Depressed Cat
Listen in RealAudio
Email your weather question

Seasonal Affective Disorder brings on mild depression for many people in the winter. At Weather Notebook commentator Amy Mayer's house, everyone is affected by winter's darkness even the cat.

MOST MORNINGS I EAT BREAKFAST FACING A LARGE BRIGHT LIGHT BOX. I GET SLUGGISH AND A LITTLE DOWN IN THE WINTER. MANY PEOPLE FIND THE BRIGHT LIGHT HELPS WARD OFF WINTER DEPRESSION. NOTICE I SAID, "PEOPLE."

OUR FAMILY CAT TURNS FROM A HAPPY, FRIENDLY ANIMAL IN THE SUMMER TO A SELF-MUTILATING, SOMETIMES NASTY LITTLE BEAST IN THE WINTER. DURING THE DARK DAYS, SHE SCRATCHES AT HER NECK UNTIL SHE BLEEDS. WE HAVE TO DRESS HER IN A LITTLE FLEECE NECK GAITOR SO SHE DOESN'T HURT HERSELF. PLUS, IN WINTER SHE STALKS US, SWATS AT US AND EVEN BITES. THE LOCAL BEHAVIORAL VETERINARIAN THINKS SHE MAY HAVE CAT SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER.

I WASN'T HOME THE DAY HE MET THE CAT AND MADE HIS SPECULATION, BUT I'M QUITE INVOLVED IN THE TREATMENT HE PRESCRIBED. IN ADDITION TO GETTING A DAILY DOSE OF ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, NOW THE CAT JOINS US FOR THE MORNING LIGHT BOX RITUAL. SOMETIMES SHE RESTS IN OUR ARMS PURRING FOR THE 15 MINUTES. OTHER DAYS SHE THRASHES AROUND. HER PAWS FLY IN EVERY DIRECTION AND SHE SQUIRMS LIKE A WET BABY IN A BATHTUB UNTIL WE FINALLY GIVE UP AND LET HER SCAMPER AWAY. HER NEXT ACTIVITY USUALLY INVOLVES SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR, MEOWING AT US AND SCRATCHING HER NECK.

THE LIGHT BOX DOES HELP THE HUMANS IN THE HOUSE, BUT I'M NOT CONVINCED IT'S HELPING THE CAT. SO LIKE THE REST OF US, SHE'LL BE WEARING FLEECE AT LEAST UNTIL SPRING.