# I think my kitty has seasonal affective disorder. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 10, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-kitty-has-seasonal-affective-disorder/563698 "2010-12-10T20:29:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-kitty-has-seasonal-affective-disorder/563698/1 "2010-12-10T20:29:16Z")
I noticed it last winter, too. In December/January here, we get about eight hours of daylight a day. Also, it’s too cold to have windows open, and you know that open windows are an indoor cat’s favorite thing. She just sleeps and sleeps and sleeps. Twice a day she’ll get up, eat and drink, use the box, give us a sad look, then sleep again. No frisking about, begging for belly rubs, running up and down the hall, or disembowling her toy mice. It’s so sad. She does still eat and drink, use her box without problems, and purr when we pet her. Her ears and nose aren’t warm, so she doesn’t have a fever. I think she’s medically okay, just… depressed. Sigh. Poor kitty. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-kitty-has-seasonal-affective-disorder/563698/2 "2010-12-10T20:45:32Z")
☹ Would your kitty like a [heated bed](http://www.kvsupply.com/KVVet/productr.asp?pf_id=82997&gift=False&0=dept.asp%2Cdept_id%3D9000%26Tree%3D%2CComplete%20Catalog&1=dept.asp%2Cdept_id%3D20000%26Tree%3D0%2CCat&2=dept.asp%2Cdept_id%3D20100%26menu_id%3D%26Tree%3D1%2CBeds%20%26%20Bedding&3=dept.asp%2Cdept_id%3D20105%26menu_id%3D%26Tree%3D2%2CThermal%20Beds&HSLB=False&mscssid=000950218A5814C455592C39993B8495)? They’re not that expensive any more. Or some catnip maybe? psst… kitteh thread neads moar peekchurs ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-kitty-has-seasonal-affective-disorder/563698/3 "2010-12-10T20:46:47Z")
Or a little kitty sun lamp? Is she old? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-kitty-has-seasonal-affective-disorder/563698/4 "2010-12-10T20:50:05Z")
Have you considered a sunlight lamp? Amazon has a wide selection. Some of them are pretty reasonable. I’ve been thinking of asking for one myself. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-kitty-has-seasonal-affective-disorder/563698/5 "2010-12-10T20:52:01Z")
In happier times she’ll climb in a lap if she’s cold. Now she just stays on her quilt. It seems like she’d head for a lap if she was cold? [Sleeping kitty pic](http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y169/katzenfrau/5246068619_68ee9bbbb8.jpg?t=1292014165) [Awake kitty pic](http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y169/katzenfrau/5240738435_a4aef9b910.jpg?t=1292014375) Edit: She is 6.5 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-kitty-has-seasonal-affective-disorder/563698/6 "2010-12-10T20:57:09Z")
Awwwww! ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-kitty-has-seasonal-affective-disorder/563698/7 "2010-12-11T00:52:30Z")
I absolutely LOVE that quilt. Kitty’s cute too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-kitty-has-seasonal-affective-disorder/563698/8 "2010-12-11T01:18:28Z")
See if you can borrow a kitten for awhile. That ought to get her up and about 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-kitty-has-seasonal-affective-disorder/563698/9 "2010-12-11T03:46:11Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > See if you can borrow a kitten for awhile. That ought to get her up and about 🙂 Or just any old cat- ought to liven things up a bit.😃 ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-my-kitty-has-seasonal-affective-disorder/563698/10 "2010-12-12T01:27:53Z")
I think cats sleep 18 hours a day, don’t they? (Not kidding.) Actually, your kitty is no kitten any more. My cat has slowed down something awful the last year or so. I think he’s bored, not being able to sit in the window or go outside on his leash. The last time he ran through the house like a darling kitten was when summer was over and it got chilly in the morning, boy, did he get energy spurts. Now he’s just snoozing his life away, in a warm spot, gets up to eat and drink… Like me!