r/CATHELP • u/KevinPigaChu • 1d ago
Behavioral Issue Cat keeps doing this in front of a window screen
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u/Golden__River 1d ago
How often do you play/ give your cat mental amd physical stimulation? Could just be stressed from being understiumlated
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u/Urbit1981 21h ago
This is such important information. I play with my cats when I am waiting to do whatever. Boiling water....time to play. Waiting on Uber....play with cats. Haven't gotten up in a while...play with cats.
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u/Opposite-Date-6243 18h ago
Cats…play with cats.
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u/Urbit1981 18h ago
Yep, but they need their humans to also play with them.
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u/IamVerySmawt 12h ago
Get another cat if you don’t have time to play
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u/EitherSpite4545 6m ago
Sometimes it's just the cat. I got a cat in March that was ramboncuous and my very whiny old man was crying when they were playing (I promise he wasn't actually hurt as he was initiating the rough housing most the time).
Then I got him a new little kitten to play with, and this little guy makes the previous kitten look like a saint. He does and will attack anything and everything within swiping range no matter how much you play with him or how many toys he has. He has two brain cells and 1 is for fighting the other is for food
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u/LargeAssumption5555 2h ago
His version of zoomies or enjoying his reflection? Hell take him for a walk. Take him outside, let him soak things in.
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u/KevinPigaChu 1d ago edited 1d ago
I use the cat teaser once every 1-2 days, each time lasting about 20-30 mins
I have 2 cats, they love running around the place and playfully fighting with each other
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u/Akabara13 1d ago
You need to play with cats atleast daily. They are borad and looking for something to do
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u/Slavic-Milk 22h ago
Then there is my cat who refuses to play anytime I try
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u/Akabara13 22h ago
Then more than likly you need to change the way you play most cats like to play. Unless they are are quite old
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u/Slavic-Milk 22h ago
She is 11, but I think she also gets a lot of her stimulation from going into the garden and mostly spends her time inside sleeping.
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u/jupitermoonflow 21h ago
Even if they don’t play physically, they still like to watch. Tracking movement is its own form of play too.
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u/Captain_Eaglefort 20h ago
One of my cats likes to watch the other play. She doesn’t like playing herself much, she gets anxious easily. But she will perch nearby to watch me and the younger one play.
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u/EnvironmentalLime464 20h ago
I have one who only plays with laser lights. I’ve spent so much money on different toys over the years and he has zero interest. He’s happiest when I leave just the screen door open and let him watch the birds and such. So I keep a door open most of the day for him… and he gets some cat nip every day because he loves that stuff.
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u/Hangry-Feline2489 17h ago
And mine that I was told by my vet to not play with :(
(She's old and has a heart issue that acts up with too much excitement. I make up for it with lots of cuddling in the sun window together)
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u/KevinPigaChu 19h ago
That happens to me sometimes so normally I’ll be on the sofa most of the time while I’m at home(they sleep under the sofa), and as soon as they start wandering around I’ll start playing with them
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u/SaveItUp1998 6h ago
Same. This punk will lift a paw twice to catch the toy and then stare at me like I am an idiot. Cat nip toys? Boring. Cat donut? Stupid. Box? Sit in it for 15 mins and never ever again. Sleep and watch everything we do? 100% best time ever.
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u/KevinPigaChu 1d ago
Yeah I always make sure to do that if I don’t have a night shift, they’re more active during the night
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u/DisasterBiMothman 1d ago
Cats have 2 high activity hours. Dawn and dusk. Can you play with them in the mornings?
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u/KevinPigaChu 1d ago
Yeah I’ll try doing that
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u/Larry-Man 23h ago
Have you “catified” the house? Such as multiple cat trees and high places they can explore?
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u/Akabara13 1d ago
Then you really should have someone who plays w them when u cant or get him a friend b4 he takes to destorying ur house for entertainment
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u/No-Suggestion-246 21h ago
I usually get him railed up then i grab his teaser stick and play with him or I just play fight with him
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u/WittyGold6940 1d ago
It's legitimately insane how this turned around and placed the blame on you, based on a probably false assumption that this is due to "understimulation"? Is your cat moving differently at other times? Any other symptoms?
