Why is my cat suddenly acting scared, jumping, and hallucinating?

Poor girl! There could be something that has spooked her. Or she could be not feeling well. Or there could even be an internal conflict with another cat in the household. The first thing I would do is make sure she is healthy. I would see if your vet can look at her and make sure she isn’t painful, no infection, no fever, no urinary tract infection, etc. if she isn’t feeling well, this definitely can cause a change in behavior. If everything is normal then I would make sure she is getting along with everyone in the house. Make sure there are plenty of litter boxes as this is something they commonly will become territorial over. You can even put out some feliway diffusers which are pheromones they help calm down cats. Unfortunately these don’t work on everyone. You make also look into vetriscience composure treats as a natural calming supplement. I hope this helps!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend that you try a product called Feliway which can help cats deal with any stress inducing situations like the one you describe. You can buy this as a spray for example at your local pet store or online. If she does not improve, the other thing that should be considered is if there is a medical reason for all of this which is certainly possible. If her behavior does not improve, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. She is adorable! Good luck!

I would be concerned that Elvis could be painful somewhere or not feeling well. Sometimes they will have a change in behavior if they are painful, have a high thyroid, or even if they have a GI tract or urinary tract infection. I would have your vet do a thorough exam on him to rule these things out. Your vet will be able to determine whether he is painful, perfect a urinalysis, fecal or blood work if needed. If your vet thinks he is normal then I would be concerned about anxiety. You can try feliway diffusers which are cat pheromones that sometimes help to calm them. It doesn't work on everyone. Cats usually become anxious of anything that has changed in their environment like new people, new pets, normal people gone too much, construction in or out of the home, new feral cats outdoors, etc. I hope this helps!

Any abrupt change in behavior or attitude should be investigated by your vet. Cats are notoriously good at hiding symptoms of illness so this could be an early warning. Your vet will perform an exam, possibly do some labwork, based on the findings of the exam.

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.

If Mici was a feral or stray cat prior to you taking her in, it may be that she is not comfortable in the home still. If the behavior change was more recent, illness and pain can sometimes cause strange behaviors to appear. If you haven't taken her to the vet recently, an exam is a good first step to make sure there is not an illness or other issue causing her problems. If she checks out healthy, then looking for causes of stress may help. New people, places, pets, etc can all cause stress and may cause your cat to change her behavior. Pheromone diffusers can help reduce stress, while making sure Mici has her own access to food, water, litter and places to hide/rest can also help. If the strange behavior continues even after trying this, then speaking with a veterinary behaviorist or trainer in your area may help.