Guide
Why your cat gets the zoomies
by Darina Schweizer
5 quirky similarities between Büsis and Nymphies
10/4/2025
Translation: machine translated
Co-author: Darina Schweizer
Cats eat birds. That's all there is to it, right? Think again. The two animal species are sometimes more similar than you might think. A short excursion into the world of the quirky behaviour of furry and feathered creatures.
«So, how are your büsis?» «Good. But yesterday Jasper and Joy were crazy again. They were doing this and that, making a mess the whole time. Totally crazy and somehow also really cute. And the nymphies like this?» «My little birds do exactly the same thing! It's funny ...» - That's how the conversations between my colleague Darina and me have been going for weeks. Darina is a cat mum and I have three cockatiels.
Admittedly, at first we also thought the two species had nothing in common. After all, cats and parakeets are predators in the wild. But we were soon proved wrong - and that's how the idea for this article came about. Welcome to what are probably the quirkiest similarities between parakeets and nymphies.
Let's start with the weirdest: Zoomies. Or as Darina and I call them: the «Do you still have them all?» moments.
1. they have zoomies
It happens to the cats once or twice a day. As if out of nowhere, Joy's pupils dilate, her gaze darts around frantically and then lingers on her target: Jasper. He knows exactly what's coming. He drums his tail provocatively on the floor, faster and faster. She dashes off, he dashes off, they bang into chair legs and doors, turn round, roll over. Then the huntress becomes the hunted. With his skunk tail fluffed up, Jasper chases Joy over tables, sofas, people and anything else in the way.
After two to five minutes, the spook is over. If it's already night, I close the windows and clean the litter tray. Because the beguiling spring air and smelly cat faeces are THE triggers when it comes to zoomies. And when they get going again, I can only dream of sleeping.
And the nymphies like this?
Every morning, the cockatiels follow the same choreography: Cookie makes a loud, inviting «Tschieeep» noise, Pebbles and Rio join in, then all three stretch their wings into the air - and off they go! For about an hour, the little cockatoos make their rounds through the living room, landing on the curtain rail in between and then flying off again upside down. Sometimes they whiz past my face by just a few centimetres. Cookie in particular seems to think it's funny to occasionally smack his wing on my nose.
Why do parakeets do this? For similar reasons to cats: They want to get rid of excess energy and play. I can then get the hoover afterwards - while the parakeet community is already snoozing again and recovering from the «exertions».
In addition to the hoover, there are other life-saving products for parakeet parents. Take a look here:
2. they love their playgrounds
Since it's spring, Rio, Cookie and Pebbles often hang out on their «nymphie tree» outside the window after zoomies. They look out, watch squirrels and catch a few rays of sunshine. The whole thing is accompanied by joyful cries along the lines of: «Hello world, we're awake!». In short: the trio adore their playground.
However, the little tree is not only used as a lookout, but also for beak and claw care. As both the beak and claws of cockatiels grow continuously, the animals need to sharpen their tools regularly. This is best done on hard wood. And so the little birds rub their feeding hatch diligently against the branches. After all, Rio, Cookie and Pebbles have to bite hard again later on when they unload their millet grains - or snap at my finger.
And the cats like this?
It's a control tower, fitness equipment, sleeping area and nail studio all in one: the scratching post. For Jasper and Joy, there is no more feudal place to demonstrate their royal presence. At first, they only eyed it sceptically. «What's this ugly art object doing in our residence?», Jasper's look spoke volumes when we set up the sisal structure. Until we finally realised what the problem was.
The cushions. The cushions on the scratching post were far too soft. Who would do that to themselves? Since we removed them and they are now as hard as a rock, the scratching post has climbed steeply up the popularity scale. And so has Jasper: he loves to look down on us from the top platform. From this height, he is also perfectly equipped when Joy launches an attack (see point 1).
3. you are stuck behind furniture
Let's move on to an unpleasant topic: sources of danger. As parrots generally have a habit of curiously poking around in the most unlikely places, the home must be animal-proof. Niches behind cupboards are particularly dangerous because nymphies like to fall in headfirst if they are travelling with too much momentum. That's why I put books on my shelves to cover the gap between the furniture and the wall. This has worked well for Cookie, Pebbles and Rio so far and has prevented accidents.
