When My Cat is Restless…..what does that mean?

Grizzabella woke me up this morning-Early!

Really, she wakes me up early every morning, but today was a little bit earlier than I’d expected!  In fact, this is kind of her most recent morning routine.  She tends to change her morning routines every few weeks. They usually include some form or combination of jumping on me, climbing on my chest, poking her nose in my face, and dive-bombing my husband-  you get the picture!

Recently, her new move includes knocking my phone and pictures off my nightstand, scratching the walls, and meowing for me to open the window behind the bed.  It happens around 2 am when she wants a snack, and again at 5:30 am when she wants breakfast.  Then, most days she returns to bed with me for a few hours and sleeps the morning away snuggled up next to my head.  However, the last few days she’s been a little more restless than usual….especially today!

I was a little concerned because even though she wanted me up and out of bed…..( that’s one of her things by the way! If she’s up she wants me up! )…….she didn’t eat her food and kept following me around and staring at me. It could just be she’s being a finicky eater and tired of the food I’m currently giving her.  But then she started playing the in and out game with the sliding door to the porch a little more than usual and meowing a little more than usual.  She seemed really restless!

It worried me because that can sometimes be a sign of some kind of underlying problem.  But, I don’t know, I really think her health is okay.  She gets her regular checkups and shots.  And she’s always been a little bit of a high anxiety kitty. Dear little thing!

I decided to sit with her on the rug and give her a little one on one mommy and Grizzy time. I talked to her and gave her some extra rubs around the neck; she responded so well, that I wondered if her restlessness is due to some boredom, and pent up energy.  I haven’t pulled out her favorite toy, a small laser light, for the longest time.  In the past when I put the laser light on she goes nuts.  She loooves to chase the laser!  So I tested it out this morning, and voila! She went nuts and chased it all over the room like crazy!! She even chased it up and down the stairs-oh, it was great fun!!!

After a little one on one laser time with mommy and some extra attention, she settled down and returned to her normal little self and routine.  She even walked over to her bowl and ate her breakfast, then sat by me and started cleaning her little paws.

Unfortunately, I’ve been really busy the last few days, so I haven’t sat and cuddled with her on the couch with my cup of coffee in the morning.  That’s one of the morning rituals we enjoy! 

Seeing my little baby anxious and roaming around makes me so sad.  I need to give her that little time that she is used to. That little extra love just seems to calm her and reassure her I’m here and that I love her.

I felt relief when I saw the results of burning some pent up energy. But also I felt a little guilty that I’d neglected her in that way.  It confirmed to me how important playtime is for cats.  They really need that extra attention!  Even though it’s just a silly little laser, it makes all the difference when she gets a chance to have some fun and get that energy out. And it makes sense. We as humans are the same way.  If I don’t exercise or I don’t get enough interaction with other humans, I get restless and anxious too!

I’m still going to keep a close eye on her though and make sure there’s not another problem.  Hopefully, a little more laser and love will do the trick!