Can Cats Have Seasonal Affective Disorder? 

Cats are affected just like humans are. The difference is, we can speak. They cannot. Therefore you HAVE to tap into their psyche and know your cat.

Interesting! I have it the other way around because of my autism. I get really overstimulated because of the sun/light in summer... And that basically always end up in depression. These shorter days finally give me a bit more engery. Happy to now know the symptoms in cats so I can help them quicker.

I have depression myself. Whenever one of my kitties starts acting depressed, (it doesn't happen too often) that cat gets all of the cuddles. I know that's what I want when I'm in a bad place. It's worked pretty well so far ❤ they also seem to notice it in each other and snuggle up in "cat piles" to soothe. I don't see too many negative moods that last very long. They comfort each other too.

I live in Michigan, so there's a huge difference between summer and winter, and I bring out the electric blanket in November aand turn it on when I'm home and awake, and it'snot sunny. It makes my cat's day when she sees me put the blanket on the couch.

One thing my cat does is sleeps WAY more, he stays out of the windows even during the day. But he seems sad sometimes, he’ll put his paws and his cheek or jaw on our feet. It’s like he needs to keep better track of us to make sure he knows where we are. 😢

So true. It's getting very cold here in Michigan, which means closed windows. There's a big difference in my girl Babettes' behavior, and it's hard to see because she doesn't understand why she can't have them open all the time. So when I'm home, I constantly open/close them for her. It's a real pain, but anything that makes my girl happy, I do😺❤️

I work from home and my cat insists on being in my office all day while I'm working. He likes to jump up on my desk, so I put a cat condo and a floor-to-ceiling climbing pole with platforms at various heights in front of a window. I then got a bird feeder and placed it just outside the window. Needless to say, this keeps him occupied for hours at a time. It also tires him out and every couple of hours he naps on my desk. Good to know that this will help with his S.A.D.! I wish mine were so easy to deal with.

I’ve struggled with SAD all my life, and living in Scandinavia, those dark months are truly oppressive. Nothing makes you lose the will to live like a good old 14:30 Stockholm sunset. It never occurred to me that it affected cats too. I think I never noticed a change because the outdoor cats I know obviously have a major change in behavior (curling up inside in the warmth) when their territory gets covered in snow during those months, and that overshadows more subtle behavior changes due to daylight. But in hindsight it makes sense that cats would be affected too. After all, both of our species belong much closer to the equator than this.

As a new cat mummy i am finding these videos invaluable, cat disribution was at work hence i was unprepared for my new servant duties 😂

For me and my cat, SAD hits more in the peak of summer (I live in Texas). The heat is too much to do anything, and I notice my cat sleeps a lot more a plays every other day, but as soon as we cool down she LOVES to play! And when its cold she has way more zoomies...maybe to keep warm.

I didn't realize how selfish I was being in the wintertime. I get depressed this time of year and tend to shut down in a lot of ways. I turn to my cats for comfort for a lot of reasons -- too often, I realize. I sleep on a heat mat because the heating doesn't work very well and even thought winters are hard, I look forward to my cats snuggling with me more on cold nights. What a fantastic video. I am very interested in learning more about my cats' mental health! ♡♡♡ Jackson, thank you for opening this dialogue. The comments speak volumes.

Cheer up guys 🐈 🐈‍⬛️ we love you 🤗

Last year our cat showed signs of SAD, largely I think because we have a long, very cold winter and it means no more harnessed walks. So we got him a brother, which kept his life full! I still noticed the SAD coming back when we got our first snow and the walks needed to be greatly shortened, but having another kitty friend still helps. Edit: we also increase playing with them with cat toys in the winter.

Add: NH/Maine she’s not able to go to the three season porch and hang out like she did those other three seasons… She is such a sweetheart that she has for the most part regulated herself to our schedule where she does seem to sleep most of the night and she never bothers us

Love that they’re just calmly explaining the rules and whatnot to her. We all start somewhere.

Thank you. I have that disorder. Did not realize my cat had it too.

We couldn’t live without our cats. Thanks for your help and advice on how to make them happy!!!! Keep up the great work and videos ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Meow meow

So thankful for this video. I know I suffer from SAD and wonder about my Nina

I needed to hear about SAD affects cats. My little (outdoor feral) Olive ❤is sleeping more. She eats, finds a sunny spot in morning and naps. She’s also a bit more skittish. She still does her figure 8s around my legs and shows affection. I’ve learned so much from this channel. Now I just gotta find a cat house for her so she can sleep. I don’t know how to get her to know that she has a safe place here.