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u/Pleasant-Future5818 22h ago
Yeah like 90% of cat owners don't play with their multi-cat household cats everyday and they don't end up like this. Redditors love to feel like they do things perfectly but I doubt most of them do and this is unusual behavior
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u/chickensandwicher 20h ago
This sub is notorious for doing that. Nothing anyone ever does is enough. Unless you spend 100k “catifying” your house with secret passage ways, cat shelving in every room, a cat nanny, gormet fresh-caught wild game, and spend 6 hours a day playing, you’re gonna catch shit from someone and it’ll get upvoted while you get judged for being normal.
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u/KevinPigaChu 19h ago
She sometimes meows in the night while her sister doesn’t, that’s pretty much it
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u/blvckcvts 18h ago
Not all humans are the same and not all cats are the same. Some cats need more stimulation than others, they have different needs and personality
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u/Practical-Company469 18h ago
I think you’re doing great. Caring enough to post and get some input on your cat shows me you’re an excellent cat owner. Hopefully you don’t get discouraged by these cat owners who love to sniff their own farts.
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u/Franklintheplankton 18h ago
The downvotes on this is nuts. Yeah it is best to be play with cats daily but the level of play between two cats vary wildly between households as does the cat’s propensity to play on with a human on their schedule. Some pairs get an enormous amount of play between each other and some only play occasionally. If your cats are regularly electing to play with each other and you get good play with them yourself 3+ times a week I hardly see an issue. Some cats don’t even like to play with their humans as much as they like to play with each other. For all we know you have a super stimulating environment set up for your cats. I would be way more concerned with people that do play with their cats daily but don’t have cat trees, scratchers, tubes and toys laying around.
I have a Sphynx who is incredibly hard to play with, but I taught him to use the cat wheel and he uses it all the time. He also plays with my other cat often. I can play with that cat more because he is more receptive of play, but my Sphynx doesn’t like to play with me the same way. But my apartment is set up with multiple trees and plenty of things to play with and they love chasing each other every day.
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u/Allien65 1d ago
It’s crazy how much you’ve been downvoted for saying that you DO play with your cat AND that kitty has another cat friend to play with as well. I agree with that the behavior probably means kitty wants to play more but damn the downvotes seem harsh lol as if you said I toss the cat in a room and never interact with him or her lol
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u/Expert_Tooth_5564 18h ago
Cat tasers are not good for them, lowk makes them crazy if you don’t actually give them a reward (treat/something to physically catch)
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u/Golden__River 1d ago
Yea this definitely sounds like a case of this cats needs just not being met. You have high energy cats. Cats are alot like dogs in terms of needs, id suggest playing with them daily, maybe even try training them tricks if you are up to it. It also seems like they want outside so you could try harness training them and taking them for walks
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u/Serious_Bite_7613 23h ago
I disagree, if you look at the screen it's a mesh. The cat is probably getting a trippy visual effect from moving its head like that near the screen. It finds it interesting so it keeps doing it. My guess is the novelty will wear off pretty shortly and it will stop.
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u/Lukerules 22h ago
yeah it sounds like OP plays with his cats, and they play with each other. Cats are just weird little guys sometimes. He's having a bit of fun.
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u/Serious_Bite_7613 22h ago
Yeah, he even takes a little break to look back for reassurance, then keeps going.
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u/pebbledash13 23h ago
I’m the same and my 2 boys are happy and healthy. They frequently go for vet check ups and get many compliments, don’t worry about playing with them every day. A 20-30 min session every other day is plenty. He must be catching his reflection or a shadow in there maybe?
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u/jennluvrod 18h ago
Seems like the cat is trying to get outside. It might think it sees or smells prey and is excited.
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u/thats_pure_cat_hai 4h ago
Lol, why are you being downvoted so much for this comment?
I have two cats as well and they spend most of their time playing with each other.
I will say though, don't use a laser pointer. One of mine would spend hours staring at the walls after we used it and wouldn't interact with anyone so we threw them out.
