Cat walking in circles after smelling something

[Alice1996]

Hello! My 8 months cat had a weird behaviour today and I am not sure if i should worry or not. The cat is an indoor one , never been outside .We had guests and they left their shoes at the door. He sniffed them and definetly didn’t like that smell , but the part that worried us is that not too long after he started walking circles and looking like he will vomit . We took him , gave him some water and he got better . He is doing well now , he is playing , eating , just like before . This is the first time we see this type of behavior and i am not sure if i should worry or not. If it happens again , we will take him to the vet.Please let me know what you think.

 

[John Perram]

Cats sniffer are very sensitive. I would not worry.

 

[fionasmom]

Welcome to TCS! The reaction of your cat to the shoes themselves is not odd. He smelled something he did not like which could range from the scent of another cat, particularly an unneutered male who had sprayed the area to fertilizers used on a lawn to just about anything else that your friends might have crossed over or stepped in. Do you know anything about the habits of your friends such as how they maintain their lawn or products they use at their house?

The circling and appearing to want to vomit is more concerning that he might have at least whiffed something which was toxic or upsetting to his system. I am guessing that if he sniffed and walked away, he did not ingest but might have licked something. I would call the vet to get this checked out just in case what you saw was an initial reaction which might escalate.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Keep an eye on your cat for continuing signs of an issue. But, I would also like to add that some cats have a greater gag reflex than others, and the smell could have caused it. Not sure the circling necessarily means anything unless it continues. Cat have odd routines at times, and for what it is worth when Feeby is gagging and feeling like she wants to vomit, she doesn't circle, but moves forward, backward - even sideways sometimes - with each gag.