Nightmare??

Abby is normally a skittish cat, but we have made huge strides since she came into our lives.

The other day she was sleeping and suddenly jumped out and flew across the room in what looked to be terror. She cautiously went back to where she was sleeping and sniffed and pawed the area. This is one of her favorite sleeping places.

She has been much more skittish since and will not go anywhere near where she was sleeping. It is normally one of her favorite spots. She is eating and using her litter box as she usually does.

Has anyone ever experienced something similar?

Yes, Scratch did something right after he started getting comfortable with our apartment. I comforted him, and he seemed okay.

Pudge is a lot like Abby (from not just this description, but a few others). We've had her for all but a few weeks of her 25 months of her life (we got her as a feral kitten), but every once in a while, she'll sniff something, be it my finger or a random piece of furniture, and go flying through the house as if being chased. I have no idea why. The only understandable thing she has that reaction to is catnip.

Thanks for the replies.

I comforted him, and he seemed okay.

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Abby isn't big into comforting

Pudge is a lot like Abby (from not just this description, but a few others). We've had her for all but a few weeks of her 25 months of her life (we got her as a feral kitten),

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Abby was around 8 months old when we adopted her. We weren't able to find out any of her background, but judging from her behavior, she had to have been feral, or semi-feral. You definitely have to have more patience and understanding, but the feeling you get when they have a breakthrough is just enormous.

You know, since cats sleep so lightly after their first few weeks, I'm more inclined to think that something woke her up and scared her like that, a noise or smell or sensation that you couldn't even sense, and it maybe reminded her of something or scared her. Like perhaps a tiny, undetectable by human earthquake? I know we even have those in Cleveland, so maybe possible anywhere. Who knows, they're cats!
But it could have been a nightmare. You never know what things she may have seen in those first weeks of life.