The cockatiel of my childhood, Iko, was a different story. The poor bird had once slipped behind the kitchen cupboard and couldn't get out again. So my father had to move the whole cupboard away from the wall to free the parakeet. Fortunately, Iko hadn't broken anything. Nevertheless, he looked very torn up and seemed quite distressed for a few days. I still feel sorry for him today, even though the little broken pilot has long since gone to bird heaven. (No, he didn't have an accident, he was just very, very old.)
And the cats like this?
«O-ooh, that doesn't sound good at all.» When I recently heard a new wail from Jasper the cat - there are around 387 of them - I couldn't believe my eyes. The tabby tomcat was behind our newly assembled wardrobe, which Möbel Pfister told us never to move again. The situation quickly became clear: he had slipped in on one side and couldn't get out on the other. Put the car in reverse? His driving instructor never taught him.
So the towing service had to come. While my husband threaded and pushed a cardboard box behind Jasper, I turned the cat's head to the side and pulled. Millimetre by millimetre, we got the little rascal outside. Where Joy promptly gave him a paw swipe as punishment. Since then, a clothes horse has been stuck in the wardrobe opening - and scratch marks adorn our wall as memorials.
4. they ignore their toys
I can reassure anyone who is about to cry out that I should keep my cats busy so that they don't crawl behind cupboards out of boredom: I've already tried out a whole arsenal of toys.
Lasers that make every cat go crazy? Jasper just looks unimpressed at the device in my hand and then leaves. Balls that twist and turn at will? Joy hides frightened in the cat cave. Feathers whirling through the air? Jasper lifts his paw once and then turns his attention to my shoelace. For ten seconds. Whether crackling, rustling, fluffy, smart, motorised or remote-controlled - Jasper and Joy only have one word for most toys: «Meh.»
And the nymphies like this?
Normally it's like this: cockatiels love bells. Anything that rings and jingles is great. However, my little birds see things a little ... differently. Because Cookie is terrified of bells. As soon as he hears just one «jingling», he frantically puts his bonnet up, slims down and becomes very rigid. Clear signs that the cockatiel is afraid. Accordingly, he consistently ignores his little bell toy.
And this obviously infects his fellow conures: Rio and Pebbles also give the wooden bell construction a wide berth. I've hung it up in various places in and around the cage - nope, no interest. Nymphies are very social creatures. In this respect, it is only understandable that they show consideration for each other.
5. they fight over food
When nymphie Pebbles moved into Rio and Cookie's parakeet flat a few months ago, I installed a new food bowl especially for her. My idea was: three nymphies, three feeders, no problems. Ha, puff cake! Rio stormed up to the new bowl and hogged it. And that's still the case today. As soon as Pebbles or Cookie even come near his bowl, Rio hisses angrily at them. In fact, he seems to think he owns all the food. Millet, greens - the young cock is very reluctant to share. So that Cookie and Pebbles don't get hungry, I now hang treats in the cage in multiples.
And the animals have also found their own ways to get round Rio's greedy appetite. Cookie, for example, always keeps a safe distance from his mate when nibbling on greens. And Pebbles often waits until Rio has finished his lunch. Stress while eating is also unhealthy.
And the cats like this?
He plays with her, he caresses her, he cleans her. Jasper loves Joy. But he loves something even more: food. In this respect, the cat's passion is unbridled. Not even when Joy is eating from another bowl next door can the rascal be stopped. It doesn't look any better at the double bowl of the automatic feeder. He stretches diagonally across the whole bowl to displace Joy and pushes his mouth into the food as far as it will go.
In the end, only an anti-snake bowl with built-in obstacles helped to slow down the speed of the catty harvester. At least a little.
Header image: Stephan Lütolf
Anika Schulz
Teamleader Editorial
Anika.Schulz@galaxus.deAs a child, I was socialised with Mario Kart on SNES before ending up in journalism after graduating from high school. As a team leader at Galaxus, I'm responsible for news. I'm also a trekkie and an engineer.
