Reptile & Amphibian Forums

alright, so here's the story, we got Jersey (he looks like a holstein cow but holstein doesn't havethe same ring to it that jersey cow did) at about 11 weeks, and that was roughly a month and a half ago. He's done great, growing up all strong and thelike, has a few bad habits but we've simmered them down with the water bottle. Both my girlfriend and I are long time cat owners and have seen it all sort of deal.

So about 2 or 3 weeks after we get him, we moved into this appartment, great place, great rent, great neighbourhood. Since we've moved here though, kitty's been creeping us out. and whether it has anything to do with this or not, the closer we're getting to halloween, the creepier he's getting.

What he's been doing was it started off just staring at the light in hte bedroom, and I mean STARING at the light. He'd do it for a good 10 mins to 45mins on any given day, so we just figured "kitty's kinda daft" no biggee right. Well as the days pass it gets worse, he's seeing something there and it's creeping him out. as time progressed you could see him following it with his eyes and head, and you could trace the path of whatever he was seeing (he never chases, just watches from the bed). Then two days ago, this is happening, and what ever it is got more aggressive as you can see him ducking back from time to time, whipping his head around to follow it around the room then back to staring at it at the ceiling. Now he paws at it very gingerly as it comes at him but mostly hops back to avoid it. He's also started crying while it's happening and this is most definately an "i'm scared" cry.

While he does employ the use of hackles and bushy tail when he's playing (particularily when he's chasing his tail and manages to tick himself off) they don't raise during this, his tail just wags sharply from time to time.

Now at first this was all innocent and we joked around that kitty ain't to bright, but now it's down right creepy. Like i said i've been around a lot of cats, and i've seen them do the chase imaginary mice game, or things that we can't see, i've seen the senile cats stare at walls for half a day, this one's new to me, and like i said..... friggin creepy.

thoughts?
cheers
Creeped Out

We had a cat growing up that would stare at dust motes - just loved them. Tap, swish the tail, blink, turn around to ignore them then roll back over to stare somemore. whatever, kitty was content.

In college, I lived in a old building for awhile. My next door neighbor was convinced there was a female ghost his kitten was staring at in one corner of his place. He was so convinced it was a ghost he went downtown and pulled the records on this building. It had opened in 1910 as a women's boarding house. That sealed it for him. I told him he had been smoking too much funny stuff and just needed to get a girlfriend. The place was painted that summer and the kitten never stalked the walls again.

The older memebers of this forum might recall my parents old cat Pizzy. Dad put up new wallpaper in the bedroom with a soft sheen to it. Pizzy went ape, hissing, growling, hair on end. Within a week she attacked the wall where the light slanted in around the curtains shredding the new paper. (she was dumb and daft too)

And my current cat Lizzy has one working eye - the other is covered for the most part by scar tissue. She can see a little out of the bad eye and will periodically freak out trying to see something her eyes/brain can't quite grasp.

So cats see things we don't all the time, but that doesn't mean GG Aunt Nellie has come back for a visit. I'd milk the story this week with my friends just for a little scare. But you might want to try a new light cover/shade and have Jersey's eyes looked at next time you're at the vet's.

Enjoy your slightly daft kitty!

haha we mostly kid about the ghost, although we did just paint so i don't think it's dust mites, or anythign lurking on the walls.

I'm mostly just terribly curious as to what he's seeing and was wondering if anyone out there has a logical explanation for it.

Actually I'm wondering if he is hearing or sensing some "critter" that might be holed up in the walls or ceiling.

If all is OK medically, just relax and enjoy his antics. He's sensing or seeing something you can't (cats can see things on the spectrum we can't) and it is a cute quirk! And lots of fun for stories!

>>alright, so here's the story, we got Jersey (he looks like a holstein cow but holstein doesn't havethe same ring to it that jersey cow did) at about 11 weeks, and that was roughly a month and a half ago. He's done great, growing up all strong and thelike, has a few bad habits but we've simmered them down with the water bottle. Both my girlfriend and I are long time cat owners and have seen it all sort of deal.
>>
>>So about 2 or 3 weeks after we get him, we moved into this appartment, great place, great rent, great neighbourhood. Since we've moved here though, kitty's been creeping us out. and whether it has anything to do with this or not, the closer we're getting to halloween, the creepier he's getting.
>>
>>What he's been doing was it started off just staring at the light in hte bedroom, and I mean STARING at the light. He'd do it for a good 10 mins to 45mins on any given day, so we just figured "kitty's kinda daft" no biggee right. Well as the days pass it gets worse, he's seeing something there and it's creeping him out. as time progressed you could see him following it with his eyes and head, and you could trace the path of whatever he was seeing (he never chases, just watches from the bed). Then two days ago, this is happening, and what ever it is got more aggressive as you can see him ducking back from time to time, whipping his head around to follow it around the room then back to staring at it at the ceiling. Now he paws at it very gingerly as it comes at him but mostly hops back to avoid it. He's also started crying while it's happening and this is most definately an "i'm scared" cry.
>>
>>While he does employ the use of hackles and bushy tail when he's playing (particularily when he's chasing his tail and manages to tick himself off) they don't raise during this, his tail just wags sharply from time to time.
>>
>>Now at first this was all innocent and we joked around that kitty ain't to bright, but now it's down right creepy. Like i said i've been around a lot of cats, and i've seen them do the chase imaginary mice game, or things that we can't see, i've seen the senile cats stare at walls for half a day, this one's new to me, and like i said..... friggin creepy.
>>
>>thoughts?
>>cheers
>>Creeped Out
-----
Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

