Caturday felid trifecta: Why cats get the zoomies after pooping; a real Ceiling Cat; woman dyes cat’s fur for Pride Month; and lagniappe

We’re still on with the Caturdays, so send me any good cat-related items.

First, from the BBC’s “Science Focus”, we learn why many cats go wild after they poop in their box, running about willy-nilly with the “zoomies”.  Click on the headline below to learn why:

The (non) answer:

Ah, the zoomies. There’s nothing quite like watching your cat pinging off the walls like a pinball. One minute they’re flying across the sofa, the next, they’re launching themselves at the lampshade. They’re here, there and everywhere, all at once. Then they fall asleep.

Most cats get the zoomies, also known as ‘frenetic random activity periods’ or ‘FRAPs’, at some point. Cats are crepuscular, so the behaviour is more common at the start and end of the day, and occurs more frequently in kittens and younger cats.

It also happens after pooping (hence the terms ‘poophoria’ and ‘crapnfrap’) and various reasons have been put forward for this.

Some people think it’s a reaction to a dirty litter box. Cats are clean animals, so they want to get away from their faeces as quickly as possible.

Some think it could be a sign of a gastrointestinal infection or other digestive problems.

Another theory is that the behaviour harks back to the animal’s wild past. Faeces smells and can attract predators, so scarpering quickly after the deed is done can help to avoid unwelcome attention.

Meanwhile, gastroenterologist and author Dr Anish Sheth (who coined the term poophoria) has suggested that passing a big stool can stimulate the vagus nerve, which links the brain with key organs in the abdomen.

According to the theory, this leads to a drop in heart rate and blood pressure, which reduces blood flow to the brain and can trigger a feeling of light-headedness. This results in the moment of frantic feline folly that is the zoomies.

It’s an interesting theory, but rather than making an animal more active, vagal activity is classically thought to make animals more, rather than less, relaxed. So, for the time being, the jury is out.

The dirty litter box theory is of course testable: just compare the rate of zooming of various cats using their clean vs. dirty litter boxes (I envision a two-factor chi-square with the factors being “clean vs dirty” and “zoomies vs. no zoomies”).  The wild cat theory can be tested by looking at whether indivuidals of Felis silvestris in nature get the zoomies in the wild after pooping (I don’t believe this theory).  The “I feel good” theory is the one I find most appealing, although I attribute it to feeling light-bodied-ness rather than light-headedness. It feels good afterwards!

As always, we don’t know the answer for cats.  For humans, I have asked all my philosophical friends this answer: “Is the relief you feel after having voided your bowels when they’re very full a form of pleasure or simply the relief of pain (or both)”? Answers vary. I wonder if humans would get the post-poop zoomies if it were socially acceptable.

Here’s a video which recounts the phenomenon and accept the vagus-nerve theory.  I bet there is no solid scientific evidence supporting it!

Note that cats do NOT get the zoomies when they’re high on ‘nip.

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AND WE HAVE A CEILING CAT!

Reader Bill found a genuine Ceiling Cat outside outside Datca, Turkey. When I asked for more information, he said this:

It’s one of about a zillion well fed cats that wander the very quiet streets of Eski Datca. They climb over everything and this one was inside a cafe, presumably having climbed through a hole in the netting. She was bathing herself up there when we arrived and then went to sleep. My two-year-old is fascinated by them, so it was something of a cat tour through the old city. We left it happily snoozing up there when we departed.

Voilà!:

Note that the iconic Ceiling Cat (photo below), is orange like the one above. Ceiling Cat above must be resting on the Seventh Day of Creation.

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From the daily dot we read about a cat dyed in rainbow colors. I think this is taking Price Month too far.  Click below to read the tail:

x

An excerpt:

A black cat transformed into a rainbow for Pride Month has garnered millions of views on TikTok—and sparked a heated debate about whether the colorful makeover was safe or ethical.

In June, user @cattledoggdallas posted a clip of their freshly dyed pet, showing off streaks of pink, blue, purple, orange, and yellow.

“Haters will say it’s fake,” the creator joked in the caption, before adding: “Is it REALLY Pride Month without a rainbow? The answer is NOPE. Stay tuned for more creative grooms from me.”