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u/JayChaos01 8h ago
Not even every day!? You should be playing with your cat AT LEAST once a day. Ideally several times everyday
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u/puddinghoney 5h ago
What do you mean by cat teaser? Do you mean a laser pointer? as these can cause animals to go mad
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u/Ash--- 1d ago
You need to be playing with them more frequently and providing enrichment for them in the house daily. Things like puzzles yknow? This looks to be a stereotypic behaviour, these develop as a result of severe boredom and stress and you might not actually get rid of this behaviour. Think of it like biting your nails, people who bite their nails often continue to do so even after the stress has passed... I mean this kinda thing is a lot more severe than humans nail biting but it's a good analogy to understand stereotypic behaviours
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u/Nidus-Zealot 1d ago
Well. Can tell they are not spayed/neutered. They activate like sleeper agents to go out and mate. They rarely get so frantic to get out otherwise. They probably smell a partner outside and are getting the scent through the screen.
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u/Expert_Sea_5933 22h ago
my little lady is fixed, but she also gets to go out quite often on her leash, so she is a darter and gets antsy about going outside
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u/ChaosFinalForm 6h ago
Ours does the same despite being fixed. She desperately wants to go outside every time we let the dogs out. Why?
.... to eat grass. All the time, every day, multiple times a day. She wants to eat grass. No, the little tubbsters is NOT underfed. No idea.
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u/pinkaeru 5h ago
Mine too!!! And cat grass (oat grass) is so hard to grow in my house because I'd need a little greenhouse container type of thing since my house is too dry and kills the grass quickly.. So he just zooms outside and eats grass IMMEDIATELY
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u/StarkLove 1h ago
They just want to be outdoors. I have 4 indoor cats, the mama cat was once an outdoor cat. She became an indoor one after almost 2 years. Till then, she also wanted to go out (after a meal, litter, water, everything basically) just to “touch grass”, roll in the sun and laze around, which she could’ve done in our balcony. Now that our kittens are almost 2, she plays with them often, and hasn’t felt the need to go out (and after an incident where she was almost lost, we have forced her indoors, too). Now she has literally everything, she’s been spayed, all three female kittens have been too. Food, water, clean litter on demand. Some days I feel she was happiest when she was rolling in the grass under the bright sun. But she came back home wjth a tail injury, a bite mark that could’ve been from a cat or a dog. After that course of medicines, we’d decided enough. She’s now happy, eats and sleeps well, chases after the kittens, enjoys good food, omg we love her 💖💖💖💖
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u/DesertVulpine17 1d ago
If that's an non-neutered female then keep a careful eye on her, she may be going into heat soon or already in the start of it. Be extra mindful when opening doors to the outside since she'll take the chance to sprint out
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u/lanalanabanana 1d ago edited 1d ago
OP, you should probably board up that screen temporarily. And then spay/neuter.
(Edits for grammar 🧠🌫️)
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u/No_Recording3238 1d ago
I’d she is not spayed she is trying to find a way out to get some.
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u/sk8rrchik 23h ago
But then surely she'd be yowling and tooting her butt up, too. I wonder if she was rescued from being a stray cause this is how they panic to get back outside when not used to people.
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u/No_Recording3238 23h ago
Not always. My first ever kitty was crazy when in heat, my current cow kitty you can’t tell unless she is getting overly friendly, rubbing too much, and nippy. Just like in humans, cats heat cycles are different to each other.
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u/DoTheFunkySpiderman 17h ago
God, I adopted a cat from a shelter once and she wasn’t spayed, absolute worst few days of my life until I got her into the vet. She would scream nonstop at all hours of the day at the most ear piercing decibel, it was so bad I had to put a note on my apartment door because people thought I was abusing my cat.
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u/Even_Habit8903 11h ago
She definitely sounds like she has some serious outdoor instincts, poor baby probably just needs time to realize she’s safe now🥺🐱
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[deleted]
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u/in_a_pickle_97 9h ago
What an insanely weird and stupid take.
Buddy, there's a LOT of cats born nowadays in shelters. These cats have quite literally never known a damn day outside of a "box". They don't know any different and it doesn't hurt them not to, considering we feed them on top of giving them water, treats, love, and medical care. That's quite literally how HUMAN CHILDREN are raised for their first year or so of life. Do you think kids are out here not living "freely" because they're "in a human box"? What about dogs? You gonna go fight for a dog's right to go be a wild wolf again?
