It’s been a very weird winter here in Southeast Michigan. The humans here have hardly complained about the weather at all. Not much snow and warmer than usual temperatures for the most part. It doesn’t really matter all that much to us cats, although no melted snow on the carpeting has been nice.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been warm enough for the humans to hang out outside, so we’ve been cooped up with the toddlers for weeks. I think they might be getting on everyone’s nerves. Mom’s been talking about something called Spring Fever. We thought she was just making up a name for being grumpy, so we looked it up on Mr Google.

Turns out it’s really a thing that some humans get. The symptoms are:

• Feeling energetic – That would be a good thing. More playtime for us and earlier breakfast on the weekends
• Sleeping less – More time for cuddles.
• Eating lighter – Hmm. We hope that doesn’t mean less meat. Most of the rest of what she eats is disgusting.
• Smiling and happy feelings – That would be a nice change. She’s been kinda grumpy lately.
• Desire to get in shape – Don’t really see that happening.
• Feeling of romance – Better not happen. There’s already too many humans around here.
• Taking up new hobbies – Maybe she could learn how to make homemade cat food. That would be cool
• Scatterbrained and unfocused – Not sure we’d be able to tell.
• Urge to spring clean – Doesn’t really sound like her.
• Sense of Claustrophobia – Why would she want to leave the house? We’re in it.

Okay. It might not be a bad thing if Mom got Spring Fever. Then we began to wonder if we could get Spring Fever too. Of course, since humans are so fascinated with us kitties, some have studied this. And we can get Spring Fever!

It’s a little different in cats than in humans. Here are our top common behaviors when the weather gets warmer:

Increased Activity – Generally speaking, we become more active and energetic in the spring. We are more prone to zoomies. And we like to spend more time playing and exploring. Part of that may be because there is more sunlight. And warmer temperatures mean we don’t have to spend energy keeping warm.

Interest in the Outdoors – Even us indoor cats enjoy the outdoors more in the spring. There’s more stuff to look at out the windows. And spring is the beginning of catio season. Some of us kitties even like to go out on leashes or harnesses. (In our neighborhood, it’s not safe to be outside alone. The road is busy and we have coyotes and raptors.)

Increased Grooming – Most of us do more grooming in the spring. We have to clean up the loose furs from losing our winter coats. And we want our warm-weather fur to look spiffy.

Vocalization – Some kitties like to talk more in the warmer weather. We’re just so excited to see the world coming back to life outside.

Playfulness – We generally feel more energetic in the sun than in the cold gloom of winter. Pouncing is a lot more popular this time of year. We also sometimes want more attention from our humans. Mom says she’s not sure she has more attention to give. We’ll have to test her.

Territorial Behavior – New season, time to re-establish boundaries. We may increase our scratching and rubbing against objects. Some of our less well-mannered brethren may even spray to mark their territory. We would like to remind them that it is really only acceptable as an outside activity. We prefer the tactic of taking a spot and refusing to move.

Changes in Eating Habits – All that increased activity can lead to an increased appetite. And the sight of prey outside can make us hungry too (even if we can’t get out to eat it).

We admit that we have never paid enough attention to tell whether we get Spring Fever? Have any of you experienced it?