Why is my cat suddenly jumpy and pawing at things? Is it her eyes?

Something may have scared him recently which is making him overreact to simple things like petting. Some cats are more easily 'spooked' than others but it is typically not a problem. Sometimes animals that have lost vision or hearing are more easily startled, but you would probably notice other symptoms like head shaking or ear scratching with hearing loss, or bumping into walls or very large pupils with vision loss.

Looking for a pattern such as a noise that startles him, certain time of day it happens, or if you were doing an activity with him prior may help you figure out the cause behind his behavior. It is possible that he may have had a strange dream, or something is waking him quickly and startling him. Sudden behavioral changes can also indicate issues such as pain or underlying illness, so if the behavior continues or the cause isn't found, scheduling a vet checkup to look for any health issues is a good idea.

As with any sudden behavioral change, an exam to rule out any health issues is always the best first option. If the weather is changing rapidly and you are seeing her seek out warmer spots such as blankets, by heater vents, etc that could also be related to the behavior. Adding a warm blanket out of the dryer to her bed, or providing a place for her to sleep near a heater may help. However, if you are concerned enough about the change, a vet exam for a bit of peace of mind is always good.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to an eye injury or conditions such as a corneal laceration, corneal ulcer, conjunctivitis, dry eye (also known as KCS), among many other conditions. I highly recommend that you have Puma evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further therapy would be based on the findings. He may be pawing at the eye due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively! Good luck and best wishes!

It sounds like something is making J-Cat nervous. I think I’m understanding that she has housemates but typically she gets along with them. It could be something outside that she heard or something she saw inside that is making her anxious. Even though she doesn’t seem obviously painful if this behavior continues I’d recommend seeing your veterinarian to rule out pain as a cause.

Yes, all these signs are not normal at all. These are general signs of disease, unfortunately almost any disease can manifest itself with those symptoms and for this reason I won't be able to give you an idea of what could be causing this. I would recommend taking your cat to the vet ASAP for a physical examination, if nothing obvious is found she will probably need a blood test or an ultrasound and the vet will then treat him according to the results.

Poor Poppy! I would make sure she doesn't have any fleas. Fleas can sometimes cause cats to have bizarre behavior. I would also be concerned about miniature seizures or back/neck pain. Since this is happening frequently I would have your vet take a look at her. Your vet will be able to do a thorough exam to help determine the cause. They may want to start her on a little anti-anxiety medicine to see if this helps decrease the episodes. You could try Benadryl twice a day to see if this makes a difference. I hope this helps. See link below. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl/#!