Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Are they the lemmings]

We've had this cat (1 year-ish old) for about three weeks. It was nervous for the first few days after we got it, but since then it's been eating, toileting, grooming and playing fine.

But in the past week or so, the cat has begun to sprint around the house frantically for short periods (5-10 minutes at a time). This does not appear to be just playing; it gets this wild look on its face and charges around the place at top speed - I swear there's even a screeching sound sometimes as it tries to get grip on the wooden floors when it tries to take corners! It always sprints between the same three or four points in the house. Then, just as suddenly, it stops and it's like nothing happened.

Has our cat become demented? What is causing this? Our floors are sustaining a bit of damage, so I'd like to calm the little moggie down.

Doe anyone recognise these symptoms? Can anyone offer advice?

Thanks in advance.

[Julius]

It needs exercise, it needs to play.

What I usually do with my cats, if kept only indoors, is tie a paper mouse or butterfly etc to the end of a piece of string. Cats love to chase things like this . Endless amusement for them.

However I would never keep a cat or dog somewhere where it couldn't go outside.

[blurgalurgalurga]

It might be 'in heat.' The age would be about right for that...is it female? Male? Fixed? Un-fixed?
Female cats go mad for the tomcat-schwantz when they are about that age, and do, indeed, go crazy. They spray evil smelling fluids and howl as if they are being tortured. The only cures are 1) tomcats or 2) the Veterenary Knife.

If it's a boy cat, or if it's a neutered female, I would guess it's just extremely bored from living inside and not killing anything.

[Dances With Wolves]

Sounds normal to me. Does the cat have any toys or a scratching post? Sounds like the cat is just bored. Try a few toys, the fishing rod looking toy with a mouse on the end is a fun toy. Hope this helps good luck with the floors.

[canuckistan]

Completely normal. They like to spaz out.

Join in the fun--start playfully chasing the cat around the house. Then stop, turn around, and let the cat chase you. In the absence of another cat to play with, that's actually what he/she probably wants you to do.
The cat wants to play and is trying to get you in on it.

What Julius said: drag a string around the house. Or attach a fake mouse/cat toy to the end of it.
Hours of fun.

We've got 3 cats. It gets pretty funny.

[Dome Vans]

Back in England, my mum's dog does that. He's so funny, because he'll bomb round the house at full speed, let him out in the garden and he'll bomb up and down for about five minutes then that's it. Excess energy. He's a fully grown Golden Retriever though.

Not sure if your cat's on heat because they're usually wailing a lot if they're on heat. I could be wrong. Unless it's Korean heat!

[Underwaterbob]

I grew up with a lot of cats. They are very susceptible to barometric pressure. Sometimes when it's gonna rain or a storm is coming they would go batshit crazy much like you describe.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Underwaterbob]

Mmm... pita...

[Are they the lemmings]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

If it's normal behaviour then all's well, I s'pose. It's just a bit disconcerting because:
(a) the cat (female) has been spayed; and
(b) we play with it daily using fishing-rod mice, non-fishing-rod mice (which it loves - it's ripped the thing to shreds) and ping-pong balls (which it chases incessantly).

Should I just surmise that the cat is a bit lonely and wants a playmate?

[murcheson]

I had a cat do that late at night. Probably wished she was out hunting.

Getting another cat will probably just double your noise. Cats don't mind being alone, and it can take a really long time for cats to learn to live together.

[Hope]

I had a cat that did that shortly after I got it. Freaked me out the first time...I thought he was possessed. I called it his devil mode...did it every evening for about 30 minutes or less.

[sistersarah]

My female cat is fixed and she does this sometimes....

Usually she spazzes out for 5 minutes with a crazed look in her eyes, and then she goes and takes a dump -- every time. Then she eats and goes back to sleep.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[jackdaniels]

Yes, it is that time of year for cats!