18 month old indoor cat stalking

by Mindy
(Southbridge, MA, USA)

Hi Kate,

our 18 month old cat goes through periods of stalking. When it first starts, he moves his head rapidly looking in every direction and runs around the house, usually against a wall or other objects. This lasts for an hour or so and he slows down some. We can't get him interested in anything else during this period. I found him in the road when he was 4 weeks old and he has been neutered.

Thanks for your help,

Mindy

Answer by Kate
Hi Mindy
I'm not sure what the problem is here. This stalking behavior is a natural instinct that cats have. My own two cats do this too, they seem to be stalking something i can't see. i think cats have a great imagination too and and i think they can go through periods where they imagine prey.

As long as there are no other symptoms I would treat it as just a game they play and not worry about it.

http://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-hunting.html

best wishes Kate

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18 month old indoor cat stalking

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your cat
by: Anonymous

Hello. Well my cat is about 12 years old and ever since he was young he has always run around randomly like stalking and sometimes he like freaks out and will run away and run back until he gets tired. I have found out over the years though that he's just playing. And a lot of the time he does it on a full moon. A full moon tends to have an effect on animals and even humans. So if you get the chance maybe pay attention to whether its a full moon, that could be your answer.

Invisible stalking
by: sam

My cat does this occasionally also. Sometimes he would be next to me on the sofa watching TV, I thought, and suddenly jump and run like he was chasing something. After paying more attention to this behavior, I found out he was chasing a small bug flying through the room that I could barely see until it landed on a wall or ceiling. He is 6 years old and neutered.

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