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By Lucy Notarantonio
Senior Reporter
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A woman has turned to social media for advice about her clingy cat, who she suspects has depression.
On Wednesday, /u/janegayz took to Reddit to discuss Captain, a 3-year-old tabby, in a post that has since received 33,000 upvotes.
The owner, a 22-year-old woman from Ohio named Jay, explained that the cat followed her everywhere, stood between her legs when she was standing and slept whenever she did.
Read More on Pets
Jay told Newsweek: "When I go out, he sits at the window by the front door and waits for me to come home. He still eats and drinks, but always returns to that spot."
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She continued: "I have taken him to the vet for it before, and they suggested that it was something that may just go away with time and that they didn't necessarily think medication was the way to go.
"I live with my grandma, and she says he is a completely different cat when I'm not here. He isn't interested in playing with her or being pet, only with me."
While she loves that Captain is glued to her hip, she fears it may be a sign of something more serious. Jay said on Reddit that she originally found Captain in a dumpster and that he was her dad's cat until her father died in June 2023.
An Expert Opinion
Dr. Linda Simon, the resident veterinarian at the dog food company Pooch & Mutt, told Newsweek that Captain's behavior sounded like severe dependency and separation anxiety.
She said: "It may be that he's more of a nervous cat than average, and this is likely a combination of his background and also affected by his genetics and innate personality traits.
"Depressed cats may hide away, act aloof, go off their food, or refuse to play. I think, rather than being depressed, he's more of a nervous nelly who strongly craves the reassurance that human company gives him."
In the post, Jay said Captain had always been different. "He would follow my dad around and my dad called him his little buddy," she wrote, adding that she had two other cats, in whom Captain had showed no interest.
"After my dad died it seems like he moved to me," she wrote. "But I worry he may be severely depressed."
In a comment on the post, Jay continued: "I want to specify that him being clingy doesn't bother me at all, I love him. The reason I made this post is I'm worried it's not necessarily him just 'loving' me and could more so be that he's very depressed."
According to the pet food company Purina, cats can suffer from extreme sadness, which can be triggered by a number of things—such as their environment, poor care or a lack of appropriate enrichment. Owners are encouraged to mentally stimulate their furry friends by adding more playtime to their cat's routine.
Reddit Reacts
Jay's post has received more than 900 comments, with many users seeking to reassure the worried owner.
"Bro loves you more than anything," one user wrote. Another said: "If anything, he might be a bit bored. You might make sure he's got some toys and that he regularly gets a good long while chasing a laser pointer or something on a string. Otherwise, I think he just really loves you! Cats will often pick a favorite human, and you are his."
A commenter added: "I completely understand your concerns, but I don't think there's anything to be worried about. When it comes to cats and dogs, how much they like people is often completely separate from how much they like members of their own species. It sounds like your cat is very neutral towards other cats and very attached to you specifically, which isn't unheard of at all."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our "Pet of the Week" lineup.
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