There has been a tremendous amount of time expended over decades learning more about training dogs, dog behavior, understanding dogs, and teaching dogs. The majority of people comprehend basic dog behavior and language but however do not understand rudimentary cat behavior.
Dogs have faces that are expressive and their body language can be read extremely accurately. Dogs wag their tail, make noises that are different to alert humans to their varying moods, and seamlessly follow rudimentary commands in an attempt to make us happy. Cats, however, are typically renowned more for their characteristic emotional vagueness, while appearing standoffish.
However, there is an increasing belief that felines can be just as open and expressive as canines and humans either misunderstand or are unable to see how or what they appear to communicate. In regards to cats, tail waves and meows can hold a lot of meaning. With every yowl, blink, or even yowl, cats are really attempting to connect with us.
With the ever-increasing number of cat owners who would love to connect and interact with their frequently aloof cats, professional experts state that there is something to achieve from attempting to communicate. Cats are extremely independent which does make them misunderstood; however, it does not mean owners aren’t able to understand what and why their cat is doing, especially if they seem to be acting somewhat crazy. In this article, we shall be taking a look at some of the possible reasons your cat may be running about like a maniac and how you can correct this behavior.
Cats Gone Wild
It really doesn’t matter what breed of cat it is, all felines have times when they scamper around the room, meow nonstop, and behave as if they are training for a race or being chased. The cats dart around, faster every time, searching all over and then abruptly stopping in their tracks.
This crazy wild behavior is occasionally known as the midnight crazies, especially since it sometimes takes place at night. The feline in question might even entertain itself with wild activities or even jump up on sofas or beds in an attempt to paw at uncovered feet, hair, elbows, or face in an attempt to get its owner to join in. the reasons for this wild and amusing behavior can differ.
Why a cat might be running all over in a crazy manner
For those who own a cat, it can be a certain bet that this behavior has been witnessed at least once. Everything is quiet, then all of a sudden the cat races into the living room, scuffling around for a bit and then sprinting out of the room just like he found a secret stash of catnip to steal and get away with.
Does another animal appear to be in the vicinity? Is this a way for the cat to burn off any excess energy he may have? Is there something that has spooked the cat? All these are questions that come to mind when this behavior is noticed, but there are actually a couple of reasons why a cat might act in this manner.
Reasons Why Your Cat Acts Crazy
Predators
Felines are predators and occasionally when they act crazy, it might be showing their hunting behaviors, escape techniques, and fighting maneuvers. House cats that have no need to hunt for food to eat still need a way or avenue to expend their stored energy and this is the most often visible form of crazy conduct. Toys like feather wands, laser pointers, and mice are great tools to encourage cats to jump, grab and chase in a bid to enable them to expend their energy in a way they make use of their natural instinct while still being indoors.
Nocturnal Animals
The second reason why a cat might exhibit this crazy behavior is that felines are naturally nocturnal, meaning they are even more active once night falls. In the event that they don’t get enough exercise in the daytime, they could especially become crazy. Most house cats spend their days indoors and alone while owners are out working. Once it is evening, the owners come home and the cat might decide it wants to play, which means it will become extremely active. Should the cat have no outlet to expend this energy, it might show a bit of crazy behavior. It is important to note that kittens are extremely energetic.
Old Age
For those that have older cats, it is explainable that the cats might be exhibiting some crazy behaviors due to either senility or cognitive dysfunction. As with most living things, when pets get older, their brains could sometimes begin functioning in a different manner which could cause them to show strange behaviors that cannot be rationally explained.
Flea Bites
Oftentimes, cats will exhibit crazy behavior and act as if they are being bitten by something. This could be because they are infested with fleas. Predominantly when the cat is meowing, this could simply mean it has an itch in an unreachable place or has developed hypersensitivity to flea bites.
Should an owner suspect his or her cat has become infested with fleas, it is imperative to treat every furry animal in that household with products that have been created to not only kill but also prevent fleas. Should the cat in question have a rather large flea infestation, it will be necessary to treat that environment by doing laundry, vacuuming, or even employing the use of flea bombs or area sprays. Once the fleas have been eradicated, the cat’s strange behavior should stop.
Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome
Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome or FHS is a particularly odd explanation as to why cats exhibit this crazy behavior. It appears that the skin on their back is rippling while they run around or if they seem to often bite the portion of their back just above the tail, especially if they have already been treated for fleas, it is imperative to discuss the topic of Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome with a veterinarian. FHS is not that common, however, it tends to mostly affect older cats. The characteristic marks of FHS happen when a cat is being petted or about to be petted on its back or at its tail base and instead of soothing the cat, triggers the cat to scratch, groom, or bite the affected area in an excessive manner and then sprint crazily over the house. There hasn’t been a conclusion as to what exactly causes FHS.
Stored Energy
Stored Energy could be another reason why cats act in a manic manner. Felines spend the majority of their time just lounging around, taking views of the world going by. Nevertheless, they like all other animals, have the energy they need to burn and sprinting all over the place would be a method of them burning off that energy before they head back to doing what they do best, which is lounging around. Whereas younger cats clearly have more energy to expend, even older cats have been noticed to run around in a manic random state every now and again.
Intruders
Intruders outside and inside could be another reason why cats exhibit this crazy behavior. This could be caused by the scent of another animal, especially if there are other animals outside in the perceived territory of the cat or even inside the house, it could trigger this behavior in a cat. The house, yard, toys, and food bowls are considered by a cat to be its territory and it can be extremely frustrating when another animal is casually walking all over that territory. A great indicator of this being the reason is seeing the cat race from one window to another or even meowing very loudly in a manner that makes it undeniable.
Chasing prey
Chasing prey is a very natural instinct for cats and while this might be hard to accept for squeamish people, their indoor cat is a natural-born predator and this manic behavior could be because the cat is reacting to the scent given off by prey. In almost every area of the world, mice are a frequent nuisance, especially in areas that are rural. Mice typically have a very distinct smell to cats and as their natural prey item, it makes perfect sense that cats, both young and old will go crazy in an attempt to find and catch them. This not only seamlessly explains the crazy behavior portrayed by the cat, but is also a good sign that there might be a pest problem looming. It might then be necessary to call for a pest control service in order to have an insight into the problem. This goes deeper than just having mice, as mice as pests bring numerous problems like flea infestations along with them.
Defense Mechanism
In the event that a cat owner notices that his or her cat runs after defecating and this behavior is only clearly seen after making use of the litter box. The probable reason for this is down to the natural feline instinct in all cats and also a defense tool. Typically in the wild, cats run after they have defecated and buried their feces. The burying aspect, as well as the sprinting, can be linked to the need of the cat to evade being ambushed by a predator. Burying feces is to help prevent its smell from reaching a stealthy predator that could then become aware of the whereabouts of the cat.
Other Reasons
In the event that none of the given reasons above apply to the cat in question and you as an owner are seriously concerned, it might be a good idea to have a talk with a veterinarian. It could be that normal behaviors have passed the boundary of appropriateness in the cat and have become excessive such as grooming, biting, licking, scratching, tail-chasing, or racing all over the house. There isn’t much known as to why this happens in some cats, but it has been likened to possibly being a characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) behavior. It could also be a precursor to a seizure disorder. It is best to head to a vet to clearly determine if any of the two reasons are why your cat is acting strangely.
How to reduce hyperactivity bursts in a cat
- In the event your cat suddenly engages in a burst of energetic activity, it is important to clearly assess the scenario. Is this burst of energy abnormally intense, unusually or is it just about right?
- If the cat in question makes rapid sprints occasionally, then it is most likely a non-issue.
- If your cat engages in sudden activity bursts, you must assess the situation. Does it seem unusual or abnormally intense? In the end, it is most likely just releasing its pent-up energy via healthy activity rather than directing that energy toward other pets, furniture, or people.
That being said, the instant, the cat attempts to climb the wall, that activity has become disturbing and it is something that has to be sorted in a way that directs that energy to targets that are more appropriate. To lower the hyperactive behavior of the act, you as an owner have to offer as many avenues as possible for it to fully express its instinctive behaviors.
For instance, you could get a cat toy and help your cat let out is hunting instincts. You can let it experience hunting by allowing it to stalk that toy, chase it, and for better engagement let it get a hold of the toy every now and then. Nevertheless, it is not necessary to put all your time into play sessions that are long, as it is important to remember that cats are natural sprinters, so frequent but short play sessions are adequate for them.
Conclusion
With all that has been touched on in this article, it is clearly obvious that the most hyperactive behavior of cats does not need to be reduced. Now what is important is to let it occur at times that are appropriate and to ensure it is directed towards targets that are appropriate. It doesn’t matter if your cat doesn’t suffer from these outbursts, what is important is that both you as a cat owner and the cat benefit from a larger variety of alternative activities.