I used to free feed Link, but when I saw how little that helped when he got over fed, I managed to cut down. I know on the package of the dry food, it says how much a cat is supposed to eat every day. So I fill up Link’s bowl, so he can eat that whenever he wants (he is trying to adjust so he can eat when needed, but still can save the food until the next day). He gets wet food twice a day. 1 tsp in the morning and 1 tsp in the evening. Now that it’s easier to keep a track of how much he’s eating, I can actually see that he started to lose weight, so he’s becoming a healthier cat now ❤ He is more energetic and that makes me so happy. It’s easier and funnier to play with him now 🥰

Cats do get affected by seasonal change😽😸😻💚thanks Jackson for another informative video❤

My cat slept all day last Monday. It's the first time I see him like this. I really thought something was wrong, but then everything came back normal on Tuesday. I guess he felt he needed a day off or something. He's always been good with the time changes since he does it by himself one or two weeks before we do, synching with the sun.

I think that's what's wrong with my cat at the moment, I'm from the UK and my cat goes out but hasn't been out much at all because it's cold and rainy, she is just sleeping all day and sulking.

Here in Ohio---there are a lot less birds out there for the kitties to watch---many have flown the North! But, we try to keep our birdfeeder going to help both them and keep cat tv going. (The squirrels nap a lot more too when it's bitter cold in January)

Yes Jackson, I now feed at certain times and only feed wet food. You have engrained that in me.

Definitely feel it in Seattle!

How would we ever raise cats without you man❤❤❤ Thank you and love you Jackson ❤❤❤🎉

I am definitely the person that likes summer the best! I like to be outside and working in the sunlight in my yard. I don't like it at all when the time changes at this time of year. How many days until Spring???? 😅

Hiiii Jason even though I know that probably you won't see This message because of you can't sometimes read all the comments it's alright and I'm a huge fan of yours and been a fan of you since the beginning of the show my cat from hell I absolutely love everything you do and teach us about our furry friends and how we should take care of them

Somehow my kittie girl knows her mealtimes even after a time-change😋 My doggies could figure out the time too when I still had dogs. Miss them.

1st Epiphany! I was just thinking of taking my ginger boy to the vet to be checked out because he was really subdued. In the summer he lives outside for most of the day, sleeping in the garden. He has just moved indoors and seemed pretty down. It never even occurred to me that he could be experiencing SAD! 2nd Epiphany! My tortie girl has just recently groomed 2/3's of her coat off and I absolutely could not figure out why! Maybe she has struggled with the change in seasons. I think she is more prone to stress than her brother and this could be it. perfect timing Jackson, thank you.

Thanks for light options. I have auto feeder for the kibble set for 6:20 am and pm. I leave it as is for time changes like Spring ahead and now Fallback . He is often but not always perched like a vulture waiting for it. He does get ‘fish soup’ at one other time of day.

I’m very fortunate to have an enclosed patio that is southwest facing. 8 large windows with cat trees to play and nap on and bird feeders to look at.

We had a cat that lived over 19yrs and we left dry food out 24/7 he was super skinny, never over ate, and he lived a long long time for cat. So I think it depends on the cat. Edit: he loved windows! and had access to them whenever he wanted to. We spoiled him lol

I’m out of state for 2 months and my husband and daughter are back home with our cat kid. Apparently he has gone into a deep depression & will not leave my bed (except when necessary to eat or go to the bathroom), then he returns to my bed. We all feel so sorry for him. It makes me wish I could be in two places at once.

One thing to consider about cats. They are as much nocturnal as diurnal. I can go to bed with a half a bucket of food, and wake up with some hungry cats telling me that I forgot to feed them. My cats, however, are indoor/outdoor cats. They love playing outside. However, it is just not as much fun when it is pouring down rain. Here in the Northwest, we have a wet season and a dry season, and the soggy season is here.

Thank you Jackson ❤

Hey cat daddy, ive commented on your videos before and id just like to thank you for all your hard work. Our elderly cat, mystery who is 23 years old is going thru kidney failure and is nearing his end of life. I have watched your videos and your show for years now and you have helped fuel my love for cats and made me understand their feelings, needs and desires for space and freedom, love and play. Im not sure exactly where im going with this, but i am just so deeply appreciative for your advice and i feel its partially why our old man has lived this long. Cheers, cat daddy and thank you again for all you do

I commented to H about Bruno other day. He has seemed less playful and more sleepy this week. I am going to try a few treats in any sunny spots. Its so dark at the moment.

I live in Sweden, and I'm trying to prepare myself mentally for the coming months because once November hits, we barely see the sun for like 4 months. My cats seem to fair pretty well luckily, but I think they get just as drained as I do once it starts going grey and dark.

