Imagine sitting on your couch with your cat. Everything is going perfectly; your cat is calmly lying down with you while you enjoy your favorite show on Netflix. And then, all of a sudden, your peaceful slumber cat ends up zooming around and turns into a wildebeest. What just happened to her?
Well, whatever the reason may be, know that it’s not just your cat, but all cats are like that. If you haven’t been a cat owner in the past, we are sure this would be quite news for you. But it is completely normal because it is their natural behavior.
If you understand them, you can calm her. Let’s find out how to calm down a hyper cat.
But first, we’ll try to understand the reasons behind their hyperactivity
Why Do Cats Get Hyper Active?
Where cats are known and loved to be peaceful clam creatures, not many people know that they have a little crazy kitten inside them with a ball of energy that encourages them to jump high, run at high speed, and go crazy. When you experience something similar with your cat, you need to understand that your cat may be going through a hyperactive phase. While your cat may live in a cozy home with everything served on a plate, its ancestors lived differently. They lived in open spaces like jungles where they chased their prey and ran to save their lives from falling prey to bigger animals.
When your pet cat develops such a behavior, it is because, like her ancestors, she has the ability to explore and chase her prey.
Cats may tend to be hyperactive to release the balls of energy suppressed in their bodies. When there isn’t enough energy exerted by a cat, it has a tendency to be more hyperactive and gets out of control. For this purpose, you need to get all their energy drained by providing them with a good amount of exercise.
7 Ways to Calm Down a Hyper Cat
Luckily, there are ways to calm down a hyper cat and turn it back into an angel. They are simple strategies, but they significantly improve cats’ physical and mental health.
Give Them A Good Playtime
While dogs are famous for being super energetic and demanding, cats too need an energy outlet. They naturally love to play and cuddle around with their owners. And these energy outlets play and key role in their happiness and health. Cats are naturally nocturnal animals; this is why you may experience their hyperactivity in the middle of the night—or anytime. What you need to do to minimize their hyperactivity is to structure their playtime.
Schedule a time to play with your cat during the day. Get them cat toys so that they can engage themselves with toys. Cats are incredibly organized, and they like to follow a routine, so make sure you develop a good routine for them to follow. This way, they will know when there is an appropriate time for them to act all hyperactive and when is it their time to act all sober.
Your little furry paw has to release all this bundle of energy somehow, and if you don’t provide them with good activities, you will find them careering around the house, jumping from furniture to furniture, and being all problematic. Because of cats’ “catching prey instincts,” you need to include different catching prey activities to satisfy your cat.
Give Them a Nice Environment In the House
When a cat acts hyperactively, it’s not entirely her fault. The environment she is living in plays a huge role in this behavior of the cat. While you may be wondering your cat has developed behavioral issues, she may just be acting this way because she has noticed aggressive behavior or chaos in the house.
Cats like peace, and when there is chaos in the house, it becomes difficult for them to follow their routine and adds up to their stress. Any recent changes in the household can also encourage such behaviors, especially when you introduce new pets in the house. Having multiple cats in the house can stress out cats. Make sure to create harmony amongst your pets to eliminate such behaviors.
Look Out for Health Issues
A cat acting hyperactive may not always be a behavioral issue but can be an outcome of some underlying health issues. The risk of these issues multiplies when your cat is old and has previously had hyperactivity issues at odd times of the day. This is also one of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism.
In such conditions, cats have an overly active thyroid gland that controls the mechanism for their energy levels. If this happens, you will have a cat with bursts of energy. However, hyperthyroidism mostly occurs in senior cats. Its treatment can prevent such issues, which includes medication with methimazole, surgery, and radioactive iodine therapy.
Encourage Your Cat to Indulge in Safe Outdoor Activities
The best option to cut down your cat’s hyperactivity is to introduce them to safe outdoor activities. Keeping your cat indoors exclusively can upset your cat. Besides, it is not good for her mental and physical wellbeing.
Let your furry paw wander around in and out to catch some fresh, play with nature, and release her pent-up energy. Make sure your cats don’t get bored; the more a cat is bored, the more hyperactive she will be! Get your yards fenced and allow your cat to roam around freely under your watch.
Let Your Cat Be Herself
One mistake cat owners make is limiting their cats’ behavior and punishing them for being too over-excited. This is not a good approach. Allow the behavior; let your cat be herself. Stopping your cat from running here and there is the same as stopping your children from being hyper.
Of course, you need to stop the behavior when it becomes dangerous for the cat, but understand that cats too need mental stimulation and exercise to stay healthy. If you restrict them too much, they will become aggressive and develop such hyperactive behaviors.
Introduce a Companion and Double the Fun
While your cat may develop hyperactive behaviors because of other pets in the house, on the contrary, you will have to admit that sometimes cats too need companions. When you cannot give your cat enough time, introduce them to a new companion by bringing home a kitten—or a puppy. It may sound like double trouble, but in actual it’s double fun. They will hang out together, play games, enjoy their leisure time, and chill together!
Take Care of Your Cat
Needless to say, take care of your furry paw. There can be many reasons behind their aggressive and hyperactive behaviors. But one of the most important reasons is owners not taking proper care of their pets.
Your cat is sensitive to certain things, and her hyperactivity may be a call for help in disguise. See how often you clean your cat’s litter box because cats are fastidious animals and like her accessories clean and tidy. If the litter box isn’t clean, it can cause distress to the cat and can result in your cat acting out. Make sure to clean the litter box once a day at least. Not only that, groom your cat regularly. A clean cat is always a happy cat.
Lastly, cuddle with your cat enough, show affection and love to her, and give them enough snuggles and belly rubs. Trust us, it’s the best way to calm down your cat!
