My family once had a cat who was rather indifferent to everyone in the family ( gee, perfect cat behavior, eh?) until someone was sad, angry, depressed- any strong emotion, and Kit ( the Cat) would come and claim your lap, and sit there until you felt better.  I always wondered how she was able to sense that.  It was a never fail situation.  You are sick in bed with the flu?  She's curled up on the top of your head like a fur hat until the fever breaks.  You had a bad day at school?  She follows you around the house until you flop on the couch, and sits in your lap purring like a chain saw until you feel loved and needed, and at least a little better because she tricked you into feeling like you were cool enough for the aloof cat to hang out with while you watched Saved by the Bell.  I like to think that God puts certain animals on this earth to be the regulators, to be the family barometer.

Unfortunately, when everything started to come down around everyone's ears at the same time, Kit couldn't handle it.  She developed a nervous habit of picking out her fur.  Needles to say, we had a half bald cat for a while.

She needed a pet to come and fool her into thinking everything was going to be okay too.

Do animals have psychosis?  Do they need therapists and spa time?

Apparently they do.  I work in a pharmacy, where we have more than a few people who come in regularly to pick up antidepressants for their cats and dogs.

Currently Listening Billy Liar By The Decemberists see related