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Strange cat behaviour

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  • 08-06-2007 9:14pm
    #1
    stovelid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭


    One of our cats has acting a bit differently lately...

    Sometimes she gets either a sock, bundle of socks or some other small item of clothing like underwear and brings it out to the landing or downstairs. Our laundry bin is quite low so she can pluck items out of it.


    She then makes the bawling sound that she only ever uses to grab our attention when she wants to come in or go out etc.

    Has anybody ever seen this before?

    Is she just looking for our attention or just trying to bring the contents of our laundry bin to our attention? :D

    I've never seen this with either of the cats before; actually, can't remember ever seeing with previous cats either?

    BTW - She's 13


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    #2
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,467 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    We had a female cat once that had a 'toy' that was just a long piece of brown fake fur .. we called it her 'tail'. She would sometimes wander around when she thought we weren't looking with this thing dangling out of her mouth, making the kind of moaning howling noises you describe. As soon as she saw that we'd seen her she'd drop it and shut up. We always had this theory that she thought it was a kitten as mother cats carry their kittens round in their mouths like that, but it could be just rubbish.


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    #3
    palaver
    Closed Accounts Posts: 216 ✭✭palaver


    It's an old instinct of caring for not existing kittens, she probably thinks, being attached to you for so long, that your socks and undies are something to look after. They smell nice in the cat world ...:o

    I wouldn't worry. We all get a bit odd in old age.
    And maybe she's just a bit lonely like any ould biddy...:D


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    #4
    Dudess
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37,214 ✭✭✭✭Dudess


    Aw, the cuteness!

    Maybe (because of the scent), she thinks these are things that are part of you and you're looking for them.
    Also, we've had cats who howled their heads off every time they caught a mouse. I suppose they were anxious to let us know they had a "gift" for us. Maybe it's a similar thing in this case.

    And yeah, her advanced years are probably causing her to do strange stuff too.


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    #5
    PaulyB63
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 41 ✭PaulyB63


    id go with dudesse's theory, re the gift for you! Your smelly socks, how considerate :D Shes prob too old to hunt but wants to show her appreciation for you! Maybe you should leave a bottle of wine in your laundry basket, see if she drags it downstairs for you!!!


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    #6
    Dudess
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37,214 ✭✭✭✭Dudess


    PaulyB63 wrote:
    Maybe you should leave a bottle of wine in your laundry basket, see if she drags it downstairs for you!!!
    :D


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    #7
    monkeyfudge
    Registered Users Posts: 23,216 ✭✭✭✭monkeyfudge


    And be sure to take plenty of photos for the sake of the internet.


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    #8
    Shewhomustbe...
    Registered Users Posts: 484 ✭✭Shewhomustbe...


    A number of my cats do this.
    I have six house cats which equals a LOT of cat hair so when I'd groom them I'd roll up the hair for easier cleaning. They were fascinated by this so I made two toys out of the hair for them, they look similar in shape to a mouse.
    My youngest female,Pixie, when she comes upon one of them will scream the house down to let us know she's found it, then we play a game of catch.

    I also have these soft toy balls that one of my male cats loves to play with. Like Pixie when he finds it he'll cry until YOU find him, then he drops it from his mouth so he can get hugs and praises. Our oldest female does this too.
    We've had to put them away at night because of the chorus at four in the morning!!


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    #9
    Nala
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,959 ✭✭✭Nala


    We had a cat that used to catch stuff like crisp wrappers that blew in the driveway and carry them around in her mouth for hours! We have another cat that howls sometimes when she is given food until another cat comes and then she gives it to them, someone needs to remind her she is neutered :)


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    #10
    stovelid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭stovelid


    Thanks for the input folks.

    If only we could teach her to work the washing machine... :D


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    #11
    cjohnson
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭cjohnson


    Yep my cat used to do that kind of stuff too. He's a real talker too, even more so now in his old age. One thing is for sure, they can change behavioural patterns through life, so unless it's something distressing, don't worry.


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    #12
    Hard Larry
    Closed Accounts Posts: 670 ✭✭✭Hard Larry


    Nice one Pets Forum Boardsies!

    My cat does this behaviour with a Red Rat toy...she does it when we leave the house in the mornings and sometimes late at night when we're fast asleep she leaves it on top of the stairs...once in a while we find it in her food bowl.

    It had me and the GF freaked at first as it really sounds like shes lonely when she does it...we thought it might have something to do with us abandoning her, like when we leave in the mornings and when she can't find us at night.

    At least we know shes know now shes not mental...well not totally :)


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