Why is my cat suddenly jumpy, swatting, and startled when petted?

Question

My cat has been really jumpy lately or he will smack things with his paw (like what is this kinda thing) or if I pet him sometimes he will jump what is going on :(. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 3 years and 5 months old | 15 lbs

Sara Farmer, DVM · Accepted Answer

Something may have scared him recently which is making him overreact to simple things like petting. Some cats are more easily 'spooked' than others but it is typically not a problem. Sometimes animals that have lost vision or hearing are more easily startled, but you would probably notice other symptoms like head shaking or ear scratching with hearing loss, or bumping into walls or very large pupils with vision loss.

Why is my cat suddenly jumpy, swatting, and startled when petted?

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