Thank you madamme, i was actually hoping you'd reply, after having gone through the forum before joining and posting i realized you are a wealth of cat info

He does in fact have some sort of vision problem, his eyes are weepy, clear liquid leaks from them. We've taken him to the vet and he's on eyedrops for that but it's to early to tell if it's working.

thanks so much for the advice.

Cheers

You are welcome! Thanks for the compliment! I bet the eye problems are causing the "spooking". Poor baby, I hope he isn't too afraid of the "ghosties"!

>>Thank you madamme, i was actually hoping you'd reply, after having gone through the forum before joining and posting i realized you are a wealth of cat info
>>
>>He does in fact have some sort of vision problem, his eyes are weepy, clear liquid leaks from them. We've taken him to the vet and he's on eyedrops for that but it's to early to tell if it's working.
>>
>>thanks so much for the advice.
>>
>>Cheers
-----
Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

About the eye-I'm by no means a cat expert, but thought I'd share some info. This sounds like my cat Tigger. Tigger is 10 and has had some minor health issues that no vet has really been able to explain to us until recently. Tigger also has some scar tissue in one of his eyes. He's had it since he was a kitten. It just looks like his eye has a little small fog cloud in it. The vet told us us it's because he has cat herpes and apparently the clouded eye is a very common sign of that. How old did you say your cat was? Tigger also has a respitory problem from the herpes. Does your cat sneeze really nasty green snot all the time? If so, then he could possibly have the herpes. Tigger didn't have the sneezing problems until he got older. It was a later onset of the herpes. It could develop over time in a cat with herpes. So anyway, with all that Tigger is the happiest freakin cat I've ever seen. Herpes doesn't affect his little awesome spirit at all. I've never seen a cat as happy as mine and loooves to cuddle. Let us all know what the vet says about the eye.

Sounds like Tigger is a very lucky kitty having you to love him and care for him in spite of having Herpes!

>>About the eye-I'm by no means a cat expert, but thought I'd share some info. This sounds like my cat Tigger. Tigger is 10 and has had some minor health issues that no vet has really been able to explain to us until recently. Tigger also has some scar tissue in one of his eyes. He's had it since he was a kitten. It just looks like his eye has a little small fog cloud in it. The vet told us us it's because he has cat herpes and apparently the clouded eye is a very common sign of that. How old did you say your cat was? Tigger also has a respitory problem from the herpes. Does your cat sneeze really nasty green snot all the time? If so, then he could possibly have the herpes. Tigger didn't have the sneezing problems until he got older. It was a later onset of the herpes. It could develop over time in a cat with herpes. So anyway, with all that Tigger is the happiest freakin cat I've ever seen. Herpes doesn't affect his little awesome spirit at all. I've never seen a cat as happy as mine and loooves to cuddle. Let us all know what the vet says about the eye.
-----
Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

About the eye-I'm by no means a cat expert, but thought I'd share some info. This sounds like my cat Tigger. Tigger is 10 and has had some minor health issues that no vet has really been able to explain to us until recently. Tigger also has some scar tissue in one of his eyes. He's had it since he was a kitten. It just looks like his eye has a little small fog cloud in it. The vet told us us it's because he has cat herpes and apparently the clouded eye is a very common sign of that. How old did you say your cat was? Tigger also has a respitory problem from the herpes. Does your cat sneeze really nasty green snot all the time? If so, then he could possibly have the herpes. Tigger didn't have the sneezing problems until he got older. It was a later onset of the herpes. It could develop over time in a cat with herpes. So anyway, with all that Tigger is the happiest freakin cat I've ever seen. Herpes doesn't affect his little awesome spirit at all. I've never seen a cat as happy as mine and loooves to cuddle. Let us all know what the vet says about the eye.

Woops, I got off tangent on my first response, I was trying to also say that my cats clouded eye weeps on occassion.