Not entirely frivolous

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-05-2004
Not entirely frivolous
7
Wed, 05-31-2006 - 1:14pm

Hi there,
I've been living with BP 2 for about 2 years now and doing pretty well with it. I have my manic moments, spending sprees, depressions, rages, etc, but most of the time I maintain pretty well. Recently I got a cat from the local Humane Society and I swear he's bipolar! Approx once a week he goes into a total hypermanic state - much worse than what cats do on a daily basis. He gallops around the apartment at top speed, leaps over and under furniture, attacks my rugs, his toys, the window blinds, hides in corners staring out at me with eyes stretched wide open, tries to leap onto the mantelpiece, on top of the TV and even vertically up the walls, clawing and biting my feet, hands and back of my head. Honestly, it's quite something to see.

The rest of the week he's just fine. He has his little hyperactive moments just after he's eaten and then sleeps or eats the rest of the day. I've been recommended various methods to control his behaviour - one of which is almost like kitty valium. Now if I could just teach him to do laundry and use a vacuum . . .

Just wanted to share this with you guys and hope it brings a smile to people's faces. Life with a cat is part joy and part terror!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2005
Wed, 05-31-2006 - 1:18pm
that is too funny !!!
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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-03-2005
Wed, 05-31-2006 - 1:30pm
Hi and welcome to the board. Your cat sounds like my cat. I know exactly what you're talking about. It's funny.

 
 
 
 

 
 
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-05-2004
Wed, 05-31-2006 - 2:25pm
Do you do anything special to calm him down? I'm sometimes reduced to the Time-Out option where he gets shut in the bathroom for 5 minutes to think things over. I wonder if that'd work on any of us? Especially when the spending spree hits!
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-03-2005
Wed, 05-31-2006 - 2:49pm
LOL
 
 
 
 

 
 
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-05-2004
Wed, 05-31-2006 - 3:59pm
I have a bunch of "interactive" toys designed to distract him from mangling the TV wiring or literally climbing the walls. And they usually do a good job of tiring him out, but I have to admit, the jumping-on-my-head-and-trying-to-scalp-me is a tough one. Sometimes I feel like buying a toy mediaeval helmet and some chainmail to sleep in :-)!
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2004
Thu, 06-01-2006 - 11:05am

Your cat may have some Siamese in it--all my Siamese have been like that to some extent.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-05-2004
Thu, 06-01-2006 - 11:17am
I'm not sure what his breed is - I do know he's got to be mostly tortoiseshell due to his colouring and what the Humane Society told me. I've those air freshener things last night and this morning and so far it's had NO effect, but perhaps I just need to give him more time. Sometimes I feel like going hypermanic myself, his behaviour is almost a trigger by itself. Not to mention depressing as I can't control him - argh, I feel such a failure sometimes.