TIL my cat's 'zoomies' were actually a cry for help

For a whole year, I thought my cat was just being crazy when she'd race around the apartment at 9 PM every night. I'd laugh and call it her 'witching hour.' Then my vet in Austin asked about her play schedule during a checkup last Tuesday. I realized I was only playing with her right before bed, which wound her up instead of tiring her out. I switched to two 15-minute play sessions, one in the morning and one after work, and the frantic running stopped almost completely. Has anyone else fixed a weird cat habit by changing their own routine?

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3 Comments

karenf405mo ago

Wait, your cat does this after the litter box too?

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jessel355mo ago

I get what you're saying about the play schedule, but calling zoomies a "cry for help" feels way off to me. My cat gets them right after he uses the litter box, and he's perfectly healthy. Sometimes a burst of energy is just that, a burst of energy. It seems like we're overthinking normal cat behavior. My guy just likes to sprint for a minute and then he's done.

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dylan2655mo ago

Totally agree with you. My cat does the same thing after using the litter box, like he's celebrating being done. I used to worry it was stress, but then I just made sure he had a clear path to run. Now I see it as him blowing off steam. He races down the hall, jumps on the couch, and then flops over like nothing happened. It's just his normal routine.

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