cat acting like another cat is in the house but no cat

[bastfriend]

Hi all, so my Big Guy was asleep next to me and he startles awake and runs around the living room sniffing the air switching his tail.   He even ran under the sofa a few times.  For the next 30 minutes he patrols my apartment sniffing acting like some other animal is in here.    I have another kitty Patches who is awake but resting peacefully on the bed during all of this and is not reacting to anything.    I hear no cat noises from outside and have no idea what he could be reacting to.   He's beginning to freak me out at this point!     Is he hallucinating?   What's up with this cat????

 

[ondine]

I have a cat that does that.  My husband will say "the ghost is back" and we go back to sleep.  I sometimes wonder if he's right.

But mostly, I think it might be a mouse or other small critter or maybe a change in the atmosphere.  Our house is a little drafty, so there are sometimes cold spots.  I've seen this cat sit and stare and when I walk over, it's a cold spot.

Cats are so sensitive, who knows.  Unless he starts banging his head against the wall, I wouldn't worry too much.

Although - it occurred to me that there might be a cat or other critter outside?  He may sense it but not realize it isn't in the house.

 

[bastfriend]

LOL, well fortunately he didn't start banging  his head against the wall but I was getting worried there for a bit!    He did finally calm down, took him almost an hour.   I looked outside to see if there was anything or any smells but couldn't tell with my stuffy old human nose.    The thing that freaked me was that my other cat was completely calm.   Usually if two cats agree, then there is something to see.    But one freaky cat and one calm cat, not sure what to think.    Maybe Big Guy has sharper senses or something.

Your husband's idea about the ghost occurred to me too.    You know they say cold spots are associated with ghosts maybe you really are walking through one!  

 

[lamiatron]

 
LOL, well fortunately he didn't start banging  his head against the wall but I was getting worried there for a bit!    He did finally calm down, took him almost an hour.   I looked outside to see if there was anything or any smells but couldn't tell with my stuffy old human nose.    The thing that freaked me was that my other cat was completely calm.   Usually if two cats agree, then there is something to see.    But one freaky cat and one calm cat, not sure what to think.    Maybe Big Guy has sharper senses or something.

Your husband's idea about the ghost occurred to me too.    You know they say cold spots are associated with ghosts maybe you really are walking through one!  

OMG my cat Charlie did this too. at first i thought there was a ghost in my bedroom and just FREAKED OUT. needless to say, me and Charlie were both up and sleepless that night. OH and my other cat Jet was also walking around, investigating, stalking, and both seemed to be really freaked out. Since i didn't hear anything outside, i figured i was soon going to be possessed by a demon..better stay awake (I don't know what that would have done)

In my case, it turned out that there was something outside. i have many feral cats in my neighborhood, and one night i heard them through my window fighting....and it was loud and scary. As soon as they started to fight and vocalize it, that's when i noticed both my kitties freaking out again. Nothing I can do about the cats outside, so i invested in some calming treats for my guys for instances like this...it seems to help them. 

They both seem a bit more calm and secure now...where if they hear the outside cat they don't freak out, sometimes they do, if they are fighting and are loud...but over time they both got used to it. for my guys, the calming treats helped. 

 

[bastfriend]

 
OMG my cat Charlie did this too. at first i thought there was a ghost in my bedroom and just FREAKED OUT. needless to say, me and Charlie were both up and sleepless that night. OH and my other cat Jet was also walking around, investigating, stalking, and both seemed to be really freaked out. Since i didn't hear anything outside, i figured i was soon going to be possessed by a demon..better stay awake (I don't know what that would have done)

In my case, it turned out that there was something outside. i have many feral cats in my neighborhood, and one night i heard them through my window fighting....and it was loud and scary. As soon as they started to fight and vocalize it, that's when i noticed both my kitties freaking out again. Nothing I can do about the cats outside, so i invested in some calming treats for my guys for instances like this...it seems to help them. 

They both seem a bit more calm and secure now...where if they hear the outside cat they don't freak out, sometimes they do, if they are fighting and are loud...but over time they both got used to it. for my guys, the calming treats helped. 

Thanks Lamiatron!    I had to laugh at how you stayed awake to avoid being possessed by the demon.   I had been watching a movie on my computer and could not peacefully go back to watching it until Big Guy calmed down.    I mean what if he really was reacting to something I had to do something about????  What if there was a ghost and it was going to do something any minute?    I'll look for some of those calming treats - he tends to be very sensitive in general might be helpful for him.   Then maybe I'll find some for me!   There are feral cats around here so who knows maybe one was on patrol nearby like in your neighborhood.

 

[lamiatron]

 
Thanks Lamiatron!    I had to laugh at how you stayed awake to avoid being possessed by the demon.   I had been watching a movie on my computer and could not peacefully go back to watching it until Big Guy calmed down.    I mean what if he really was reacting to something I had to do something about????  What if there was a ghost and it was going to do something any minute?    I'll look for some of those calming treats - he tends to be very sensitive in general might be helpful for him.   Then maybe I'll find some for me!   There are feral cats around here so who knows maybe one was on patrol nearby like in your neighborhood.

it can be feral cats, or outside noises, or squirrels, or even bugs outside. Cats have way better hearing than us, and they can probably pick up on things and get freaked out which we wouldn't even notice.

I would seriously recommend calming treats. Initially i got them because my girl Jet is a skittish kitty (former stray), but  they've also come in pretty handy during these middle of the night freak outs LOL 

 

[ondine]

 
Your husband's idea about the ghost occurred to me too.    You know they say cold spots are associated with ghosts maybe you really are walking through one!  

That would certainly be exciting but it's just an old house.  I've lived in a house with ghosts and believe me, you can tell the difference.