Your pets have feelings and can feel happy, sad, or even depressed. If your pet is sad, it will make you feel worse. It sounds like it hurts to not hear your puppy yipping around, your cat playingfully scratching your hand, or your pet birds chirping with joy.
But how do you know if your dog is feeling down? Or that your pet has special needs? Here are five signs that you might be depressed:
1. Lack of or Excessive Appetite
Is my dog sad? Is he sick? The symptom is common not only in dogs but also in cats and other pets. One of the most important ways to tell if your pet is sad is to watch what they eat.
Your pet might not eat at all, or they might feel hungry and eat all the time, or even more than usual. If you notice anything strange about how your pet eats, you should take them to the vet right away.
2. Change in Sleeping Pattern
When your pet is depressed, it may sleep a lot or not at all. It’s kind of like how they eat.
Some pets like cats love sleeping, sure. But if they seem to be sleeping a lot more than usual, that’s a warning sign. Also, if your pet doesn’t sleep in its usual spot, that could be a sign that it’s sad.
3. Making the ears flat
This sign is for pets that love to play with you and stick their ears up. So, if you want to know if your puppy is sad, you should look at its ears. If your pet keeps their ears flat, it means they’re not excited about anything and are probably sad.
4. A lot of anger
If your pet is usually good, has it been acting up lately? Your pet might even be naturally a little bit aggressive. But if you think they’re getting even more angry and mean toward everyone in the family, it’s a sign that your pet is sad.
5. Running out of gas
Pets like dogs love playing. Dogs are usually very friendly and active pets. They wag their tails and roll their tongues. Do you feel like their body isn’t doing much, like they’re just laying in a corner with their eyes closed and not moving? That’s an indication that your pet might be sad.
Give Them Extra Love!
Is my pet sad? As a caretaker, have I failed? What can I do now to help my pet?
Don’t judge yourself too harshly. It’s rare for animals to feel sad, but it’s not impossible. Even if you take good care of your pet, there is no guarantee that they will never feel sad.
The first step to being better caretakers is to know the signs and see if your pet is showing them. You can buy your pets a few fun, new toys to get them to play with you. Your pet’s mood can be improved quickly with a little extra love. Good luck!