Does your cat have the "midnight crazies?" The AWW! Bloggers call their cats' crazies episodes: the witching hour, psycho mode, zoomies, monster mode, cat circus, getting the demons out and post-poop party. These temporary losses of sanity are called midnight crazies because they occur at night. One theory is that domesticated cats, like their ancestors, instinctively come alive at night because that is when their prey is most available. Others theorize that since a cat spends so much time sleeping that their energy is stored up and the crazies are actually energy surges.
In our house, the crazies happen at any time for any cat. I was relieved to hear that the very act of pooping initiates the crazies for some cats. For Inkee-Bear, the crazies ALWAYS happen then. With huge eyes, he leaps from the litter box and races through the house. Generally, Gracee and Sophee say: "I'm just gonna' watch, thank you very much." But sometimes they all get started. They sound like a herd of galloping wild horses running from room to room, upstairs, downstairs, skidding on the floors, leaping on my desk exploding carefully sorted files and running across my computer keyboard resulting in disappearing documents or leaving strange hieroglyphics across a page.
Jackson Galaxy ("My Cat from Hell" TV show) suggests playing with your cat before bedtime to burn off excess energy yet giving your cat a chance to wind down before you go to bed. He recommends the toy "da Bird." If you are gone all day, he recommends playing with your cats both before and after work.
Three AWW! Bloggers describe their cats' crazies: "My cat benefits from the crazies because play is fun and hones reflexes, cunning, fitness and fight/flight experiences with the safety on. Perhaps they race against an imaginary something." Another Blogger says: "She sprints away form the litter box like it's about to explode after using it." The last Blogger says: "She gets a crazed look in her eyes after pooping. The litter box is known as 'the starting gate' because, after pooping, she rockets out of the litter box and sprints through the house with 'that look' in her eyes." Yes, we all know 'that look.'
When Inkee-Bear's crazies end, he, like most of the other cats blogged about, curl up and go to sleep. Then the two-legged critters, if needed, restore their houses to some semblance of order.
Before the cat authors entered my life, I had two cats for 18+ years. The frequency of the crazies decreased as they got older. Now? I would give anything to see their crazies again. Charlie could ride/slide a throw rug clear across the room. Maybe to him it was his magic carpet. His big eyes glowed saying "Look at me!" His eyes had 'that look.' I miss everything about he and his brother, Tigger. Yes, even their crazies. Now, the cat authors fill my home with their youthful energy, affection, curiosity, comedy and yes, their crazies.