Since the first snow started, my girl is looking outside like "not again!!" 😂

As someone who has seasonal affective disorder, I definitely will need to make use of my sun box again, because I’ve been slacking off on that, and I’m sure the cats I live with will make use of it too 😆

Feel it in Cleveland omg and so are my cats they sleep all day ❤didn't even realize ..I was wondering why he plopped on couch and didn't move.

Yep..we get up at 5 am now, that's when she goes outside, she has the place to herself. We do a lot of playtime, she does get hyper, but finds hidey holes. Brushing helps with her licking, it distracts her. No furballs or shedding. She 'dry horks' so I'm heading to the vets, as she never uses the litter box until winter sets in, I don't know her bowel habits.

Since the sun is so low that there aren't a lot of sunny spots to sleep in, I have placed a basking lamp (like for lizards) on a timer over my cat's favorite spot.

my favorite thing isnt even the information in the video its just the fact we have a disorder whose abbreviation is "SAD" still, really good info!!! love your content dude

I suffer from seasonal depression and my dr prescribed a seasonal light lamp. My fur babies love laying in front of it.

Wow! I had no idea. Thank you for all you do!!!❤❤❤

My cats go into winter mode. More sleeping and hibernation ❤

Thank you 🙏 much love and respect 🫡❤… 🐾🐈🐈‍⬛🐾 - peace & light to all da kittys & to u & to all too 🌟 ☮️ - !!!!

I used to watch this guys show when I was like 5, Im about to get out of highschool now. Time flies.

I’ve never owned a cat before. I was given a kitten so far it’s been going well she’s sweet, friendly, loving, playful, smart, just full of fun and her waves of energy. I’ve noticed she loves to run when she plays on her own she runs from one room to the next. Also when I feed and I’m walking she will run it just seems so cute. Idk if she enjoys sliding across the floor.

This is very interesting. My cat has been uncharacteristically crazy every afternoon this past week, the clocks went back in the UK last weekend & I didn’t even consider this as a reason for the change!

This reminds me: I'd really like to give my cat outside time but I'm really afraid of spending the money on a good proper harness and then she just despises it too much. Can you make a more in depth harness training video and maybe some tips to help figure out if it's a good fit for your cat or if you should try something else first?

My cats definitely get S.A.D. in the winter (me too to some degree). The big thing for them is that they don't want to go outside for leash walks, or spend time on the catio, during the cold, wet, months. While in the summer, they spend most of their day on the catio watching birds. I try to make sure that we have extra play and cuddle time, it helps both of us.

There are periods in my life there I get greatly affected by lack of sunlight. So during the summer I'm trying to savour all the sunlight I can get, especially while I live in Sweden. But it is also during the summer where we celebrate ''midsommar'', and during this time, people LOVE to remind everyone that ''now it only gets darker ha ha''!! FAN I DON'T NEED TO BE REMINDED AAHH

Thank you for the great advice and love all you do have a nice day 👍 your truly appreciated 😊

My girl demands food an hour sooner after the clock goes back an hour😂 other than that, she's the same old crazy critter, but she refuses to play outside in her catio. Too cold for the spoiled indoor princess

Was so surprised when my two girls were all of a sudden an hour off for their auto feeder when DST happened. Had no idea! I moved the time back and they adjusted really well. Love the idea of making more use of the windows, thanks!

I had never experienced this with my other cats I had over the years. However, I just rescued a 5 month old off the streets 3 months ago. I had her spayed, chipped and up to date with shots. Ms. Marbles has finally settled and picked her happy spots in the home. She "plays" and interacts great with me (no one else yet). But all of a suddened, this week she seems "sleepy" and "bored". Thank You for posting this! I so believe you have hit the nail on the head! I will definitely keep her feeding schedule normal as she peaks up for breakfast and dinner (loves food! LOL) I do wish she played more. I am still looking for her jackpot toy. Thank you Jackson!

I never would’ve guessed this. Thanks for the tips!

I built bigger shelves for most of my windows, the cat's love it.

I'm in New Zealand and it is spring coming into summer. Yay!!! I love spring and summer.

Something new to learn jackson. On a humorous note, one time when there was like 3 feet of snow outside, we heard this awful scary screechy like sound, like an animal fight. We look out side in front of our house on top of all that snow, 2 feral cats were going at it, not fighting, just sex. Good god. Lol.

It’s been getting darker since the beginning of Summer. But the months between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice are the worst for me. I celebrate the Longest Night as the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year. My cat’’said been a little lethargic as well.

