low self-esteem or
> suicidality are hardly accessible in non-humans. However, depression,
> as other mental disorders, consists of endophenotypes[5] that can be
> reproduced independently and evaluated in animals.
>
> The following endophenotypes have been described:[5]
>
> * Anhedonia: The loss of interest is a core symptom of depression.
> * Anhedonia in rodents can be assessed by sucrose preference or by
>   intracranial self-stimulation.
> * Behavioral despair: Behavioral despair might be assessed with tests such as the forced-swimming test or the tail suspension test.
> * Changes in appetite or weight gain: Depression is often associated with changes in appetite or weight gain, which is easily measured in
>   rodents.
> * Neuroanatomy: Depressed subjects display decreased hippocampal volume and rodents exposed to chronic stress or excess glucocorticoids
>   exhibit similar signs of hippocampal loss of neurons and dendritic
>   atrophy.
> * Neuroendocrine disturbances: Disturbances of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) are one of the most
>   consistent symptoms in major depression. The functionality of the HPA
>   can be assessed by dexamethasone suppression test .
> * Alterations in sleep architecture: Disturbances in the circadian rhythm and especially in the sleep architecture are often observed in
>   depressed. In rodents, it is accessible via
>   electroencephalography(EEG).
> * Anxiety-related behavior: Anxiety is a symptom with high prevalence in depression. Therefore, animal models of depression often display
>   altered anxiety-related behavior.

One of the early popular models of depression based on animal behaviour is [learned helplessness](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learned_helplessness) theory:

> Learned helplessness theory is the view that clinical depression and
> related mental illnesses may result from a perceived absence of
> control over the outcome of a situation.

This has been replicated in many animals, including cats. (A nice review of learned helplessness in humans [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMPzDiraNnA).)

[Modern theories of depression](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_depressive_disorder#Causes) include many other causes besides learning, not all of which are applicable to animals. So ultimately, cats do get depressed, in a way similar in some respects to humans, but in other aspects, not the same.


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