BIZARRE kitten behaviour!

squishee

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Hi all, I've had my kitten for about a month, he's 8 months old we think. He's a rescue was found as a stray so we don't know much about him.

He's generally been quite normal apart from tonight when I was epilating my legs. He was sleeping in another room and came to investigate which was fine but then started to stick his tongue out and pant! I've taken a video of it. Does anyone have any experience with this? He seems fine now that I've turned the epilator off, he's been fine with the hoover. I'm not sure if it's a quirk or if I should be concerned. Any advice would be gratefully appreciated. Thank you!

 
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pushylady

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The video isn't working for me, so I can't see what you're talking about.
However, I know my cats react differently to certain appliances. When I turn on the blender they run away, and when DH has his shaver on Pushy runs to investigate but then runs away. They both mostly ignore the vacuum cleaner these days.
Maybe shavers/epilators emit a high frequency that the cat is reacting to?
 

StefanZ

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Its too dark for me to see any detail on my so so monitor, but I think he is either nervous and stressed,  OR he is "fleming"  ie taking in smell via the Jacobsens cells inside his mouth.

I myself recognized my resident doing it just  the other day...   I had never earlier thought on it, although I did read biology once upon I time, and I know "everything" about this Jacobsen thing...  Snakes have it, horses have it, apparently cats have it too...
 

hexiesfriend

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It's a little dark but Yes I agree it doesn't look like he is panting from what I make out. Maybe he smells or is smelling your hair in the air. I know the epilator does thow hair Everywhere which has your scent. He could also just be mesmerized by the noise it makes.
 
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