Why does static electricity zap me and my cats?
Why do we get shocks when we pet our cats?
Why do our cats jump out of no where from that unsuspecting jolt of electricity?
Why does my cat’s tail bristle when I gently pet him?
These questions haunt all of us as we get shocked when we pet our favorite felines.
Can we stop this annoyance, which can even be a bit painful? It seems this year with our snowy winter, it’s worse than ever.
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Not only do I, the human, feel the static when I take my clothes out of the dryer, I hear it when I take off my sweater.
I hear the crinkle when I pet my cats, and I can almost see it when I stroke my Little Yellow’s bushy coon-like tail.
I even felt it tonight when I picked up my scaredy cat, Clyde, to carry him downstairs for some extra TLC.
It’s a pretty prevalent issue, and neither humans nor kitties like it much. In some cases, the static is so strong it glows in the dark.
Paws revisits Static Electricity
Paws had lots of response,to our blog post, Static Electricity in cat’s fur easily charged., so much so that we wanted to revisit the issue.
For more on static electricity, check out the following links:
Some comments felt more like cries of desperation. One person wrote, ‘All winter long we get zapped. Neither kitties nor humans like it much.’
Annette says, ‘My long hair cat seems to be getting zapped by my the carpet. We are renting a new place, and all of a sudden he just takes off.’
Static Electricity zaps me and my cats
Sarabell says, ‘I had a beautiful short-haired cat that was all white. As long as I didn’t start petting her on an exposed part of skin (nose, ears) she didn’t mind the static electricity.
At night, when she curled up to sleep next to me, there would be a soft glow where my hand stroked her. It was enchanting really. It made her look unearthly as she laid there, purring steadily with a small wave of light moving over her.’
Kitty Cat Chronicles writes, ‘One of my cats is very prone to static electricity. I’ve always wondered why she gets more stat icy than my other cats, but I guess it’s because she has drier fur. Anyway, at night when we’re in bed, I can sometimes pet her and see the sparks of static electricity as my hand runs down her back. It looks cool, but I know it must be uncomfortable for her.’
And if we think static electricity is limited to more northern climates in the dead of winter, read this comment from LoveMyBaby.
‘I have a female short-haired kitten that just turned 1-year-old. I have never had a problem with her mother, a long-haired calico who recently turned 14 and had an only child litter with the neighbor year old tomcat. I only seem to get static with the baby. The funny thing is, I live in Florida and have just a throw rugs. Even my furniture has no textiles (sadly) …We just play. Could there be another explanation? Maybe excitement?’
What causes static electricity?
Energy fuels everything, including our human and feline cells. Everything contains tiny electrically charged particles: negatively charged electrons and positively charged protons. These particles, invisible to the eyes, are usually confined within objects. However, some electrons can move around more easily, and they go out on their own.
Remember learning that negative and positive charges (electrons and protons) attract each other, especially if they’re close together. On the other hand, negative charges, electrons, that are standing alone repel each other. So objects normally have the same numbers of electrons and protons, being what’s called electrically neutral or uncharged.
How do we stop getting zapped by our cats?
The best answer is to put moisture into the air.
Keep the humidifier going all day.
Keep a Tea Pot on top of your wood stove.
What does the extra moisture do? It keeps those stay neutrons from wandering, and then we don’t get zapped when they are trying to find a new home!
Are your cats full of static electricity this winter? Does it seem like it’s worse than usual? Have you ever heard your cat’s tail bristle full of electricity or seen him glow in the dark? Is your kitties’ fur stick out like toothpicks? How do you cope? What do you do? And do you have a funny static electric feline story to share? Please share your stories!
This is interesting. Especially the one comment about the cat with drier fur. Bear and I rarely have this problem with static and I don’t even use dryer sheets in the laundry. I’m wondering if brushing a cat daily to stimulate oil production would help in a case with a cat with drier fur. I brush Bear every other day … it’s interesting to think that might make a difference beyond hair balls (reducing static electricity by stimulating oil production).
What a great idea. I’m going to try it because we are very static here this winter. Cats and me.
Great post, this explains why I haven’t been zapped since running the humidifier.
There’s no doubt, a humidifier helps a lot.