As of Tuesday, the content creator’s initial video had garnered over 1.9 million views. While some commenters were amazed by the cat’s transformation, its new coat also brought questions, including from some who wondered whether the colors would last.

Here’s that video:

@cattledoggdallas

Is it REALLY pride month without a rainbow 🐈‍⬛!!! The answer is NOPE. 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈 Stay tuned for more creative grooms from me or the one and only @Bridgit’s Barking Bow-tique 🤩 • #foryoupage #viral #trending #cat #pridemonth #pride

♬ son original – ACCOUNT FOR SALE.

More:

Earlier this week, @cattledoggdallas answered that query with a follow-up clip. Two months on, the colors had faded but were still visible.

“The color held so well, and I’m still extremely happy with it,” they wrote in the caption, showing off the still-multicolored feline in a second clip.

and the followup clip:

@cattledoggdallas

Replying to @juliannasta57 A little faded? Sure! But she’s definitely still rainbow🤣 The color held so well, and I’m still extremely happy with it! • #fyp #viral #trending #cat #pride

♬ Goodies (feat. Petey Pablo) – Ciara

But you are surely wondering, “Is this bad for the cat?”  The article gives the details:

Many of the comments on both TikTok videos share concern for the cat’s well-being, with some questioning the safety of dye on pet hair.

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A veterinarian told DailyMail that dyeing a pet’s fur is a controversial move, and whether it’s okay depends on several factors.

Rover reports that natural or pet-safe dyes can sometimes be used without immediate harm, but added that any decision to dye a pet should put the animal’s well-being first and weigh the potential downsides carefully.

After all, some pets have sensitive skin and can develop irritation or allergic reactions to dyes. The process itself can also be stressful for animals that are not used to being handled for extended periods. And, unfortunately, even with pet-safe dyes, there’s a risk of accidental ingestion or skin or coat issues.

Because of these risks, many have argued that forcing an animal through this process solely for human aesthetic purposes is unnecessary, or even unethical.

That said, if you decide to move forward with dyeing your pet, TheVets recommends consulting a veterinarian or an experienced groomer first to ensure the product is safe for your pet. If you insist on doing it yourself, they advised using dyes specifically formulated for animals and testing a small patch of skin before coloring the entire coat.

There are also safer alternatives to completely dying your pet. TheVets suggested using chalk or non-toxic food coloring, which they said can create the effect without the risks. Pet owners can also try accessories like bows or bandanas, which add flair without affecting the fur.

. . .Some viewers commenting on @cattledoggdallas’s video similarly questioned whether it was ethical to dye her cat’s fur.

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“Poor kitty,” one wrote. “Cats are not toys,” another added.

“Using your cat as a toy is horrendous,” added a third.

Others defended the cat owner, noting the detailed patterns suggested the cat didn’t mind and was well taken care of.

“I can’t believe you would do this,” one woman quipped. “Now your cat is gonna think it’s a rainbow and fly into the sky.”

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Lagniappe, from Ancient Archaeology and Aliens:  I suspect the cat photo might have been inserted, but the cat door is for real. Text from the BBC  (their bolding):

 A hole in a door at a cathedral is thought to be the world’s oldest cat flap.

The door at Exeter Cathedral dates back more than 400 years, records have shown. The hole leads to a cavity behind a large clock.

The hole was cut as part of a refurbishment attempt in the 16th Century to keep rodents under control.

Diane Walker, cathedral historian and author, said the bishop cut the hole to allow his cat to “catch rats and mice”.

She said: “This door has lots of legends associated with it, but there are facts that we also know, and there is a hole at the bottom of this door.

“We have a record that says there was a payment of eight pence for the carpenters to cut a hole in this door for Bishop Cotton, and Bishop Cotton came here in 1598.”

Records found the space was excavated in 1376 in order for the clock to be installed, and that rodents were attracted to the cathedral by the animal fat used to lubricate the clock.

Other records showed that cats were on the payroll of the cathedral.

Ms Walker said: “Back in the 14th and 15th Centuries we have records in the cathedral of payments of 13 pence a quarter for the cat and occasionally 26 pence a quarter for the cat.

“We don’t know if that was double rations because they had been doing a good job or whether there were actually two cats.”