My 11-year-old female cat has been behaving strangely after every meal for the past few days.
She eats her food as usual, then she bolts into an empty room and meows very loudly. I usually used to be able to stroke her, but now she just runs away.
She shakes her paws like it's a tic, and sometimes she runs off and starts grooming herself frantically—her back, her legs, and her paws. She usually does this for about 5 minutes. Then she runs around in 'wild and playful' mode (she doesn't seem aggressive), chasing whatever she finds and wanting to go out on the balcony. This lasts for about 5-10 minutes. Then she calms down and comes back to me for a cuddle.
Her diet and toilet habits are the same. She's house-trained and grooms herself often.
Nothing has changed except the fact she goes 'crazy' after meals; she runs away, her paws twitch, and she dashes around grooming herself quickly—always after eating.
Thanks for any help.
Translated from French
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Actually, I’ve just remembered something. I saw the vet about a year ago, I think, and they told me my cat had a bleeding tooth. I didn’t take it seriously at the time. That could well be it. I’m going to book another appointment and get this sorted once and for all.
Thanks for all your replies. I’ll keep you posted! :)
Hi there,
It could definitely be down to a dental issue or maybe even an ulcer in the oesophagus. They can get a bit grumpy in the moment, but once they've settled down, they're back to their usual happy selves.
Just so you know, frantic licking can be triggered by irritation, and mouth problems like ulcers can sometimes be linked to kidney issues.
With cats, even the slightest change in behaviour should be seen as a bit of a red flag. Especially when they go off to hide or become distant. They’re experts at hiding when they're feeling poorly.
I don't want to worry you, of course, and if your cat is still eating, drinking, using the litter tray and coming for cuddles, it's not an absolute emergency. However, it's definitely better to get it checked by a vet now rather than putting it off and waiting to see if it passes.
Keep us posted on how he’s doing!
Hi there,
It sounds like it could be a mouth issue—maybe dental, something with her gums, or an abscess. She must have a sore mouth after eating, which is why she starts licking herself and goes off to hide. Once the pain has eased, she probably goes back to her usual self.
She really needs a trip to the vet, but if she lets you, you could try to have a look inside her mouth yourself to see if you can spot anything.
Alright, thanks for your replies. I’m really worried about my cat. I’m going to keep a close eye on him and if there’s no change, I’ll take him to the vet.
Does anyone have any other ideas, or is anyone else in the same boat?
That is indeed quite odd. What you're describing sounds like the typical cat 'zoomies', but it’s strange that it happens right after eating, and the shaking is also a concern. It would be worth having their mouth checked out. It’s possible that eating is triggering some sharp pain (like an abscess or a loose tooth).
Given their age, it could also be the start of a neurological issue (essentially cat dementia).
Either way, a trip to the vet is a must, if only to rule out any physical pain that might be causing these episodes. If it does turn out to be neurological, there isn’t a huge amount that can be done, but the main thing is making sure she isn't in any pain.
"Kidney failure affects more than a quarter of cats over 10 years old. It is one of the leading causes of death in cats."
"This condition is often diagnosed late, following the gradual appearance of long-term clinical signs, by which time nearly three-quarters of the functional kidney mass has been lost." Wiki
Of course, she might have something else or perhaps nothing at all, but it’s best to be safe and get her checked out by the vet.
Hi,
Wet food. Usually about 0.6 lbs.
I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. She’s doing her business as usual.
Her poo is a normal consistency and she wees quite often, sometimes a lot—twice a day or maybe more if I miss it—no strange colour or anything. She’s also grooming herself a lot.
Everything seems okay, really. It’s just that she starts acting weird after she’s eaten.
Her legs start shaking, she bolts out of the room, meows really loudly, and so on...
