3 yr old cat behavior issues

hi... for the past few weeks my cat has had some behavior issues that worry me.
He is a regular cat had him since he was 3 mths old strictly indoor never goes out. he has had all is shots and is neutered ....besides clawing up the carpet in the stairs never had a problem until now...
He is good almost all of the time... but he has been really whiney the past few weeks.... and every second evening or so he goes in to this little hissy fit where he gets a bushy tail does some angry like growling and walks sideways with his back hunched up... he does this for a few minutes then calms down.. the goes on a all out sprint around the room and flies over chairs and tables recklessly... 5 mins later hes lying on floor ready for a petting .. strange!

last night after i went to bed... about 1 and 1/2 hrs later.... I had a rude awaking caused by my cat running up my face and then off the bed, Dont know what the heck cause this because I was sleeping ... so I sat up in a instance thinking I was having a heartattack or something... swung my legs of the edge of the bed and grabbed my face, cause he used it as a starting block to launch himself... then felt liquid dripping off my face... ran to the bathroom hit the lights blood everywhere!.... 1 inch long cut on my upper lip the needed 6 stitches to close and a few other deep scatches here and there... now the next day he seems normal as always but I have to explain to everyone what the heck happened to my face and will have a nice scar on my lip forever....

any suggestions on what would cause this rambunctious and angry like behavior??

Hi Heedro, welcome to pets.ca.

At first I was thinking maybe your cat just has a case of the "zoomies", where pets get all frisky and race around burning off excess energy, but the growling hissy fit part makes me wonder if he's possibly developed Feline Hyperesthesia. Have you noticed if his skin ripples or twitches or his tail thrashes a lot during these episodes?

Here are a couple of links explaining the syndrome:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&C=189&A=1998&S=0
http://www.cathealth.com/hyperesthesia.htm

Is he sweet as pie the rest of the time? Do you play with him?
Could he be reacting to stray cats he sees from a window?
If it continues, I would have him seen by a vet. Any radical change in behaviour could indicate physical problems, as sugarcatmom suggested.
Your poor lip :eek:

I don't think that its that disorder that was suggested it just doesn't fit... I haven't noticed any of the other symptoms mentioned ... I haven't noticed if his skin on his back does the rippley thing... will watch next time

I play with him when i get home from work..and a few times during the evening.. he is alone for 8 to 10 hours during the day... I leave a window open that he climbs up in to see outside and there are hardly any cats in the area that i have noticed... but what i did realize is the that past couple of weeks that the neighbor right next to me was away on vacation and the have 2 really annoying dogs that bark all the time.. and the past few weeks the barking has been really bad.. I talked to them about the problem 3 days ago and the bark since then has reduced drastically just a stab in the dark

As for the fact the he used my face a springboard... I was thinking could of been caused by a moth or fly .. I live in a garage suite (granny) and if I have the garage door open too long bugs get in and fly upstairs... then he chases them till he gets them or gets bored... or the grimm reaper what here to take me and he fended him lol I am just looking for a reason to make me feel better about the situation if you know what I mean

do you think that cats see spirits? I am a believer in the supernatural

Tonight he has shown no signs of aggression at all ... and my stitches are looking better... will keep you posted with any updates time to play with him now Thanks

Cats are such infuriatingly complex creatures, aren't they? I'm glad he has settled down.
May I suggest a bird feeder for that window?

I too thought zoomies at first,but I think you hit the nail on the head.
Your kitty was probably going after a bug,when they do they don't see anything else than the bug flying.
I don't think he was out to hurt you,you were just an obstacle in the way of his chase,but unfortunately he did.
A bird-feeder outside the window is a great idea,it might keep him awake through the day.
Being alone 10 hours/day he probably sleeps and night-time becomes partytime:cat:
A little kitty-friend might also be a good idea,cats are always happier not totally alone. Good Luck!

Well he is much better now... no more getting squirreley no more fits...
my solutions were
1 have a bitch session with the next door neighbor about there frickin barking dogs... I really think this was the reason that my cat was emotional disturbed

2. I upped is playtime from 10 or 15 minutes a evening to 2 - 20 minute sessions... he is way more relaxed and even temperament... and he sleep more at night and less nocturnal activities... 40 minutes ... a small price to pay for my best friend

3 no more leaving my outside door open even for a minute, for flying insects to come in lol

stitches came out today ... looks good so far... but definitely have a scar for life I'm thinking and it aint small oh well

Well he is much better now... no more getting squirreley no more fits...
my solutions were
1 have a bitch session with the next door neighbor about there frickin barking dogs... I really think this was the reason that my cat was emotional disturbed


That's great! Ya, stress can play a really big role in how a cat behaves and interacts with others. Even things we don't notice or wouldn't consider stressful can be a major incident for the delicate feline psyche.

stitches came out today ... looks good so far... but definitely have a scar for life I'm thinking and it aint small oh well

You'll just have to come up with a crazy story to go with it. Although saying "my cat ran across my face" is pretty crazy in itself :laughing:.