The website “The Dodo” states in an article that the domestic cat goes bonkers after defecating. I have never seen it. In fact I don’t remember seeing any article about it until reading the Dodo article. Apparently, the behaviour is called the “zooms” or post-poop freak-outs.
How common is it and what might be causing it? I’d say that it is very uncommon and certainly less common than the Dodo article implies. Perhaps occasionally some cats might have a habit of running out of the cat litter after a poop. I don’t believe that there is an authoritative answer to the reason behind this behaviour but the best answer is that the cat feels better after a poop and is energised 😉 .
On occasion the reason for this behavior may be linked to specific events occurring at the time and place where the cat pooped as opposed to it being a “domestic cat behaviour trait”.
So, for example, a young cat might be playing with another cat. He fancies a poop and does it. While he is in the playing mood he races out of the litter tray and perhaps back to his buddy to continue playing.
Sometimes, in multicat households, the litter tray is an area of competition. There may be too few trays so cats have to compete for them. A cat who is bullied by another may feel the need to clear off quickly after pooping.
Or the household may be intimidatory for the cat and he hides a lot so when he poops he moves away from the area quickly afterward.
This form of feline behavior may simply be a version of the “cat crazies“. Occasionally cats become very active perhaps out of boredom and pooping gives the cat a prompt to go crazy for a while because he feels more comfortable.
The Dodo author speculates that the cause is the need for the defecating cat to run away from the his poop as an act of survival to avoid a predator associating the poop to the cat. I am sure that this is incorrect. Wild cats poop as a marking behaviour to tell others the boundaries of their territory; for the same reason they scratch the ground or trees and urinate (spray). Marking territory in this way does not square up with the Dodo theory, which I declare dead (get the pun 🙂 ?)
Other theories put forward by the same author are:
- The behaviour is a sign of discomfort while pooping. I don’t believe that that stacks up with running frenetically after pooping.
- Cats gain some energy after pooping. This does not sound correct either.
- Cats can’t stand the smell of their own poop! Nope, that’s wrong too.
- Another theory is that after a poop cats feel better which stimulates greater activity (as mentioned above). Dr. Sheth calls it “poo-phoria”. I like that terminology. As for the theory it is the best of the lot. It certainly sounds plausible from a common sense standpoint, if this behavior is a domestic cat trait as opposed to a reaction to specific circumstances.
Have you seen this behaviour in your cat and if so do you have your own theory as to the reasons behind it?
Oh, and I’ve noticed that the more shy, vigilant or jumpy a cat is, the more tendency they have to bolt after pooping.
I’ve had 18 lifelong cats in the past 20 years. I’ve seen this noticeably in more than a few, and when I spy on them, they all tend to have a degree of “Poo-phoria”; they feel better afterward (like Sarah said, don’t we all?). Some show it more than others, but just because we can’t relate to the urge to go nuts and run around, doesn’t mean it’s abnormal cat behavior. Like I said, it’s a matter of degree. With some it could just be an extra bounce in their step. But I think there may be an inherited trait tied to it. Cats are careful to go when and where they won’t be disturbed (or caught off-guard). When they’re busy going, they’re vulnerable, and sometimes it takes a minute. So I sense that yes, they do have in their synapses somewhere a program that says “Run, you’ve been unable to long enough and it just may save your life.”. Remember, cats are prey animals too.
I’ve seen Mitzy jump out quickly, rather than slowly. This seems to be her routine:
a slow approach, and a quick exit. The only time I’ve seen her run is when she has a piece that’s still stuck on, so it’s a way to get it off. If I see this, I usually help out with a tissue, so it doesn’t end up on the floor.
Sometimes you see a cat practically bounces out of the litter tray, but calling it “crazies” is an exaggeration! The crazies are probably coincidental – letting off steam during a time when cats are normally active (known as “chasing greeblings”.
Thanks Sarah, we agree that sh*t*ing is pleasurable (to a certain extent!) but as you say, does it lead to the cat crazies? Is it that good a feeling? I have never seen it.
Can I inject some biological sense into this? Some very basic physiological functions – eating, sex and defecating – have evolved to have a pleasurable payoff to ensure the organism eats, defecates and reproduces. To that end, there are lots of nerve endings in the body parts involved. When the rectum is emptied, a lot of nerve-endings are stimulated and there is a pleasure response (or, for those of a more delicate disposition, a feeling of well-being). Believe it or not, in medical literature, a good bowel movement should produce a feeling of “satisfaction.” I don’t know of any cats that have the crazies after pooping, but many seem to show an air of “that felt good” after a dump.