I'm going to do my best to describe this situation, if I had a video, I would post it, because to see it would be much better than just hearing about it.

We have a 4 year old, Dulute Calico female cat. Although she has behavied in this strange way from time to time, within the past week, it has become an every night thing that lasts for an unusually long time.

The wife and I will be sitting on the sofa, just watching something on the TV when she will come into the living room from where ever she may have been.

She jumps up, usually on the love seat where no one is sitting, and she starts watching the ceiling. It is as if she can see something, or perhaps hear something, that we can't see or hear.

She will stare at one spot for some time, now and then, she will stretch out her neck while staring at the spot on the ceiling as if she is trying to hear something that she can barely hear. She watches "it" as it seems to move around the room, mostly at the ceiling level. She will jump to the top of the back of the love seat as if trying to get as close to "it" as she can.

After several minutes, last night she did this for over 15 minutes straight, she will start talking to "it" as she stares up and watches "it" move around. I have to tell you, it is really creeping my wife out big time and while it doesn't really creep me out, it is a little un-nerving to say the least.

While she is "staring at it", if I call her, she will immediately come to me on the sofa, I'll pet her once or twice, and it is as if "it" calls her, she will suddenly run back over to the love seat and go back to watching, listening, and talking to "it".

What the hell is she up to? What could she be seeing or hearing? Does anyone else have a cat that acts this way? It really is one of those things that will make the hair stand up on the back of my neck, and not much can do that to me in my upper middle ages! :confused: :confused: :confused:

Absolutely! Mine did that as well. It's like she was mezmorized by something and we couldn't see it! However, their eyesight is so excellent, it could be something as small as a "spider mite" and we would never see it... even up close. The only thing that I noticed was that she usually focused on a bright area (ie, right above a lamp where the ceiling is brighter) but not always. So, other than that observation, we never found out what the heck she was doing (or looking at).

Could she be following the reflection of something on the ceiling? What is above this room? If it's an attic you might have unwelcome critters that she hears...

I had thought of the attic, but, I've been up there. It is full of blown in insulation, about 2 to 3 feet deep and is very well sealed. I also thought that if it were something in the attic, we would see her acting this way in some other room but it is always the living room.

It is as if she is listening. For quite a while sometimes. Then, she starts talking back to "it" and after two or three meows, she will just lay down somewhere until it starts all over again. She did this about 3 times last night, over a 3 hour period.

WEIRD?

Wow, that is creepy. The only thing I can think of is that it's a reflection or something. Are you sure the attic is sealed tight, mice can get into anything. Maybe set up some traps in the attic before you totally rule that out. Good luck with your kitty.

My thought was also mice that may have made a nest over that spot. There is a type of epilepsy that can cause behavioral abnormalities like staring at a wall or attacking a fly that is not there. I doubt this is the problem because you can call her away from it.
One of my friends has an older cat that is doing something like this which she has chalked up to old age and "kitty alzheimers". There is a type of cognitive dysfunction in old dogs that is less well-documented in cats. Have these things ruled out by your vet, but my vote is on some sort of critter.
Just a thought at the last minute--could you borrow a stethescope from someone and have a listen to the ceiling yourself?

Is the room a bit different looking than the others? If it is, maybe it's having some sort of halluciation from a stimulus in the ceiling. A bit far fetched but they've covered all my other guesses. :P

Well I don't know how to tell you this but, you definitely have a gremlin. Just trickin' I'd say there's a mouse in your attik

I can think of a couple of things:

1. Filaments in lights vibrate a bit. Light intensity will change if, for instance, you hit it with your thumb.

2. Note closely if it's the TV. It's full of changing colors, some the cat may see any you don't. Is the TV Plasma, LCD or CRT?

3. Flying insects around or in light fixtures.

Mine is a farout answer... so please don't think I am crazy... animals and children are more in tune to all the facets of life and life forces... is yours an older house? If so, check the history if it is possible... your kitten may in tune to a world we cannot see or "beings, or critters" we cannot see... wither you believe personally in a "spirt world"... good/and/or bad... it does exist... please if you have comments send them to me privately... I am polite and do so with answers I get that I do not like or believe... thanks, swirlgirl

I don't believe in ghosts.

Could be any one of a number of things, most likely is the critters in the roof though. Have you tried setting up a kitty play area in the same room to divert her attention away from it?