Let’s Go Crazy! —Why Does Your Cat Seem to Lose His Mind?
It’s crazy time! Cat owners all know what crazy time is. And we all know what a path of destruction your beastly feline leaves in his frenzied wake.
What can you do? Well, cat behavior expert at Cats Protection, Nicky Trevorrow suggests when you notice (and you will) the first zoom around the house, grab a fishing toy with a feather or some sort of toy that the cat can catch. Catching is important because “crazy time” is actually when their genetics tell them that it’s time to hunt. Thus, they get a rush of endorphins when they catch their “prey.”
The rush will help them relax and might possibly save your armchair.
Trevorrow says that cats in the wild have active spurts around 40 times per day. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management tracked feral cats and found that they spend 14 percent of their time in “high activity” mode. While the tracking devices on cats with owners only spend 3 percent of their time being active. Study co-author Jeff Horn says that this activity is even greater during winter months.
Basically, cats are — by nature — very active creatures. It is up to you to provide your cat with acceptable ways to expend energy. Sometimes a balled up piece of paper will do the trick, so don’t think you have to spend money to help your kitty exercise. According to Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, Marilyn Krieger, whatever you do, don’t punish your cat for crazy time. Punishing can break their trust in you and it rarely works with cats so it’s a waste of time.
The video below is hysterical and informative featuring the artwork of Simon Tofield and tips for dealing with crazy time from Trevorrow.
(Subscribe to Simon’s Cat Logic on YouTube for more.)
Additional Sources:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-secret-lives-of-feral-cats-179790776/