I got a SAD lamp for christmas. Inlive far north in the northen hemisphere. My cat instantly sat herself in front of the lamp 😅🥰

Mine started sleeping more by late September. Sometimes I had to wake one up for breakfast. Luckily sleeping and cuddling more is as bad as it gets for them for the most part, the old one's arthritis gets worse during winter.

Btw congrats on 2 Million Cat Daddy!

When winter hits my roommates cat migrates literally to my lap or wants to snuggle under blankets with me taking naps together.I also play catch the toy on fluffy warm blankets in winter with him.We have made our own ritual of hanging with each other.Its like we lean on each other.

Thank you for the video! I love how relatable and informative you are. Your videos are so entertaining, and I love watching them.

Oh Jackson.. this was so spot on and enlightening... thank you so very much ❤

Thank you Jackson for your advice.

It takes about a week for our cats to adjust to the change, longer for me lol. I we left time in its natural state, there'd be less of a dramatic change with SAD! Stop DST. FYI: There are 24% more heart attacks after the springtime DST change?

Thank you for this video!! I need your fancy pink glasses, cat daddy! Will you please let me know where to purchase those? xo

I'm enjoying your old programs on Tubi.

I dislike standard time,and can’t wait until December 22, 2023, which is the day after winter solstice because we start regaining a little daylight back each day. Yay!

Some people have seasonal affective disorder that strikes in the spring and summer. Likewise, at least 2 of our resident cats seem to prefer the cooler temperatures and shorter days. They get so much more active and want to run out the door on the cooler days.

I have a cat who is in/out by his choice. He is not happy about the early cold weather😂his friend Henry isn’t meeting him at the tree in morning’s anymore because it’s rainy. Soon we’ll be sitting on the back stairs with the door cracked open so he can stick his head out to glare at the snow without getting cold😂long haired fluffer hates the cold.

My kitty stopped eating with the time change. Nothing seemed to snap her out of the slump. Vet prescribed an appetite stimulant. It changed her whole personality and she seemed so much happier. She is fed on a schedule. I did most things you suggested, including new toys on windowsill, new foods and more sunshine. It is still a work in progress. Thanks for this video, it helps.

This Registered Nurse and cat mom of four fabulous felines thanks you for bringing up this topic. To be honest, I never thought about SAD in cats, but it makes perfect sense. Thank you!

Everyone gets sad when the sun goes down early

Hi Jackson Galaxy, I wrote the following to myself and posted it on Facebook: Humans have a lot in common with cats: 1. They're aesthetically pleasing, usually, when they put effort into their appearance 2. They need to feel safe, confident and independent 3. They also need to socialize with others 4. They don't respond well to punishment 5. They need to exercise 30 minutes to an hour every day 6. They need to curate their diets and environments to make it liveable for them. 6a. They need and love to be clean. 7. They need and love to sleep 8. They need and love to play 9. Cats need and love to use their instincts to hunt; we need and love to use our minds to work. It's analogous. So maybe when you think about how you would treat your cat, turn the thinking around to how you treat yourself and your people.

Thanks to my baby for making my life depression free ❤

Dogs being crepuscular as well, and a lot of breeds are sun lovers as well… I always tell my clients to feed their dogs between hours, not the exact hour every time because that time might and will change, whether time change, life emergency, pet sitter, vet stay, etc… Feed BETWEEN 5-7:30pm or 7-9:00am, etc…

I cannot say thank you enough for all I've learned from you over the past few months. Didn't realize senior cats needed wet food v. dry. Finally brought my 9 yr old to the vet and she recommended I go with the wet for the water content (and I'm adding a tad of water to the wet food; "younger" cat is 8 yrs old). BUT, it's the actual cat play that's working so well! My older boy is clumsy; I'm not sure how he survived on the streets of Chicago for 2 years. Finally, I'm tricking myself and not changing my analog clocks...yet. Thanks!

