Why is Kitty attacking my shoelaces?

@TheHorse (227087)
Walnut Creek, California
May 30, 2025 10:22am CST
My sneakers are on the floor to my left. Kitty was attacking imaginary mice, and then turned to my sneakers. Each time she would grab one, it would move, and she would attack again to corral it. At a certain point, she was upside down, toying with her victim. Kitty usually gets the zoomies at 4 AM, waking me up with her antics. I quickly fall back asleep. Why she decided to get them at 7 AM is beyond me. Do all cats get the zoomies? Do most cats have a particular time for this affliction? I am not a cat person.
12 people like this
10 responses
Four Walls
@FourWalls (75130)
• United States
30 May
Why is Kitty attacking your shoelaces? Because she CAN.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (227087)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 May
Her other Great Pet Trick is walking really slowly directly in front of me. Is she part Border Collie?
2 people like this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (75130)
• United States
30 May
@TheHorse -- no, she's 100% controlling. Pet lordship 101: always walk slowly in front of the human to show the human who's boss.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (227087)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 May
@FourWalls Dang. And I thought I was controlling her by giving slightly lower quality tuna and wet food on some days.
2 people like this
Jimlos Tatooth
@Ineeddentures (2355)
•
30 May
Oh yes she sounds like a normal enough Kitty to me. She obviously likes you. I think you might become a cat person
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (227087)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 May
I think I am allergic to cats.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (227087)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 May
@Ineeddentures Only when I am in bed and she jumps and demands to be petted.
1 person likes this
Jimlos Tatooth
@Ineeddentures (2355)
•
30 May
@TheHorse Maybe. But the cat.wont worry about that. Does it bump heads with you?
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (475251)
• Italy
31 May
Yes, all cats get the zoomies and all cats love to play with strings.
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (475251)
• Italy
31 May
@TheHorse - I am not sure, my cat Gevi did not like boxes. One of the cat of my neighbors loved shoes, she always tried to get inside my husband's shoes.
The Horse
@TheHorse (227087)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 May
Do all cats like to "box" too?
1 person likes this
RasmaSandra
@RasmaSandra (85459)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 May
Cats enjoy doing things like that,. Perhaps she imagines them to be worms, My last cat would sit on the top of the couch and sing sort of like Pavarotti at 3 AM. I guess that is why now with no pets it seems so quiet here to me,
1 person likes this
RasmaSandra
@RasmaSandra (85459)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
31 May
@TheHorse I am considering what to do. It is a matter of how lonely I feel and a matter of how much money I am saving not having any pets SIGH
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (227087)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 May
@RasmaSandra Heh. I spend pretty much on Kitty, But she pays me back with lizards, birds and mice.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (227087)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 May
Are you OK with no singing deep at night?
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (354737)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 May
The two cats here get the zoomies once we go to bed although now they're are a little more comfortable with us (after 4 weeks!) they running up and down the house now at 10am. They have to go past where we're sitting to get from one end of the house to the other so they mostly wait till we're not around.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (227087)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 May
I reckon the Zoomies are a bit different for each set of cats.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (354737)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 May
@TheHorse Yes, probably - and also depending on whether there is only one cat or several.
TaxiLady
@Ghostlady (1745)
• United States
30 May
When Sam and Spooky became tame and moved into the house. They zoomed together a LOT, and Spooky was usually the instigator. After Sam had his hip worked on and I gave Spooky up, He calmed down some. Seemed like he didn't do Anything for more than 2 min. except Sleep. He would do a zoomie in the middle of the day sometimes. I would try playing with him, and after a couple of tosses of his tow, he would just go to it, sit, and wait for me to come and get it. Most of the cats I owned were really layed back...Lazy Kitties.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (227087)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 May
I always tell Kitty, "Changing sleeping positions must be exhausting." She flicks her tail.
TaxiLady
@Ghostlady (1745)
• United States
31 May
Ptrikha_2
@ptrikha_2 (47938)
• India
31 May
So it looks like your Sneakers have got the full attention of Kitty as a Play thing. May be you need to have two pairs - one for yourself, one for Kitty's Play. I hope that you are having a good Saturday!
Eva James
@wolfgirl569 (116830)
• Marion, Ohio
31 May
Four Walls answered why? . And yes they get the zoomies often. My 9 year old ( I think, she might only be 8) still gets them.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (227087)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 May
I have no idea how old Kitty is.
1 person likes this
LindaOH
@LindaOHio (189928)
• United States
31 May
I was going to say the same thing as Four Walls....She attacks your shoelaces because she can. Dogs and cats both get the zoomies. I used to love to watch our dogs run back and forth.
Honey143
@sw8sincere (5559)
• Philippines
30 May
Yes, most cats get the zoomie usually at dawn or dusk
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (227087)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 May
Kitty usually waits until I am asleep so she can wake me up.