Strange scare episode

This morning while getting around for work, I was coming out of my bedroom, and Casey and Smokey were stretched out on the hallway floor outside the door. While stretching a leg out to step over them, Smokey decided he was going to take off, jumped up, and collided face-first with my bare foot in the air, nearly knocking me off balance. I shouted out, thinking I was going over, and he went running down the floor. Regaining my balance, I went downstairs to check on him with Casey following me down the stairs. Getting to the bottom of the stairs, Smokey was hissing and growling at me and Casey. I tried talking to him to calm him down, and he just started screaming at Casey, scaring me enough to stay back from him. By the time I was about to go to work an hour later, he'd calmed down with only occasional growling when Casey got close. Coming home after work, everything was back to normal.

What has me wondering is what got him so upset. I've fallen before with him around, and he's never gotten upset like that. Anybody have any ideas?

Maybe this time Smokey thought that Casey had something to do with the scare, since Casey was right with him when it happened.
Smokey was probably upset and confused that, in his perception, Casey would do something to him, since they are buddies, and by the time you got home, they had it all worked out.
Just my interpretation. I'm glad that everything is back to normal.

Cats are straight up nuts. Anyone's guess as to what their thought process is. I love every single one of them but... truly, what freaks them out is a freakin' mystery to me. Found out today one of my cats is scared of balloons. :rolleyes: really? Live and learn eh.

Had a repeat episode yesterday morning. I was getting around to go to a family reunion, and while getting in the closet in my upstairs hallway, Smokey started nosing in like he likes to do. I was needing to close the closet door, but he was refusing to move and wanted to nose in further. So, I did what I've done hundreds of times since he was a kitten and picked him up so that I could close the door. Casey was there in the hallway too, and when I put Smokey down, he started in with hissing and growling at Casey. By the time I went to leave, he'd calmed down enough that I felt safe leaving them alone. By the time I got home late in the day, things were back to normal.

Your kitties are messing with you...
Is it possible that Smokey is painful (like arthritis), or other health issues?

Never seems to be in pain or anything. I've checked him over from time to time, and there's never been any issues. I will be mentioning the episodes the next time I take them to the vet.