Will my cat get depressed leaving a multi-cat home?
Leaving a multi-cat household can cause anxiety about whether a cat will feel upset or depressed in a single-cat environment. Overthinking this transition is common, though cats may also show independent behaviors like running outside when given the chance.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Will my cat get depressed leaving a multi-cat home?
- 1Waiting for the cat to readjust over time, assuming the cat will be fine after a short absence.Did this help you?
- 2Taking the cat to the vet for blood work to check healthDid this help you?
- 3Closing the door immediately after the cat comes inside for dinnerDid this help you?
- 4Waiting for the cat to decide to come in on their own when the weather gets cooler or rainyDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Now that the evenings are cooling, I want him to come back inside to take his usual place on the sofa. I’ve tried, but he runs away!”source ↗
“I'm scared that my cat would feel upset or depressed when i take him back i feel so bad and I'm not sure how cats react to this”source ↗
“hopefully, i overthink about this lil shit way too much”source ↗
“Mines the same. I wanted her as an indoor cat but she'd run outside the moment we opened the door or window.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 22How to tell if a neighborhood stray cat is in heat
- 2Did I separate a stray cat from her kittens?
- 4How to get a cat to come out from hiding under the bed