Dear Dr. Forsythe: One of our two cats has been doing something strange as of late, and we were hoping you could help us understand what may be going on. Our spayed female cat Jazzy puts her foot up and touches one of us, then she begins to quiver and shudder like she’s…how can we put this delicately: having a multiple. This period lasts about a minute and then she comes out of it. Jazz often has these episodes when my wife and I are in bed enjoying intimate time ourselves. Could this be what we think it is, or is it some other thing going on with her. Also, do cats have OCD? The other interesting thing she does is dig with her paws over and over for long periods of time. She will try digging in the linoleum or anyplace. We were wondering if she has OCD. We read your column every week and hope to hear your thoughts on her behavior. – C & M of Sonoma
Dear C & M: While I did have a fun little chuckle while reading your question, I highly doubt your cat is having an orgasm when she displays this odd repetitive behavior reminiscent of that now classic scene from the move “When Harry Met Sally.” Unfortunately for her, it is more likely that she has a neurological condition that causes her to shake slightly and she is in tuned with you both enough to display the episodes for you. When female cats are behaving sexually, they are loud, cantankerous, and fighting to be mated. At no point in a cat’s mating ritual does one see the eye flutter and pure joy you are describing in her. So while my first inclination was to say “I’ll have what SHE’S having,” the truth is that something non-sexual is probably going on.
I recommend you have a baseline blood panel done on her to make sure her electrolytes are normal and there are no other abnormal values. It would also be good to have an x-ray taken of her to look at her bones and joints and make sure there isn’t an obvious problem such as a slipped disc or bladder stones causing “referred” pain that you are interpreting as euphoria. Better to be safe than sorry, I’d get her checked. Some cats do have personality issues such as obsessive compulsive disorder. Cats that are digging in various places then moving to a new spot may have some stress or anxiety as the cause. If all Jazzy’s tests come back normal, I’d chalk her issues up to a combination of neurological disease and stress/anxiety. And perhaps the best thing would be to keep her out of your bedroom when you’re having romantic time together. Who wants to give their precocious pets any ideas? – Dr. F
Dear Dr. Forsythe: Our five-year-old Labrador is sniffing around the inside of our house like there is an animal she needs to find. This is new since my husband and I had our baby, Riley three months ago. But she doesn’t sniff around the baby, she walks around all the rooms in the house like a dog picking up a scent. Have you ever heard of this before?
– Curious mom
Dear Curious mom: First of all, congratulations on the blessed event and new family member. As far as your question, yes, I hear stories every week about interesting and new behaviors that dogs exhibit when a new baby joins the family. Especially with labs and golden retreivers, they become extremely doting and wanting to get right into the baby’s cradle as if they want to sleep there. Other pets suffer from little attention with all the chaos and excitement of a new baby and retreat, becoming disconnected and malcontent. It sounds like your pet is sniffing and tracking some new scents which are common in homes with a new baby. New parents usually keep conditions very fastidious and sometimes aren’t even aware of the fresh clean scent around the house. I’m sure your sweet lab is “hot on the track” of the new scent, probably trying to protect the environment and the precious new jewel of the family. If the behavior doesn’t escalate into something more bizarre, I suspect she will adjust to the new baby quite soon. If, however, you see new or strange behaviors or such obsessive scenting that the house is being disrupted, get her into your veterinarian for a check up. And good luck getting enough sleep during this special and magical time.
– Dr. F
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