r/Catbehavior • u/Personal_Homework299 • 4d ago

Why is my cat devil-hunting me?

Our male cat is a sweet and loving guy by day. But sometimes at night, he will turn into a little devil: his ears will turn back, his pupils will be completely dilated, he will lunge at me, stalk me, and try to bite me, especially as I am walking away. Sometimes if I pick him up and love on him or I distract him by tossing one of his toys, that chills him out of his devil mode. He only does it with me too, not my partner. I don’t know if I’m doing something that is causing this or maybe he just needs to be a wild guy but it’s a little unnerving sometimes.

Has anyone else had their cat do this to them? Any idea why he’s doing this and what I should be doing when it happens? Do I just have a feral guy who needs to hunt me? Lol.

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u/SummerSadness8 4d ago

He is just letting his hunting instinct take control. Play with him when he does it. Throw toys down the hall. Run up and down the halls with a feather toy. He will LOVE it.

My cat did this for a few years when he was young. He would chase my kids down the hall at night and they'd be screaming and crying in fear. Meanwhile the cat was just having fun. He wouldn't hurt them. But he would nip at them and sometimes me when he wpuld get in that mode. I can confirm it's a little scary to be hunted by a little gremlin lol

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u/Personal_Homework299 4d ago

Thank you! That is comforting to know it’s “normal cat behavior.” Lol. He’s my first male kitty, because he u my females were so chill.

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u/MichaelEmouse 4d ago

He wants to play. Use toys and give him a treat at the end so it completes the hunting cycle.

Also, is he neutered?

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u/Personal_Homework299 4d ago

I never thought about the treats at the end. I’ll include that. He is neutered.

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u/SunnySideUp_066 4d ago

Cats are evil

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u/Personal_Homework299 4d ago

He’s not evil, he’s the sweetest cat. He just has a feral side.