Pets suffer from mental health issues too

An animal's emotional well-being influences its overall health and resilience, say veterinarians

- Joanne Soh

Getting her four cats to integrate was an uphill battle for Ms Gemma Kyle.

When she introduced her two newly adopted domestic shorthairs—three-year-old Toto and two-year-old Mia—to her other two cats, Otto and Milly, Ms Kyle did not expect the feline additions to exhibit territorial and aggressive behaviour towards Milly.

The 38-year-old says Milly is the smallest, most frightened and least well-socialised of all her cats. Otto, six, and Milly, five, were rescued street cats that Ms Kyle and her husband adopted in 2021, while Toto and Mia were adopted in 2023.

The aggression towards Milly manifested about a month after the arrival of Toto and Mia, when the couple first attempted physical integration.

Toto and Mia would constantly chase, corner, swipe, hiss and growl at Milly, and attempts to build a positive relationship between them were not successful.

After trying to resolve this situation over several months through many other means, such as engaging the help of an experienced cat rescuer, the couple felt it was time to explore medical options.

They were referred to Dr Daphne Ang, who suggested a variety of treatment options, including managing the cats' living environment, level of interaction and the use of fluoxetine, an antidepressant.

While medication has vastly reduced Mia's aggressive behaviour, Toto remained hostile towards Milly and is now on another medication to see if his behaviour can be tempered.

According to Dr Ang, a veterinarian of 17 years, an animal's emotional well-being influences its overall health and well-being.

ANIMAL MENTAL WELLNESS Understanding and addressing mental health issues improve an animal's daily experience, adds Dr Ang.

She will be the first in Singapore to achieve board-certification in the speciality of veterinary behaviour after she passes the examination administered by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) in October.