can kitties be depressed?

I adopted my baby, Holland, a little over a year ago. Due to personal, health, and financial issues on my part I had to move in with my brother and sister-in-law a few months ago. Now, I only had a 2-bedroom condo when I first got her, so it's not like she had a huge house to run around in. But now my room is in the basement and Holland can't come up to the main house because my brother and my nephew are allergic.

I've noticed some changes in her since we've moved in. On the plus side she is WAAAAY more affectionate with me than ever. She cuddles a LOT, she snuggles under the covers at night, she kneads my legs... all things that she never really did before, at least not as frequently as she does now.

On the other hand, she seems to be overly lazy (even for a cat!). I just worry because she doesn't really have a view to the outside - we have a window but from her height she can only see sky & treetops, where at the old place she loved to watch the birds & squirrels. And even though we moved from a small condo she doesn't have as much room to roam around as she used to.

Should I be concerned? Is she just rolling with the changes? I'd love to hear if anyone has an experience with moving a kitty from one environment to another. I love her more than anything and just want to be sure she's happy...

Have you had a vet appointment this year?
Cats can definitely get depressed.
Changes in behavior can be very indicative of something going on internally. I had a kitten that started getting really needy at about half a year old- he ended up having congenital kidney or liver disease, and was pts.
I'd play it by ear, hopefully others have something to contribute. It could be any number of things, I wouldn't start stressing out yet.

Just reread and noticed- I know I'd be depressed if I no longer had a "kitty tv" to watch outside the window, but I don't know what you could do about it. :/

Hummm.... IMO it sounds she is just adapting to the new environment... Make sure to make it interesting for her, so she doesn't get bored - lots of vertical space... A cat tree would be nice... Can you put shelves on the walls for her to run/ jump around? Also, can you hang a bird feeder outside of the window?
Give her plenty of toys, play with her...
Just make sure her life in that room is interesting. For what you are describing, it doesn't sound to me as though she is sick. If, however you feel that she is lethargic, stops eating, drinking or using the box, take her to the vet immediately, as sudden changes of behavior can often indicate illness in cats...
IMHO your kitty is probably just bored...

While I agree it might not hurt to rule out any physical changes with a vet visit, I also agree that anything you can do to make her new environment more interesting would be good. Do you have a tv and/or radio in your area? Some cats (my girl, for example), love those cat sitter videos - it's a DVD with a loop showing birds, mice, fish, etc., usually with a choice of music or natural sounds. Or, at least when you're away, I'd suggest leaving a classical or new age-y type music station on softly, so she feels less lonely. Cat trees always good! There are directions on how to build them, on the web, if you're handy; or maybe ask Santa to get you one or two

If your family will let you hang shelves in your room, check out the internet for pictures of what some people have done building walkways on the walls, way up to the ceilings, for kitties to move around on, if you can't get a cat tree. The bird feeder is also a good idea if you can - then she may see birds in the trees.

I'm not sure adopting a friend for her would be wise right now, or ok with your family, but whatever you can do to enrich her new home will be great for both of you, I think.

But, yes, cats can get depressed - just like for you, moving to a new place and new circumstances can be challenging, and she really doesn't understand why. Good luck with everything - you're a good mom for worrying so about your baby.

Can you put a shelf under the window for her to sit on to look out and some sort of ladder to get up there? I think just being able to look out could make a huge difference. My cats love sitting in the window and if they didn't have that I think it would have an effect on them. Being in an area without windows has a great effect on humans so I'm sure it does on cats too. It gives you a feeling of being isolated.
I like the idea mentioned above about putting up shelves on the wall for your kitty to walk on. If you go to the hardware store you can buy shelves and brackets fairly cheaply. Cats like being able to climb upwards and I think anything to lift her spirits is a good idea. Moves can have a major effect on pets. My then 8-year old dog who has been housebroken for a long time started to pee inside when we moved. Cats can definitely get depressed and chances are that your cat is a bit depressed. Luckily there are things you can do to help her.

Good luck

Thanks you guys SO much for your responses. The cat tree is a wonderful idea, and it's something I've wanted for her for a while. They are expensive in stores, but I do have brothers and a BIL who have the tools and knowledge to probably build her a nice one, so I'll have to ask them for a favor! And I do have a TV and a radio in my room, it's good advice for me to turn something on when I'm away at work so she doesn't get as bored.

The situation that we're in is only temporary, and she has done so well adjusting to the changes. I DO need to schedule a vet check-up since she hasn't had one for about a year. But she is eating, drinking and using her box as normal as can be, so that's good news.

I've only had her for a little over a year, isn't it interesting how much of an effect these little beings can have on us in such a short time? I don't know what I would do without her... She's curled up on my lap as I am typing this now...

Mystik,
I have moved with my cat several times in the last 17 years, and she has handled it just fine. There's usually a few days of adjustment (where's the food? where's the litterbox? where am I??) but then she settles in. Sometimes the move has actually improved her behavior! In my new place the counters are too high for her to jump to, so there's less poaching of food left on the counter and opening cabinets noisily. :-)
--MissMyra

you are doing a wonderful job, she will settle down. dont worry, she has all the love and its just the change.xx