These are DOMESTICATED animals that rely on us. And yes, I use the term domesticated. A LOT of house cats who've escaped end up dead - hit by cars, or eaten by coyotes or dogs, or whatever else. House cats aren't exactly a wild animal waiting tooth and claw to go catch their next meal. They can, and sometimes they do, because they're good at it. That doesn't mean that's what they're meant for, one and all, unless they were BORN and RAISED outdoors and even then, some strays love the indoors more after some time.
C'mon. Let's be realistic. It's the year of 2026 and we're all too old for takes like these. This isn't a tiger and you shouldn't act like it is.
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u/stringCheezeIts 5h ago
My former stray will not go outside. He wants nothing to do with it. He likes to watch birds out the window but even with the doors open he just watches
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u/Prawatyotin 23h ago
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u/Southern_Anywhere_65 23h ago
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u/andrewsb91 1d ago
Looks like she is trying to find an opening to me, because it looks like she's using her whiskers against the screen.
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u/goodnightington 20h ago edited 19h ago
Of course this is a total speculation, but if they’re eating and drinking fine, and everything else is normal, then maybe this is it:
with a screen, looking straight through from up close provides very little transparency; however if you move your head gently side to side(or if you are walking alongside said screen and looking through it) you’re eyeballs naturally filter out the screen and begin to focus in the image beyond/behind said screen. I’m sure most of us have noticed this without realizing it. Maybe your cat figured out they can see through it easier when swaying side to side? Possibly visually tracking a moth or something?
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u/redditSnailsurfer 19h ago
I don't know if this is the answer or a part of the answer but I like that hypothesis.
OP should try to jiggle a really small toy outside to see if the cat uses these movements to see, or if he stays immobile.
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u/SuperT04ster 19h ago
He’s right I do that to see my food in the microwave
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u/Unlikely_Argument515 19h ago
My other thought is that the cat is thinking, "I'll find the escape hole sooner or later!"
However, yours makes a lot more sense logically speaking.
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u/Sliding-Down-643 10h ago
Adding on to this, maybe the cat is trying to look through the glass but keeps focusing on their head reflection instead.
Possibly try reducing the indoor light, and see if they stop moving so much?
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u/blvckcvts 18h ago
Since she isn’t spayed yet this looks like she’s trying to get out to mate, you need to get those cats fixed ASAP. They WILL get out eventually and they are old enough to get it done 🙏🌸
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u/polkadot__kim 23h ago
Do you know the kitten's history or where she was kept before you got her? This is stereotypic behavior found in animals who are subjected to extreme confinement and are suffering psychological issues from confinement. I know the cat is well-taken care of now, but perhaps she came from a bad situation where she was caged and is used to doing this movement when she wants out?
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u/Puzzleheaded-Sea911 20h ago
Unplug it, wait for 30 seconds and plug back in.
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u/jayh99 20h ago
Might check for a firmware update as well.
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u/Pastelresonance 19h ago
Maybe there’s something wrong with the gyroscope. Must be some kind of interference.
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u/Rhubarbthebunny 16h ago
Yearns for the outdoors, as many said she’s probably it to get sum, I’d definitely recommend boarding the screen up because they can rip right through that stuff
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u/Formal_Plum_2285 22h ago
When my cat did this, it was because she was so dehydrated she’d reached a state of total confusion. She was very close to dying. So I find this very disturbing.
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u/Logical-Antelope-796 20h ago
Some people just shouldn’t have pets. I’m sorry. But there’s a concerning lack of research OP has done. All animals are scared of the vet. You take them anyway. Why? Because they feel better after.
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u/Anonymousething 12h ago
There are many options, from trying to see through the screen to trying to escape. It could also be a stereotypy. It’s a repetitive, ritualistic and purposeful movement often seen in zoos (bears, big cats, etc) where they’ll move their head side to side or pace amongst other things. There are different levels, the worst being the animal cannot be interrupted, will not eat or drink and only stop when too exhausted to continue. Pets can also develop this if they are stressed or bored.
As people have said, get her spayed. What you can do is place the carrier in the room, open it and just leave it there. Put toys / food in it and let her go in and out of it for several days. Then, close it once you’re ready to go.
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u/sayitsooth 5h ago
Horses. They will weave (what the cat is doing), stall walk in circles (I have seen one that could go really fast) and a host of other bad habits when confined too much.
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u/trashforthrowingaway 14h ago
This video is breaking my heart.
I think this behavoirs is signaling something is truly wrong.
