Cats playing with...nothing?

[IvyWitch]

I don't know if this is just weird cat behavior, or if its something more. Every so often, maybe an average of once a week both of my cats go crazy and start playing with what looks to me like nothing. At first I thought they might be trying to catch a bug. But, I have white walls, and when they were hopping up trying to grab something against the wall and I didn't see anything. I'm not the type to go for paranormal explanations first, but whenever I see this happening it looks like they're playing with something, but nothing is there. Is it possible they're having some fun with a playful spirit of somesort?

[Dio]

My cat's do this too. They act as if some imp just jumped on their back, grabbed their ears, and kicked their heels into their haunches. It is quite comical. I think the wierdest example was when both of my cats were looking at the same 'invisible' being. They both looked up, then over, then up again. I did not see what they were looking at, but whatever it was, they both saw it.

I fully believe that animals can percieve things that we cannot.

[Penthesilea]

My three do the same thing. I think that, since my house is home base for a number of deceased cats, they are playing with spirit cats that I can't see. There may be other things (ghost mice?) that they are playing with too but I can't know for sure.

[Phi]

Not to say that those other suggestions are not possible, but
my cats I used to have, and my dog I have now
went/go nuts over any reflections of light that might catch their attention.
Sometimes when I am using a shiny knife or pan in the kitchen and it catches the light and creates a reflection that my dog can chase he plays like crazy with that.:hehehe: My cats used to have a great playtime when the sun shone through a hanging crystal in the window...
Is this a possibility?

[IvyWitch]

It may be something with the reflection from passing cars, but a lot of the time when it happens I am not doing anything, and they "attack" places that you wouldn't get light reflection.

[Élistariel]

It could just be a speck of dust.
I had a cat that would chase the light from a flashlight.
*makes a point to try that with her dog*

[Psypress]

I know exactly what you're talking about! And it's not a light reflection - at least not the times that I am thinking of. I just call them "invisibles" because I have no idea what they are, but I know there is something there and it's taunting my cat.

One of my cats, Hazel, chases the invisibles. While, the other, Lily, does not. I've seen Lily watch the invisibles but she doesn't go all out and chase them, like Hazel does. I even took video footage of Hazel doing this once. It was the strangest thing! She was on my bed pouncing all about, but there was nothing there. It was in the evening and the blinds were completely closed. Nothing but still room lighting. It was certainly not a light flicker (at least, none that I could see).

But I have since gone out and got one of those laser pointers that the cats just LOVE to chase. Such little darlings.

[RubyRose]

Yeah my cat does the same thing. Seems to be chasing nothing. Sometimes I wonder if she can see faeries or some other supernatural being.

[Rosi]

have any of you seen a child or baby do it? Similar thing but with wee ones. my grandson was said to have "followed something/one with his eyes(like someone walked into the room in front of him and he started to play peek-a-boo with it. he's 21/2. when he was about 10 months I was changing him on his changing table and he was staring at a blank wall opposite me and started laughing his little butt off at "something" pretty weird.

[Darkdale]

Yep - all cats do this. I've always figured it was dust and, or shadows.

[IvyWitch]

Yep - all cats do this. I've always figured it was dust and, or shadows.
Ok, so they're not nuts. I;ve never had cats before so this is all new to me.

[Psypress]

Ok, so they're not nuts. I;ve never had cats before so this is all new to me.

Never had cats before?! Well, how fun for you! They're the best. _catroll_
My husband and I are both allergic, and yet we have two with us in our small apartment. Love makes you do crazy things. :hearthear .... In fact, my eye is swelling right now because I accidentally touched it after petting one of my kitties. Oops! :bug:

[Xenojjin]

Ghosts . I actually end up using my cat as a second opinion whenever I sense a ghost . When I do I put my cat down near it . If he follows it around and looks at it then I know its there .

BL : Cats are psions .

[lia_amberwolf]

faries... TRUST me... i have a faerie tree in my room where they like to hang out and my cat chases them all over the house. i also have a gnome running around that likes to chase Hecate. sometimes i can see the faeries out of the corner of my eye, and then, lo and behold, here comes hecate, bolting after it... so there is your explination... at least that's what ive observed from my kitty...

[~Elise~]

Fairies...they are probably chasing fairies. Happens at my place all the time. When the fairies moved in years ago, my cats at the time had never done the behaviour described until that point. Now, it's normal.

It is funny to watch when I have a new cat enter the household. happens all over again until they decide amongst themselves who is the dominant creature. (cat usually loses)

Elise

[Mindflayer]

Could just be a loose hair... large enough to see and chase around... thin enough where you wouldn't see it from any decent distance.

[wooleybob]

Ghosts . I actually end up using my cat as a second opinion whenever I sense a ghost . When I do I put my cat down near it . If he follows it around and looks at it then I know its there .

BL : Cats are psions .
My cats get used like that too..I guess they are ghost hunters,they walk around the house night and day looking up at the walls and cieling and follow things that are not there..But after I see them doing this I know I have unwanted guests,then I get rid of them,and the cats go back to being lazy..lol