New Cat - Strange Behaviour

I have just adopted an (approx) 2 year old cat called Lily from my local
Cat's Protection League shelter. I've had her for a week now and am
becaming increasingly worried about her behavior. It seems that everytime
she eats anything, immediately afterwards she becomes absolutely
hyperactive. She will pounce on shadows, try to attack curtains / cushions
and then immediately run away, roll onto her back as if she want's to be
stroked then run away if I go anywhere near her.

This behaviour persists for about an hour after she has eaten and then she
calms down and will come and sit with me. The problem is that although,
during the day, I find this behaviour cute, she has started getting up about
4a.m., eating some of biscuits she has left from her dinner and trying to
attack me whilst I am in bed. I have tried removing the food at night, but
she just sat in the kitchen and cried (I live in a flat so I can't ignore
this noise), likewise I have tried shutting the bedroom door so her manic
behaviour doesn't disturb me, but again she cried and scratched the bedroom
door for about an hour until I let her in.

Is this behaviour normal, is she just practising her hunting skills? All
the other cat's I've owned haven't been manic after food. Will she calm
down once she is allowed outside or once she gets a bit older, or is this a
settling in problem? I am very tired as I haven't had much sleep for 4 days
now so any help would be much appreciated.

Jeannie

In article , jean@NOSPAMspackman
enlightened us with...

Is this behaviour normal, is she just practising her hunting skills? All
the other cat's I've owned haven't been manic after food. Will she calm
down once she is allowed outside or once she gets a bit older, or is this a
settling in problem? I am very tired as I haven't had much sleep for 4 days
now so any help would be much appreciated.


What are you feeding? Brand name and such, I mean.

Have you tried switching food? Did you already switch food? Is this the
food she ate before you got her?

I'm thinking maybe a slight reaction to a higher sugar content or some
such...it's not kitten food, is it?

It might also simply be a habit. Do you know if she was alone before? My
cats have social hour right after they eat. Perhaps she's lonely. She
may have regularly played with other cats after eating, so now she's
used to that.


-------------------------------------------------
~kaeli~
Jesus saves, Allah protects, and Cthulhu
thinks you'd make a nice sandwich.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
-------------------------------------------------

In article , jean@NOSPAMspackman
enlightened us with...

Is this behaviour normal, is she just practising her hunting skills? All
the other cat's I've owned haven't been manic after food. Will she calm
down once she is allowed outside or once she gets a bit older, or is this a
settling in problem? I am very tired as I haven't had much sleep for 4 days
now so any help would be much appreciated.


What are you feeding? Brand name and such, I mean.

Have you tried switching food? Did you already switch food? Is this the
food she ate before you got her?

I'm thinking maybe a slight reaction to a higher sugar content or some
such...it's not kitten food, is it?

It might also simply be a habit. Do you know if she was alone before? My
cats have social hour right after they eat. Perhaps she's lonely. She
may have regularly played with other cats after eating, so now she's
used to that.


-------------------------------------------------
~kaeli~
Jesus saves, Allah protects, and Cthulhu
thinks you'd make a nice sandwich.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
-------------------------------------------------

Is this behaviour normal, is she just practising her hunting skills? All
the other cat's I've owned haven't been manic after food. Will she calm
down once she is allowed outside or once she gets a bit older, or is this a
settling in problem? I am very tired as I haven't had much sleep for 4 days
now so any help would be much appreciated.

Sounds like normal behavior for a young cat. My cat Boots did that when he was
young. You'd swear I put speed in his food. He'd go flying all the walls after
breakfast. I fed him dinner at 7 pm and he'd do the same thing. If you get him
a playmate, he may be able to play with him instead of you in the middle of the
night. Otherwise I suggest tiring him out before bedtime by playing with him
and maybe giving him catnip.

Is this behaviour normal, is she just practising her hunting skills? All
the other cat's I've owned haven't been manic after food. Will she calm
down once she is allowed outside or once she gets a bit older, or is this a
settling in problem? I am very tired as I haven't had much sleep for 4 days
now so any help would be much appreciated.