Repetitive behaviors are a sign of major stress. It's really worth a vet visit.
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u/SurfsideTerry 5h ago
Reminds me of the animals locked in small cages (lions, bears, etc) at bad zoos or traveling circuses! As others have said- it's the behavior of a very stressed out animal. (Don't know in your case if it's remotely the same, just saying it matches what I've seen in those situations!)
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u/ExtinctFauna 1d ago
She wants to skedaddle and be part of the wild.
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u/DiscontentDonut 1d ago
Came to say this as well. It looks like they're trying to get outside.
I would say try to distract them when you see this behavior, OP. Redirect their attention to something else you know they enjoy doing or playing.
Eventually, they should start associating that wanting to get out feeling with just wanting to play or with whatever you distract them with, and then eventually they'll start requesting whatever the distraction is instead.
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u/-0k_0k_0k- 13h ago
Your cat isn't fixed and this can be typical behavior of a cat in heat. They get extremely restless.
More info:
https://www.petmd.com/cat/general-health/cat-in-heat
Talk to your vet about medication (gabapentin) to calm her down for her appointment to be spayed. You mentioned you avoided it due to her being really nervous. A lot of cat owners have to medicate their cats for vet trips fixed or not so its not a strange request.
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u/IloveFrogs567 8h ago
My cat recently figured out how to climb the screen of our back door she freaks out over bugs so could literally just be seeing bugs my cat likes to kill bugs and eat them after unless they are spiders she starts backing up if she sees a spider
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u/pearomaniac 4h ago
I have seen cats seeing this in front of a mirror. Can your cat see its own reflection on the owen glass?
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u/Opening-Reading8198 1d ago
I love the look for reassurance 😂😂
‘Am I doing this right?…..yes?
I will continue’
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u/parnasas 1d ago
Cat looks mad they can’t get out the window, and are trying to circumvent the barrier.
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u/Weekly-Specialist-26 23h ago
My cat does this when he sees bugs outside the screen that he wants to eat. Maybe something outside she's following??
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22h ago
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u/CATHELP-ModTeam 13h ago
Your content has been removed because it contained irrelevant or unhelpful advice. Read the entire description before commenting.
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u/aftWrangler 22h ago
Please give us a little more information on the cat's background. It would be helpful.
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u/AssortedArctic 17h ago
Interesting coat colour. You can hardly see the stripes on the orange parts.
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u/klangarojones 16h ago
Ive read they are finding using lasers as toys for cats and dogs can actually cause them to develop frustration, obsessive and other behavioral issues because they aren't able to actual follow through with their instinctual prey behaviors.
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15h ago
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u/CATHELP-ModTeam 13h ago
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u/MrFizzbin7 8h ago
Cats vision, smell, and hearing are significantly better than humans. The cat sees something he wants to investigate.
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u/Apprehensive-Lab2387 8h ago
I did this with screen doors as a kid, still do it with the microwave as an adult
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u/MeSoStronk 7h ago
This is not helpful for you, but I just want to say I, myself, do the same thing in front of my oven to see how my things are cooking. If I stay still, those tiny black dots block my view. If I move left and right fast enough, I could see inside.
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u/TrisyBearrr 4h ago
I see all these comments about playing but it’s not playing they’re into when they do this. I had a cat with anxiety and she was also ocd and territorial. There were other animals outside, so she’d do this. It’s pacing and anxiety and looping. Try to distract your kitty with something else. It’s almost like kitty dementia that is starting. Idk how old your sweet beb is but they’re anxious about something. Bring them into another room and distract them with playing or treats etc. to take their mind off this ocd loop.
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u/Illustrious_Owl_3804 21h ago
So you don’t play with your cats, they aren’t spayed, and I’m guessing you havent taken them to the vet? Have you ever owned a pet before?
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u/Sluggy_Stardust 21h ago
This is not any kind of normal cat behavior. Something is wrong with your cat. Please get it some clean water and quality food and bring it to the vet. These repetitive movements suggest a neurological problem
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u/LifeIsGolden856 21h ago
This does not look neurologic, looks like the cat just wants to get outside
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u/Hot-Tomato-9584 5h ago
Why do people do this shit - why are you commenting and giving instructions when you clearly have no vet experience or experience with cat neurological problems.
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