The following article was previously posted at Destination Nowhere
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Yesterday I read an article in the Daily Mail about a cat that was put on anti-depressant drugs because the cat was depressed:
The patient would not go out for fear of being bullied, moped around the house and sought comfort in eating.
Eventually there was nothing for it. Twiglet the cat had to be put on Prozac.
The 12-year-old grey tabby, whose weight had ballooned to 15lb, became one of the first pets in Britain to be given anti-depressant drugs, on the advice of a vet who said she had 'anger management issues'.
And the results have been dramatic. Five months later, Twiglet has lost almost 7lb and is roaming around the back garden without fear. Sour puss sweetened by a dose of Prozac
I believe while all animals have their own unique personalities, it's not a cat's nature to be depressed. Depression is a human belief that the animal has picked up, as are comfort-eating and getting fat due to lack of exercise. If this cat lived in the wild or in another culture it's likely that she would have been different.
When I was growing up in Sierra Leone, domestic animals could look after themselves. Dogs took themselves off for walks. People didn't take their animals to vets. If an animal was sick he instinctively knew what to do. Only in countries like the UK are animals taken to vets, dogs being taken to fat camps; and now a cat being prescribed Prozac for depression.
In K9 Magazine there is a lovely article about a Rottweiler dog that has been looking after two lambs. This breed gets so much flack because they are regarded as naturally aggressive. This article begs to differ:
A spokesman for the Kennel Club, said "in the right hands Rottweilers should not pose a problem."
He added: "Rottweilers were originally bred as guard dogs in Germany, but in the right hands they should not pose of problem. They are not born aggressive, they learn it from us. K9 Magazine
Before putting your animal friend on medication please consider the possibility that your friend may very well be acting out human beliefs. The best way to help your furry friend is to be in a state of love; your animal friend will pick up on this love and be its natural self which is love.
All my love to all the animals in the world.
Enocia
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