kitties......

mrskitty · 28-08-2008, 08:08

Due to our recent sightings of a mouse in our home (

) we recently got a moggy as the mice were getting the food from the traps we put down but not getting trapped!?
Anyway he is an indoor cat and has been a bit spoilt by his previous owner.As far as we know he is about 9 months old.He was fine the first couple of days but this morning since we got up his been manically running around the lounge and kitchen as if he is hunting/trying to catch something (which isnt there)....my question is...is this normal for an indoor cat???
Is it because he is not releasing his energy by going outside?
How can i calm him down a bit when he does go mad?
Im asking because its a bit scary for my Jack and his been scratched by the cat (although it didnt leave a mark).

MargaretR · 28-08-2008, 08:21

Cats have those 'mad do s' - nothing to get concerned about - it's just a bit alarming at first because of the wild look they get in their eyes.

My cat is geriatric now and hasn't 'played out' for 2 years, but still has mad do s occasionally. When he did 'play out' he had them in the house - they're like 'hunting practice'

Mick · 28-08-2008, 08:30

Ours does this just after being fed racing about upstairs and down she is 12 years old but acts like a kitten sometimes

mrskitty · 28-08-2008, 08:39

Thank goodness for that-was getting worried cos we have become really attached to him now, thanks guys x

pipinfort · 28-08-2008, 09:25

Don`t worry, the missus gets like that sometimes.............

Padiham Lass · 28-08-2008, 11:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by misskitty

Anyway he is an indoor cat and has been a bit spoilt by his previous owner.

I don't really understand the concept of an "indoor cat".

Do you intend to keep him indoors for the rest of his life?

WillowTheWhisp · 28-08-2008, 12:33

Our cats both do this. They spend most of their lives asleep but when they do come to life they often charge manically up and down the house, and up and down the staircases, leaping over each other or sometimes running into each other which results in a bit of hissing and spitting. Then it all calms down again and they have another kip.

keetah992000 · 28-08-2008, 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by MargaretR

Cats have those 'mad do s' - nothing to get concerned about - it's just a bit alarming at first because of the wild look they get in their eyes.

I remember one of the cats I had when a youngster used to arch its back and hop sideways if you disturbed it whilst having a mad do.
It was so funny they are strange creatures arent they !!

MargaretR · 28-08-2008, 12:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Padiham Lass

I don't really understand the concept of an "indoor cat".

Do you intend to keep him indoors for the rest of his life?

Some cats never have outdoor hunting and 'what they don't know they don't miss'. They tend to need indoor toys more, for satisfaction of hunting instincts.

I made the decision to keep my cat indoors soon after I moved here, because I can't have a catflap(tenant), and he caught several parasites from other cats in the area. Also this area is a place where dog walking is rife.

Because he was accustomed to freedom to come and go at any hour, he was quite furious about it first - now he doesn't seem to bother - likes his home comforts at age 15

WillowTheWhisp · 28-08-2008, 12:57

One of our cats seems to periodically forget what a cat flap is.

accyman · 28-08-2008, 13:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Padiham Lass

I don't really understand the concept of an "indoor cat".

Do you intend to keep him indoors for the rest of his life?

thats how every cat should be kept ,well done to those that do this it shows condsideration for other people and for every cat kept indoors its one less cat out there potentialy causing blindness in children , people keep birds in cages,fish in a tank so why not keep a cat in the house

if you think an animal should not be caged then should anyone have any sort of pet at all and leave animals in their natural enviroment ?

mrskitty · 28-08-2008, 15:18

He was in a top floor flat at his home before and they had him as an indoor cat from day one so now he is actually too frightened to go outside.Someone told me if i just keep leaving the door open he will eventually decide to go outside through curiousity but will probably never go further than the back fence.Which is fine with me, i just think its weird keeping a cat in ALL the time.
Even if he does goes outside i shall keep his litter tray here so he can still do all his business here and not in anyones garden.

But so far so good, his settling in well and seems to have taken to me a bit more than he has Corker n Jack which i reckon is because i was the one that went n picked him up.

WillowTheWhisp · 28-08-2008, 15:28

Cats can be very funny about who they 'own' in the household. Bracken definitely is Em's cat. She's quite timid and very wary of strangers and more or less tolerates the rest of us. She does tend to boss me about when I'm the only human at home though.

Furby on the other hand is definitely Busman's friend, even though he wasn't even at home when we went to collect Furbs as a kitten! If Furby isn't around and Em isn't here then Bracken will be friends with Busman.

emamum · 28-08-2008, 15:32

Sassy is Tylers cat, she doesnt come near me and i feed her! they are both as mad as each other as well and have mad running around do's together lol

mrskitty · 28-08-2008, 15:33

In the car on the way back he was very scared but i soothed him enough to the point where he laid down on my lap and was just looking out the car window...i thought maybe because of that he has taken to me......or maybe im just alot nicer than the lads in this house haha