Cats and Sensory Overload
At three in the morning, I woke to what may have been the sound of coyotes. Sweet Zombie was in his favorite place, curled up in a tight gray ball right next to me.
I couldn’t help myself. Even though I knew what the consequences would be, I reached out and stroked his fur.
He stirred. For a short while, I was able to pet him. Then he bit my finger.
After that, I had to turn over and bury my hands beneath the blanket. He wanted to chew on my fingers. These weren’t gentle nips. He wanted to do some serious chewing.
He was purring the whole time. He always purrs the whole time.
My best guess is that he gets over stimulated when I pet him, especially in the middle of the night. Some cats get over stimulated easily, and it can result in aggressive behavior.
Sweet Zombie had seizures when he was younger. I believe his brain may have been damaged. This may make him more susceptible to over-stimulation.
The fact is, this is my behavior problem, not his. He is not being bad or mean. I know good and well not to pet him in the middle of the night, no matter how soft and sweet he is. Last night, I reminded myself that this was all me as he bit down on my finger. I pulled my hands away, rolled over, and resisted the urge to put my face in his soft fur.
He’s so warm and fuzzy last night. It takes all of my willpower not to cuddle him. Poor fella. He’s just trying to get some sleep.
