Yesterday when I went down to the sewing room to hang out with Boots, I took my knitting and had planned to sit down there with him but he ran out and ran upstairs. I let him hang out upstairs for a while by himself while I did a few things down there. When I came upstairs, his pupils weren’t huge, though they were a bit larger than normal. He seemed a bit more relaxed but every little sound made him jump. In fact, my feet were cold so I went into the bedroom to get my slippers and when I walked up behind him on the wood floor, it scared him and he ran like he was going to hide, then he realized it was just me. I have no idea why he’s so afraid upstairs but it does seem like a fear issue.
He sat on my lap while I stitched .. probably for two hours. Usually when I get ready to get up, I have to pick him up and put him down but since he’s been weird, any little moving and he jumps down.
I paid careful attention to the “things” and nothing in particular seems to bother him. For a while, he was sleeping under the floor stand right next to the newest lamp. I had a grocery sack hanging over the stair banister that was full of things I was going to take downstairs and I thought maybe that being something that isn’t normally there had him scared so I took it down and held it up to him. He sniffed it and looked inside . . no interest and he wasn’t afraid of the bag.
Probably after about three hours, he walked over and bit my foot. I didn’t fuss at him. I said “No!”, picked him up and took him back downstairs.
I felt better that he was upstairs longer than normal, though most of the time, he wasn’t 100% relaxed, he sat on my lap, I petted him and he never bit my arm. Hopefully, we’re making progress and he’ll get back to normal soon.
Twyla says
Have you thought about a neighboring Tom cat spraying and marking territory and he smells it?
Judy Laquidara says
I thought that at first but since he’s only doing it upstairs, I don’t think that’s it. The upstairs is all either 1-1/2 to 2 stories up. The basement would be more likely because the windows he likes to sit in are at ground level but he doesn’t seem agitated down there. Not ruling it out but not much I can do about it.
vivoaks says
Cats are definitely strange, aren’t they? They know their own mind and generally could care less what we think or want. They do what they want to do, and to heck with the rest of the world. 🙂
JustGail says
A possibly off the wall thought occurred to me last night – what about static? Is your house drier than it had been? I know my cats (and me!) got realllllly tired of being zapped in winter. If I petted them too long, they’d get twitchy. One would smack at me with a paw.
Judy Laquidara says
I’m keeping the humidifier on and I haven’t been zapped but who knows about him. When I pet him, I don’t zapped but that may be it. I think I’ll put an extra pot of water on the stove today . . just in case.
Heather Sedlacek says
Maybe try putting the pheromone diffuser upstairs since that is where he is most agitated? They also make a spray of that same product t you could spray on whatever he most frequently lays on while upstairs.
Judy Laquidara says
The diffuser needs to be in an area that’s 700 square feet or less. The family room on the main level is open – dining room, kitchen, breakfast room, stairs that lead to the family room downstairs. The vet said it wouldn’t be very effective at all with about 1,400 square feet to cover.
Rebecca says
Could you use two? Because that’s what I was thinking, too. It seems to be having a good effect.
Judy Laquidara says
Keeping him in the sewing room seems calming. It’s $35/month for one so adding two more would put it over $100/month . . doubt we’re going to do that.
Rebecca says
I guess not!
Nelle Coursey says
I have heard that animals can sense changes in the temperature and it upsets them. They can sense when a storm is coming. And maybe he sensed that it was going to get cold and he was not used to it. And he was remembering when he was a stray and it was cold outside. Or maybe he is afraid someone is going to leave him and go away. Who knows what animals think. I wish we could talk or understand what they are thinking.
katie peterson says
I found this to be interesting, https://www.tiebreaker.com/weird-things-cats-do-when-they-love-you/ My sister does the head bunting all the time with her cats. Might try the slow blink, on them and see what happens. She has 3 now, I get my cat fix at her place. Good luck with Boots.
Judy Laquidara says
I do the head bunting with Boots too and someone had told me about the slow blinking when I was trying to make friends with Cat so I’ve been trying that with Boots since he’s been wierd.