Welcome to our Peculiar Pet Facts series, where we investigate the quirks of our pets and explore the science behind them.
Have you ever wanted to sleep in the winter? Do you just curl up on the couch with your favorite furry friend, pull an afghan (the blanket, not the dog) over your head, and tell people to wake you up when the days are long and the mornings hot? Did you know your pet might feel the same way?
If you’ve ever wondered if your dog or cat sleeps more during the winter months, you might be on the right track. Although there aren’t many studies on the seasonal sleep patterns of pets, it stands to reason that with shorter days and more time indoors, what does can a pet do other than curl up and take an extra nap every few hours? This might fall into the category of “anecdotal evidence,” but it’s not too difficult for a pet owner to time their own pet’s sleep patterns as fall turns into winter.
If you find that your pet is sleeping even more than usual throughout the day, there may be a reason – the same reason, in fact, that could be causing your want to snuggle up for the season: seasonal affective disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) sap people’s energy and cause “mood swings” beginning in late fall and throughout winter. Other symptoms include:
- Feeling listless, sad, or depressed most of the day, almost every day
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Having low energy and feeling lethargic
- Having trouble sleeping too much
- Having carbohydrate cravings, overeating and gaining weight
If any of these symptoms can be seen in your pet this winter, they may have the winter blues.
Do UK pets have SAD?
In 2013 the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals conducted a study of UK pet owners on SAD and companion animals. Forty percent of participants reported a “mood drop” in their pets as the days get shorter and the temperatures cool. Even more telling: half of the participants said their pets slept more, and four in ten noticed their pets were less active. One in three cat owners specifically said their feline friends seemed “sader” than usual, and 25% of all respondents said their pets ate more.
Although this study is far from conclusive, there are very real reasons why your pet’s mood could be negatively affected during the winter.
He goes the sun
Sunlight impacts melatonin, which is a hormone that regulates sleep cycles. Melatonin is produced when the skin is exposed to the sun. Low levels of melatonin can cause daytime sleepiness as well as disruptive normal sleep, which in turn can cause exhaustion.
Sunlight also helps produce serotonin, which is partly responsible for the brain’s ability to make you feel good. For people, many antidepressant drugs boost serotonin in order to ward off bad feelings. Serotonin is also released in the body when decadent, sugary foods are ingested, which could explain why some depressed people (and animals) tend to overeat.
In winter, there are naturally fewer hours of sunlight and pets are locked indoors more often because it’s too cold, too wet, or both, to roam outside. This means less melatonin to regulate your pet’s sleep patterns and less serotonin to “feel good.” Does this count as a form of depression? We may never know the true thoughts and feelings of our pets, but it can certainly show up as a form of depression.
Your mood is their mood
Have you ever noticed that when you talk to your dog (and sometimes even your cat) in an excited way, he gets all excited? Tail flapping, foot hopping. They’re just excited because you seem excited. Well, the opposite could be true too. If you let the troubles of winter get you down, your pet will notice and may react accordingly. A study from the University of Lincoln showed that dogs can and do recognize human emotions. If you act sad, they might notice and act sad in solidarity.
All sleep and no play makes cookies a sad boy
There’s a more practical reason why your pet might be experiencing SAD. They might just be disappointed with less playing time. They are bored, and it is understandable. What was once a nice warm 7 p.m. walk might now be a boring old couch. Those yard exploration pee breaks could now be a “runaway and back” situation. It’s not just a lack of sunlight that brings them down; it’s a lack of playing time. Heck, it could affect you too. And you, in turn, could have an impact on your pet’s mood. Winter is a hassle! If you let it be one.
A little back and forth can bypass the SAD
There are two things you can do to relieve SAD symptoms in your pet. The first is obvious. Go outside! Provide you and your pet with sunshine and outdoor playtime. The exercise will do you both good and the sun will do its magic.
Of course, it’s not always possible to spend too much time outdoors when winter is just around the corner. In these cases, intensive indoor activities are essential. Tug of war, tag, hide and seek, and fetch are just a few of the “outdoor” activities that you can easily adapt to indoor spaces. Get that blood pumping and exhaust your pet naturally. Yeah, they might sleep more, but it’ll be the right kind of sleep.
It’s so peculiar that your pet could have Seasonal Affective Disorder, but it’s not strange that you can relieve the symptoms with just a little effort. And you might feel better about yourself!
RELATED ARTICLE: A WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR PETS
