Pebbles the agony-uncle-cat of The Divine Feline has the answers.

Dear Pebbles,

My cat, Ferrari, is very fond of tearing around the house late at night. He sleeps all day and then, just as I am turning off the light and snuggling into bed, he starts creating all sorts of havoc: Racing up and down the stairs; knocking vases off tables; playing with the venetian blinds.

When I get up in the morning it looks like a hurricane has hit the house. But what really puzzles me is when this burst of activity comes straight after he has done a ‘number 2’in his litterbox! Could you please explain that one to me?

Yours sincerely,

Spectator

Dear Spectator,

Ferrari’s behaviour is commonly referred to as ‘having the zoomies’. This is when your normally sedate cat goes completely bonkers. You know an episode is coming when his pupils dilate and his tail bends into a u-shape. Seconds later he is propelling himself through the air faster than Daniel Ricciardo racing in the Formula One!

A ‘zoomie’ is simply a display of pent up energy that needs to be worked off. In the wild, hunting for us cats takes an enormous toll on our reserves. We must find our prey; stalk it; and then pounce. But things do not always go to plan, and sometimes a chase is involved which could see us bolting up to 50km an hour, jumping over obstacles, or leaping into the air. 

Since we have come to live with you humans, our lives have gotten somewhat easier. And we aren’t complaining! It is music to our furry ears when we hear you opening the refrigerator or cupboard and we know that some delectable morsel is about to appear on our willow-patterned dinnerware.

But if you would like the atmosphere in your home to be a little calmer when you retire, then you need to help Ferrari burn off that extra energy before you go to bed. If you play with him using a toy on a pole or a laser light, you will find him most receptive at that time. And rather than feed him dinner straight away, you might like to take a tip from Belinda Alexandra, the author of The Divine Feline: A Chic Cat Lady’s Guide to Woman’s Best Friend. She does a few laps around the house with her cats’ food and makes her cats chase her before she feeds them. This gives her cats some exercise, imitates the hunt (they love pursuing her), and leads to her cats having a sense of accomplishment when they do finally ‘catch’ their meal. Burning off rascally energy also keeps your cat at a healthy weight and reduces behavioural issues, such as aggression in multi-cat households.

Now, regarding your question about why Ferrari zooms out of his litterbox after doing a number-2 (‘Biscuits’ as we affectionately call them in the trade) there has been some suggestion that cats want to get away from the smell as soon as possible. While we do bury our waste in the wild to avoid alerting predators to our location, in Ferrari’s case I would say his zooming is more likely to be the result of a sense of euphoria (or ‘poo-phoria’, perhaps?) He is feeling relief – elation even – at passing a large stool. Think of Ferrari’s racing as a sort of victory lap and get into the spirit by waving a flag at him and cheering him on.

One caveat is that if Ferrari shows signs of discomfort or pain after leaping from the litterbox, such as licking furiously at himself or hiding. In those situations it’s best to check the litterbox for signs of dry, hard stools, narrow stools, or any blood. This is especially true if Ferrari is off his food or looking listless. Remember, it’s always best to ask your veterinarian if you have any concerns.

All being well, you can be reassured that Ferrari’s behaviour is simply the result of him being chuffed to bits. In this regard, humans could learn a thing or two from cats. Imagine what a jollier world it would be if after they passed a stool, humans left the bathroom jumping, leaping and sharing their joy with the rest of humanity.

All’s well that ends well!

With love,

Pebbles 🐾

To read more of Pebble’s advice regarding feline behaviour, check out The Divine Feline: A Chic Cat Lady’s Guide to Woman’s Best Friend

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