I think my cat sees ghosts, or needs an exorcism!

well at least he acts like he does. Hobbs is a docile neutered male who is a big mush. Most times he likes to be where people are, or sometimes he likes to play with his housemate, our Ragdoll Blueberry. He loves to be pampered, and our family is really his "staff". Hobbs has three meows. The "purr meow" when he is being fed, the regular meow when he wants to go outdoors in the yard, even though he is an indoor cat 99% of the time. The last meow he has is when he goes a bit batty, and I want to know if anybody has experienced this. Ill be watching TV in my bed, and all of a sudden Ill hear Hobbs by himself in the hallway outside the bedroom door running around like crazy, stopping on the dime with claws buried in the carpet for traction, eyes full black like he is stalking something. And right before he goes bolting away a million miles an hour down the stairs and back up, he lets off these gutteral deep, and LOUD meows. The meows end in an inflection that sounds like he is asking a question. It is really weird. Sometimes it is so freaky, Ill go out there and ask him what is wrong, and he'll look at me, and then snap back instantly to his old self, rubbing against my leg and purring. I have to admit, Ive lived with cats for all my life, and never had one that did this before. I know he is healthy, so he isnt in pain, but this behavior is weird (and a bit funny) to say the least. Anybody know what this is about?

It may just be your kitty playing. My kitty has her special time every night where she goes nuts (running through the halls, stalking everything)!

I don't mean to scare you, but I once had a cat like when I was a little girl that who had a brain tumor. He was normal for about 8 years straight, but suddenly started walking around (scared) like he was seeing ghosts in our living room (which he may have been). He died about 6-8 months after he started acting strange.

It may actually be your cat seeing ghosts or being playful, but I'd take him to the vet to get a checkup just in case!

Thanks! Fortunately Hobbs has been doing this for a few years, so hopefully it would not be something dire like that. Actually the way you described your cat running through the halls and stalking everything is very much like Hobbs. Maybe he is releasing his inner feral cat...lol...thanks again

Both my two will do that. They will be hanging out with me in the living room acting normal and then the next minute, they dash up the stairs with puffy tails like something scared them. They also run back and forth around the living room and stop on a dime gripping the carpet with their claws. They usually do it in the evening. It's crazy kitty hour.

LOL my kitties do that too!!

My Diesel runs through the house at a billion miles and hour and literally climbs walls!! He gets about 6 or more feet up the walls!!! And then I think he is jumping at shadows but there is nothing there!!!

Crazy kitties!!

thanks for the replies....at least now I know I dont have a possessed kitty on my hands!

Originally Posted by sbw999

he lets off these gutteral deep, and LOUD meows. The meows end in an inflection that sounds like he is asking a question. It is really weird.

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The running around sounds like what my family has always refrred to as being "on a tear" -- e.g., "Sounds like Albert is on a tear again." I agree with the others that this is a playful way for cats yo blow off excess energy.

The weird crying sounds like a few different ones I've heard. One, a female in heat, plainly does not apply. I've also heard such cries, frequently, from cats when they've seen another cat or animal outside (my Norwegian Forest Cat, Harry, patrols from door to window to door whenever he glimpses someone outside.)

I've also had several cats who would make sounds like that when they have found themselves off by themselves somewhere. It's almost like a, "Hey, where did every body go?" cry. I usually call to them, and they will stop crying and come say hello. I don't know if its disorientation, short term memory problems, or what.

Finally, I think some of my cats have made sounds like this when they are constipated (and the running at the same time almost seems like they are running after being "bitten" in the rear). If the latter sounds like a possibility, I've usually found that putting a smidge of Laxatone or Petromalt on their front paw a couple of times a day for 2-3 days solves the distress.

ok freaky lol i was reading this post when salem came out of nowehere "tearing" across my desk then my office light burned out lol. .....

my cats go "insane" like this about the time i decide im ready to go to sleep lol

Originally Posted by sbw999

Thanks! Fortunately Hobbs has been doing this for a few years, so hopefully it would not be something dire like that. Actually the way you described your cat running through the halls and stalking everything is very much like Hobbs. Maybe he is releasing his inner feral cat...lol...thanks again

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Our cat, Max, would do the same thing. He would let out these deep gutteral sounds like he was trying to bark or something. Then he would take off on a tear around the house. His ears would be pinned back and he looked like a race horse. He never slowed down and anyone walking around had better move out of his pathway. He would always run and jump into the bathtub and right back out all through the house again. He did that once when I was on the floor washing out some undies in the tub. I had about four inches of water and some woolite in the tub. Max let out the gutterals and I didn't think about what would happen next. But he came flying in the bathroom as usual, in the tub, out of the tub, eyes like saucers. Then we both were on a tear around the house, soap bubbles flying everywhere. He was a lot of fun and I miss him now terribly.

I guess after reading all these replies, this is normal crazy cat behavior, and again can be quite funny at times. And RIP to Max, Bugaboo1. Ive lost a lot of cats over my 46 years, and like family, ya never quite get over it completely.

Greeblings. That's what one theory is. Greeblings are these things only cats can see.

Paige hunts socks and toys at night. You'll hear her, making strange monkey noises, and harea a herd of elephants run throught he apartment. I've caught her doing it, and in response she brings me her toy and puts it on my foot. It's her big kill!