Has this happened to you?
You are playing with your cat and then suddenly he or she does a bunch of hops sideways, while running, and arching their back, all at the same time!
This may have left you wondering, “Why do cats run sideways when playing?”
And why wouldn’t you wonder that? This is not something dogs do, humans do, or your pet hamster does.
So why do cats run sideways when playing?
It turns out that are a number of reasons why.
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The sideways run is a hop, skip, and zip sideways that often includes an arched back and sharp movements across the room. Sometimes, cat owners will affectionately refer to this behaviour as ‘crab-walking.’ Cats will run sideways most commonly when they are playing, seeing themselves in a mirror, afraid, angry, or have the ‘zoomies.’ Decoding whether or not your cat is distressed or playful depends on careful observation of the context and your cat’s behaviours.
The ‘sideways run’ is known as many things. Often, it is called the crab walk, because of the way it resembles a crab running sideways across the sand. If you have seen hermit crabs do this on the beach, then you know what I mean.
This sideways run can include a sideways jump, skip, hop, and an arched back, as well as perked-up ears.
My cat sideways runs with a little jump, arched back, and perked up ears commonly when he is playing. For example, if we are passing a ball around, he might swat at it, pretend to attack, and then do a sideways skip hop and run.
There are many unique variations of the sideways run, and, of course, your cat will have their own creative variety that is just so them.
If you have not yet been blessed with seeing a cat do a sideways run, here are some youtube videos to show you what this looks like.
As well, the sideways run is common for cats of all ages, including kittens and senior cats!
—>Want to know why your cat’s tail puffs up during playtime? See this article here! <—
—>Curious to know why your cat zooms around the house spontaneously? See the article here. <—
Cats engage in this sideways hopping and running behaviour when they are playing.
Typically, a cat will have something they are focused on and hopping around or from during play.
Or, they will start this behaviour when you or other animals are around to lure them into play. In other words,this can be how your cat asks you to play with them or other animals in the house.
For example, you are play fighting with your cat, your cat may sideways run and hop around you, showing they are engaged in the play time.
The crab walk lets you know, and maybe other animals too, that your cat is ready to play and have fun.
I know that my cat loves to pretend that a toy bird or mouse is his prey. When this happens, the sideways run often comes out.
This kind of play behaviour typically involves my cat swatting at his toy repeatedly while hopping back to the side. He likes to mix his attack mode behaviour and his sideways jumping.
But cat’s can engage this way with anything that grabs their attention. You know those strange things I’m talking about. A fleeting shadow across the floor from your hand, a dust bunny rolling away in a corner, or a piece of food you accidentally dropped.
Remember that sometimes your cat is simply feeling playful. Just like humans, cats have playful moods. Just like you might push your friend out of playfulness, your cat may do a playful sideways hop around you.
Your cat may be experiencing emotions of excitement or just be full of beans
Cats will sometimes do the sideways dance when they come across a mirror and see their own reflection.
This is a similar concept to being scared and defensive. They literally are seeing their reflection as another stranger cat invading their territory.
It’s safe to say that some cats will get used to their reflection. They may not understand that the cat in the mirror is a threat, but they may become desensitized to the threat of the other furry critter staring back at them.
Frequently, after time, they realize that the creature in the mirror isn’t going to jump out at them. It’s staying put.
Oddly, my cat will not react to his own reflection, unless it is a mirky, shady one he can’t quite make out. In that case, he will do the scaredy cat sideways hop and/or become defensive.
Do weird cat behaviours interest you? Check out these fascinating articles on why your cat does what they do!
————> why is my cat afraid of the ceiling fan?
—————> why is my cat’s tail curling?
It’s important to note that your cat is not always playfully doing the side hop.
Context is everything, and caretakers need to first rule out the possibility that their cat is distressed in some way.
Flight Mode
If your cat is avoiding something, sensing something unpleasant, or fleeing an attack, the sideways hop appears.
Most often, it includes the arched ‘Halloween Cat,’ open mouth, perked-up ears, a scary cat face, and sometimes hissing.
You may wonder why your cat looks scary and mean when they are really afraid.
The basic concept here is for your cat to look bigger than they are, and hence the arched back, and scarier than they are, to win the fight with whatever is attacking.
Fight Mode
Your cat will engage the sideways hop if he or she is in fight mode.
Of course, your cat is usually in a combination of flight and fight mode when they do the sideways hop in the face of a threat- like a dog barking or simply being picked up by you when they are not in the mood for it.
Arching their back, and quickly zipping sideways is a sharp movement and a scary one that warns their attacker… or that almond on the floor that you dropped… that they will defend themselves if needed!
So, watch out!
Cats are complicated. Be forewarned that if your cat is playing with you and they do the sideways hop, they could also be mad at you.
They may have not liked the way you pet them just then, rubbed their tummy, or tossed that ball at them.
It could have been too much.
They may feel that the playtime suddenly to a scary turn, and you could be in danger of a big scratch or swat.
This happens with my cat all the time. He’s a huge male cat and loves to play, but if he feels like you’re suddenly dominating and attacking- slice! Out come the claws.
Thankfully, he is usually cognizant enough not to cut me too deeply. But the warning is clear.
Sometimes this anger or irritation will include a sideways hop and zoom around the room.
Zoomies come out when your cat has a sudden burst of energy.
They could have had a nap, had a nice meal, or want to go outside.
They will scamper and zip around, hopping sideways and arching their back too, all at once, very fast, and all over the place.
Usually, a lot of distance is covered by your cat when they have the zoomies.
Before my cat was used to a human routine, he would get the zoomies and sideways hops when he had eaten and the sun had gone down.
He was wanting to go outside, hunt, and face the world. This was in keeping with his nocturnal nature since he lived in the wild before he came to live with us.
Now, he has a human routine and doesn’t ‘wake up’ at night. The zoomies and sideways hops come out when he is playing or on the defensive.
The sideways run is an adorable part of who your cat is.
Although it is very common for cats to display this behaviour during times of fun, it’s important to recognize when your cat is doing this from a place of fear and distress so you can intervene, if needed.
(If for no other reason than to guard your skin against cuts and nips during playtime with your cat!)
Careful observation of your cat and the context usually gives a pretty clear signal as to whether or not your cat is enticing you to play, or on guard against a stray cat that just wandered into your yard.
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