Thanks for the advice.❤

Jackson, I have a problem that I’ve encountered. My neighbors cat keeps getting out. At first we thought he was stray but he had a collar and was tame. We couldn’t find the name or number on the collar so I took him to a vet to find a chip, he didn’t have a chip. Fortunately his home wound up being next door so after a short door-knocking exercise I returned him home. We first saw him a few weeks ago (2-3) hue would show up then disappear. Then he came back Monday when I took him to the vet. He showed up again Wednesday and this morning (Thursday). I returned him each time, but i informed them that they need to get him neutered per city ordinance. They told me that he wasn’t supposed to be getting out at all. I’ve grown concerned that they don’t care or are just in general neglecting to take care of the situation. My concern is two-fold first we have an over abundant feral population in our area. I think he was attracted to our house because of proximity to his home, but also we feed a few of the feral cats that live in the neighborhood so I’m sure the food was enticing. My second concern is that if he isn’t neutered or chipped, he probably doesn’t have shots. I’ve seen him engaging with the ferals that we feed. One of whom is an intact male that we are working on catching and releasing. My concern is that because the feral male has laid a claim on the territory he might get in a fight with our neighbors cat. He could get sick or hurt or struck by a car. At what point should I involve an authority like animal control or by offering to take in the cat myself. I don’t want to assume neglect, but he very much seems anxious when he is left outside and yowls to come inside now that we have befriended him. It doesn’t seem like the neighbors have a sense of urgency to neuter him to deter this behavior or take other actions to prevent his adventures outside. What do you think is the most reasonable course of action? I informed them they need to neuter him and my concerns of him getting hurt or sick. I just don’t know that they took it seriously.

Me and my cats came to Florida for the winter to get rid of seasonal depression for all of us

Here's something different to think about. I live in Sweden above the Arctic circle. Where in the Summer we have 24 hours of daylight ,and right now we're moving into the darkest part of the year where there'll be the opposite. What to do? Nothing really! This is how we live,humans and our felines. And we might not like it all the time,but somehow we adapt with the Seasons. We are awake longer in Summer,sleep more in the winter. Just wanted to share this.

I love the idea of regular feelding, but my work schedule is terrible for that. Luckily, they know that when I get home, it's a meal. Also, my kitties just get me crawling on the ground on all fours (which they absolutely love - I guess cuz I'm a big cat??? lol) to roll around on the floor with them. I know, I'm a crazy cat lady lol.

The cat that I had when I was a kid got very depressed when I left for college. She ended up needing antidepressants because she started over-grooming herself and was developing bald spots. (I couldn't take her with me because the dorm didn't allow pets.) Fortunately, so far, I have not noticed any of my cats having a seasonal issue, but I will certainly keep an eye out for it.

My cats start to sleep a lot more when winter and short days hit. However they love my lamp which mimics daylight. If we are in the same room there's absolutely zero chance of any light hitting my face 🤔

I think all mammals have the full range of emotions. The only things they don't have that we do are the ability for higher reason and moral judgments. Because they can't speak to us we need to be able to read them.

I've always suffered from seasonal affective disorder, and I can see it in my cats, too. They don't want to eat as much at this time, and neither do I. They want to come in from the enclosed courtyard at our house and stay warm and cozy with me. I love the darkness and quiet of this time of the year, and I can see it makes them restive and nervous, so I do my best to help them get through it. I can talk, write, and make art and crafts of all kinds to help me stay afloat, but they can't, so I need to stay strong during the winter for them. They're inspiring me to finish my novel, and all of them have a starring role in it at different points, so I think we have a mutually supportive relationship.

I'm so pleased you addressed this ,it defiantly happens and can impact some cats quite a lot . My senior boy (sadly passed this year ) went through this every autumn like clockwork ,you could tell he was unhappy about the seasonal change .It generally lasted for 3-4 weeks before he seemed to accept that summer was over and adjust .I have recently adopted a 1 yr old female and am noticing a slight slow down in her too atm ,mainly less enthusiastic play .Introducing a new toy has helped ,and opening the window a tiny bit in the morning so she can listen to the birds outside ,smell the air etc ,also engages her interest .The most effective thing I have found is to keep play time interesting by making toys disappear behind objects or into gaps between furniture etc and moving around the house .Encouraging pouncing ,jumping and scrabbling things out with her paws as well as chasing .So far she seems pretty happy and is certainly always ready for her meals .

After the scare of the last couple of days I'm beginning to wonder if my cat, one of two sisters isn't seriously depressed. She started slinking around and she wouldn't eat for a whole day wouldn't drink ran away from me like she was afraid and had a weird look on her face. I took her to the vet yesterday and they couldn't find anything. I'm so distressed. I guess I need to use more Stress Stopper in her food. But she barely eats today on day three 😢 There's no way she'll play like we do every day but hopefully soon. I did just take up the bowls of food I had around. We'll get on a schedule and no more free feeding

I have started putting thick fabric on the window ledges as my cats are sitting sleeping on them now the weather is cold . I'm lucky as I have a conservatory and they love being in there.

Please help! I free feed because she doesn’t eat the whole meal right away . She loves to eat little by little until she finishes. Any advice? Thank you Jackson❤

❤ you Jackson Galaxy ❤

Jackson Galaxie, you are the Cat Daddy!