Sounds like normal behavior for a young cat. My cat Boots did that when he was
young. You'd swear I put speed in his food. He'd go flying all the walls after
breakfast. I fed him dinner at 7 pm and he'd do the same thing. If you get him
a playmate, he may be able to play with him instead of you in the middle of the
night. Otherwise I suggest tiring him out before bedtime by playing with him
and maybe giving him catnip.

From: "Jeannie" jean@NOSPAMspackman@daik

I have just adopted an (approx) 2 year old cat called Lily from my local
Cat's Protection League shelter. I've had her for a week now and am
becaming increasingly worried about her behavior. It seems that everytime
she eats anything, immediately afterwards she becomes absolutely
hyperactive. She will pounce on shadows, try to attack curtains / cushions
and then immediately run away, roll onto her back as if she want's to be
stroked then run away if I go anywhere near her.

That is perfectly normal My cats do the same exact thing. What you might
want to do to help expend some of her energy is get one of those interactive
feather on a stick toys and play with her for a bit after she eats.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: "Jeannie" jean@NOSPAMspackman@daik

I have just adopted an (approx) 2 year old cat called Lily from my local
Cat's Protection League shelter. I've had her for a week now and am
becaming increasingly worried about her behavior. It seems that everytime
she eats anything, immediately afterwards she becomes absolutely
hyperactive. She will pounce on shadows, try to attack curtains / cushions
and then immediately run away, roll onto her back as if she want's to be
stroked then run away if I go anywhere near her.

That is perfectly normal My cats do the same exact thing. What you might
want to do to help expend some of her energy is get one of those interactive
feather on a stick toys and play with her for a bit after she eats.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

"PawsForThought" wrote in message
...

That is perfectly normal My cats do the same exact thing. What you
might
want to do to help expend some of her energy is get one of those
interactive
feather on a stick toys and play with her for a bit after she eats.

I went and got her some new cat toys last night, but unfortunately I later
discovered that the only thing she will play with are bits of wool which I
drag along the carpet for her to pounce on!! So all the balls and fishing
rods etc etc were a waste of money!!! She doesn't have expensive tastes.

I also gave her a little snack before bed and this morning she didn't wake
me up until 6am which is when I have to get up anyway so I think that is a
result. The cat I had before wasn't interested in playing with anything
(apart from half dead birds and mice) but he was an outside cat and I
suppose he got all his play time out of the house.

Thanks everyone, for the first time in 4 days I've had a good nights sleep.

Jeannie

"PawsForThought" wrote in message
...

That is perfectly normal My cats do the same exact thing. What you
might
want to do to help expend some of her energy is get one of those
interactive
feather on a stick toys and play with her for a bit after she eats.

I went and got her some new cat toys last night, but unfortunately I later
discovered that the only thing she will play with are bits of wool which I
drag along the carpet for her to pounce on!! So all the balls and fishing
rods etc etc were a waste of money!!! She doesn't have expensive tastes.

I also gave her a little snack before bed and this morning she didn't wake
me up until 6am which is when I have to get up anyway so I think that is a
result. The cat I had before wasn't interested in playing with anything
(apart from half dead birds and mice) but he was an outside cat and I
suppose he got all his play time out of the house.

Thanks everyone, for the first time in 4 days I've had a good nights sleep.

Jeannie

"Jeannie" wrote in message
...
It seems that everytime
she eats anything, immediately afterwards she becomes absolutely
hyperactive. She will pounce on shadows, try to attack curtains /
cushions
and then immediately run away, roll onto her back as if she want's to be
stroked then run away if I go anywhere near her.

This behaviour persists for about an hour after she has eaten and then she
calms down and will come and sit with me.


My kitten does exactly the same ! He goes really mental after eating - I do
hope he grows out of it , as he keeps knocking his food and water bowl over
& making mess, not to mention clawing the walls !

I read about sour apple spray in this news group - does anyone know where I
can buy if from in UK (London) of any other such things ?

My Dad will have a shock when he comes to visit & sees the wall paper that
he paid a fortune to be hung has been destroyed !