In the UK, there are approximately 10.8 million pet cats and 26% of households share their home with a feline friend! As a cat owner myself, I know only too well how wild and energetic cats can be! However, when they suddenly become quiet and sad it may be something that we need to worry about and seek Veterinary advice. This article aims to explore the reasons why your cat may be quieter than usual.
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Why is my cat quiet?
Cats have always been known for sleeping a lot and on average they kip for 15 hours a day! But any change in your pet’s behaviour may give a cause for concern. If your cat has either suddenly or gradually started behaving differently by being quieter than usual, there may be an underlying health reason to explain this.
Years of research into feline behavioural medicine have concluded that cats are ‘masters at hiding pain’. This is an amazing evolutionary survival trait, however, it makes it extremely challenging for both owners and Veterinary professionals to identify a problem. The following list will cover some of the more common reasons that your cat is quieter than usual (this list is not exhaustive):
Stress
Cats are highly sensitive animals and they can be really affected by stress. The triggers of stress are often difficult to identify as they can be extremely subtle changes. Some common stressors for cats include neighbourhood cats, environmental changes, loud noises etc. There are a variety of clinical signs that stressed cats may display, with one of them being behavioural changes. Often stressed cats hide away and remain solitary and can appear to be ‘off’ and quieter than their usual happy self.
Pain
As mentioned earlier, cats have evolved to hide signs of pain or illness. Therefore, the only early sign that your cat may show when they are in discomfort is being quieter than usual and becoming withdrawn.
Fever
If a cat has a high temperature (also known as ‘pyrexia’), they often feel dreadful and weak. Now, there are a long list of differentials if your cat has been found to have a fever and these can vary from mild to severe. Most cats with a fever appear lethargic and they usually don’t want to move around very much.
Infection
Cats can develop all types of infections ranging from viral to bacterial. The effect that an infection has on your cat depends on factors such as age, immunity, severity of infection, concurrent disease and type of infection. With some infections your cat may just seem slightly ‘under the weather’ by showing signs of tiredness or lethargy.
Grief
Like other animals, cats can experience grief just like humans do! Cats have been seen mourning and in a state of grief over both the loss of their human owner and a fellow animal companion. Losing a major part of their lives is a sudden and dramatic change for which they have to rapidly adjust to. For some cats, they may suddenly feel very lonely and ‘sad’. This may result in them hiding away, sleeping more and appearing much quieter than usual. It is sometimes difficult distinguishing between grief and stress.
Heart or respiratory disease
Cardiomyopathy (heart disease) and respiratory diseases are common in cats of any age. With heart disease, cats differ to dogs because they often appear fine for the majority of the disease and may only start to develop clinical signs much later on when it is more advanced. Being lethargic or quieter than usual is what you are most likely going to see at home. This is sometimes accompanied by faster more rapid breathing. If you notice fast breathing in your cat, this tells us that your cat is experiencing breathing difficulty and therefore you must seek Veterinary advice as soon as possible.
RTA (road traffic accidents)
Cats love to explore the great outdoors, some more than others! But outdoor access also comes with its dangers and one of these is road traffic. Unfortunately, many cats do get hit by cars and the injuries can vary from mild to life threatening. If your cat has returned home and is acting strange by being quieter than usual, I would advise a full health check as soon as possible with your Vet who will assess them for any signs of trauma or injury.
Urinary issues, urethral obstruction
Urethral obstruction is a condition where your cat (often males) is completely unable to void urine despite many efforts. This is a life threatening emergency scenario. It is common for a ‘blocked’ cat to appear very dull, quiet and lethargic. This may be accompanied by vomiting, excessive vocalisation and loss of appetite. The lethargy is often due to the high level of abdominal pain. Some blocked cats (depending on the duration of the obstruction) can also have high kidney enzymes and electrolyte changes such as high potassium, these will make your cat feel very poorly.
Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the most common hormonal disorders found in cats, with older and obese cats being in the higher risk category. In diabetic cats, they have dangerously high levels of glucose in the blood which is unable to be transported and driven into cells. This is either due to a lack of insulin or a poor response to their own insulin. Clinical signs of diabetes include ravenous appetite, increased drinking, increased urinating and weight loss. When diabetic cats start treatment with insulin, it is important to understand the signs of hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose). The signs include generalised weakness, lethargy and being quieter at home.
Please contact your Vet if you notice that your feline friend is quieter than usual. Your Vet will likely take a full clinical history and perform a full ‘head to tail’ clinical examination on your cat. Depending on these findings, your Vet may then suggest diagnostics such as blood tests and imaging to investigate further.
Conclusion
To conclude, there are many reasons that your cat may be behaving quieter than usual. The potential causes vary greatly in their treatment options and prognostic factors. Therefore, it is important never to ignore quiet cats and to seek Veterinary advice!
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