Calming Overstimulated Cats

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Does this sound familiar? You’re tenderly petting or gently playing with your favorite feline when she suddenly becomes hyperactive or lashes out at you by biting and/or scratching. According to veterinary behaviorists, this erratic and unpredictable behavior is known as “overstimulation.”

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Whether your overstimulated kitty is acting aggressively or fearfully, it’s a psychological response to her being overwhelmed by some external factor. Examples: excessive touching and/or handling, sudden changes at home, from a recent move or a new pet to household construction. Being overstimulated may even cause her to overreact to seemingly “normal” occurrences such as a familiar family member approaching her or the customary noises emanating from your household appliances. Because an overstimulated cat runs the risk of injuring herself by slamming into furniture or knocking over objects, it’s essential to recognize the earliest warning signs, prevent the situation from escalating, and help her return to a calm state of mind.

 

While any cat can be overstimulated, it’s more likely to affect those not receiving adequate mental enrichment or exercise and those struggling with stress and anxiety — both of which lower the threshold for them to become overstimulated. Besides the “triggers” mentioned before, others include bright and/or flashing lights, loud noises such as thunderstorms, fireworks, dogs barking and vacuum cleaners, overly intense play and ingesting catnip or silvervine.

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The signs of an overstimulated cat include dilated pupils, fur standing on end, hiding, hissing, tense body posture and tucked tail. Overstimulation can, besides biting and scratching, also result in such aggressive behaviors as frenetic random activity periods (FRAPs), commonly known as “zoomies,” growling, pouncing and chasing, swiping, and a tail that swishes back and forth.

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When your cat is overstimulated, promptly remove or reduce whatever potential causes that you can control: ending your petting and/or playing session, dimming the lights, turning off the vaccum cleaner and so on. Place her in a quiet, private location complete with food and water bowls, perches, a litter box and a bed, and give her time to decompress. This can range from several minutes to several hours, so please, please be patient with her.

 

To keep your kitty from becoming overstimulated again, you must address the underlying causes behind it. If excessive petting or exuberant playing seems to be the culprit, pet her for as long as she’s comfortable and shorten your play sessions. If the sound of a vacuum cleaner upsets her, place her in a quiet and confined area while you’re using it. If catnip or silvervine overstimulate her, reduce or eliminate it completely.

 

And last but not least, to prevent your cat from becoming bored, the second “trigger” for overstimulation, make certain that she has an assortment of mentally enriching toys to play with on her own during the day such as puzzles and food dispensers.

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