Have you ever had such an experience?
We didn't do anything, but the cat suddenly gets the zoomies all over the house.
so what are the cat zoomies?
What's different between normal behaviour and zoomies?
Running to dinner
Scared
Zoomies
Zoomies
What are the cat zoomies and reasons?
There is a name for this kind of behavior “Frenetic random activity periods”, or FRAPs, the meaning of crazy activities which animals in a short period of time.
Behavioral issues
Zooming may be rooted in a behaviour issue. Anxiety and stress can heighten senses to the point where an animal reacts to the slightest stimulus. Depression or emotional strife can produce sleep-wake imbalances and unusual social responses. If they clean their hair, prolonged drowsiness, loss of appetite, etc. In this situation, we need to bring our attention. It’s best for your vet to rule this cause out by visiting your vet. Or if you have a middle-aged to older cat who suddenly begins staying up late, losing weight, acting jittery, or behaving oddly, have them checked by your vet as well.
If the cat always runs wild after they do their business, we also need to check whether there is any abnormality in the cat's defecation and whether there is a pain during they do business.
Normal reasons
There is a similar reason for the cat’s crazy behavior: around 16 hours of sleeping every day and more than 10 times to feed themselves. All of these are accumulating energy. After that, they need a chance to release it.
how does a cat release it? Cats are more inclined to anaerobic exercise.
The cats, such as a lion, a cheetah, a tiger, or a cat, they all accustomed to hunting in a short period of time. For example, when a cheetah is hunting, it accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 3 seconds.
"Sudden crazy activity in a short period of time" is a kind of a cat's exercise habit. When the cat has accumulated enough energy from food, drinking, and sleeping, it will naturally choose a short burst of anaerobic exercise.
In a multi-cat’s family, sometimes when a cat starts to exercise frantically, it will make other members join in the games. As long as there is no fierce conflict, you do not need to worry about it. What you could do is take your phone, take a photo, or video record share it on social media.
Therefore, zoomies usually occur after a cat has slept for a long time or eaten. For example, when you back home and wake your cat up that was sleeping for 8 hours.
How to handle your cat when they have the zoomies?
Help Your Master Relax
If your kitten is too anxious or nervous to lie down and sleep at night, you can help her feel more secure by sitting down with her for a while, holding her closely, and gently petting her. Some kittens are also comforted by a softly playing radio tuned to an all-night talk show or soft music station. Others are comforted by having a toy or blanket from their former nest so that the smell from that familiar place is present where they sleep. Once your master is soothed, put her in her own bed and praise her when she stays there.
Provide More Opportunities for Play
Make sure you’re meeting your master’s needs for play at appropriate times during the day and early evening. If you’re home during the day, take breaks with your cat by spending a few minutes tossing cat toys for her. Try to keep your cat busy and active so that she doesn’t sleep for too long during the daytime, at least until she is in the habit of sleeping at night.
If you’re away at work from 9 to 5, try to spend some time playing with your master before you leave for work, and then have another play session after you get home in the evening. Have your last play session about an hour before you go to bed. “If you play a lot with your cat immediately before you go to bed, you will get her all charged up and she won’t be able to fall asleep,” Meyers notes.
Evening Proof’ Your Home
Try to anticipate the mischief your cat master might want to get into while you’re asleep and plan accordingly. Put garbage pails, kitchen glassware, lamp cords, computer keyboards, books, and clothing out of harm’s way before going to bed.
Confine Your Cat Master for the Evening
If your cat is especially boisterous or destructive at night, you may need to confine her to a spare bedroom or bathroom for the evening. Make sure your cat is in a big enough space so that she’s able to walk around. Provide food, water, a litter box, and a scratching post in the same room. If your cat starts whining because she wants to come out, don’t give in. “If you do, you will be rewarding the cat for vocalizing and scratching at the door,” Simpson says. That means she’ll learn that she’ll get what she wants if she cries long enough.
Interrupt Bad Behaviours
If you allow your cat master to sleep in your bedroom or have free reign of the house at night, you may want to have either a spray bottle or a gun-shaped hair dryer on hand so if your cat wakes you up with her meowing, you can just reach for the hairdryer and blast the master with some air or water. “Doing so won’t hurt the cat, but will simply startle and discourage her from doing the same thing again,” Simpson notes.
Punish the specific action, and do it at the beginning of the behavior. “Then once the cat stops meowing in your face, you can then pick her up and snuggle,” Myers says. But don’t give any attention during the actual bad behavior. “Sometimes pet owners pick up the cat while she is saying ‘meow’ and in effect, they are just reinforcing the meowing,” Meyers says.
Keep in mind that it’s unrealistic to think your cat master should sleep all night if you haven’t taught her to do so or if you haven’t met her need for play during other times in the day. Remember, cats need recreation and sleep, just as humans do. The trick is coordinating your schedules so both you and your pet can be happy
Don’t punish your cat for this normal behavior.
You may have guests over or in the middle of an important phone call, but let your cat release the energy. Never chase or raise your voice at a zooming cat. This will only encourage their frantic activity and may lead to exciting nips or bites. If that should happen, simply redirect their energy to a favorite toy.
Enroll in comprehensive cat insurance.
If your cat gets unexpectedly injured, you’ll be able to afford the best medical care for them without worrying about the cost.
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