What's my cat doing? (1 Viewer)

[Craig S]

One of my cats, Bart (perhaps the most perfect example of lead & mean feline studliness currently in existence) also does the scoop-the-food-out-of-the-bowl-and-eat-it-off-the-floor thing. I always thought it was weird - glad to see he's not alone.
His brother Linus (the epitome of slightly chubby cuteness) eats straight out of the bowl. However, he has a strange act he does whenever I am eating breakfast & reading the paper at the kitchen table in morning. He'll sit to the side and start meowing, which is not unusual, but then he'll lift his right paw and hold it in front of him (paw pad facing the chest) with the claws all extended. He'll sit like this, meowing, paw up, looking up at me until I pet him. Then he's up on his hind legs nuzzling my hand until he loses his balance and tumbles over. He repeats this routine until I'm finished with the comics and get up to put the paper away. Then he wanders away to continue with his morning catly business (usually teaming with his brother to destroy something).
Cats are bizarre. It's like living with characters from a David Lynch movie. I love 'em!!

 

[Andy Hardin]

Bill,

Mine does the exact same thing. And I thought she was just crazy (well, she is).

Only knowing snippets of feline behavior and the science behind it, it must have something to do with we owners playing that surrogate "mother" to them and they wanting us to observe them eat. Very strange and sometimes annoying when I want/need to get something done and she just wants me to watch her eat.

 

[Bill Buklis]

I once had a cat that would only eat Purina Cat Chow "Original" blend and absolutely nothing else. Not even another flavor of Cat Chow.

But, the strangest part is how she ate the food. For those you not familiar with Cat Chow, the pieces are essentially star shaped (center nugget with prongs sticking out). My cat would only eat the outside prongs and always left the center nugget.

As far as I can tell there's no difference between the prongs and the center pieces. It's just how they're shaped. I never could figure that one out.

 

[Malcolm R]

I love cats. Unfortunately I'm allergic, so I can't have one. :frowning:

 

[Al G]

I have a problem that I thought you cat owners may help me with.

I am not a cat owner but a neighborhood cat has started leaving me dead squirrels on my front porch. For 3 days now I have gotten up in the morning to find one on my front porch door step. I pick them up and dispose of the carcasses but I am afraid I'm going to find another.

What can I do?

I have loads of squirrels as do my nieghbors as this is a heavily treed area. I like the squirrels.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Al

 

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Supposedly, I am told that the cat is leaving you a "gift" because she/he really likes you. She/he is showing her/his affection towards you. Are you friendly towards this cat? I suppose you could start being "mean" to the cat to curb this behavior.

 

[Butch C]

I think this must have something to do with the scientific fact that cats are stupid

 

[Al G]

No I'm not friendly toward any cat that I know of. I'm not a cat lover but I belive in live and let live. I don't blame the cat, I just don't want him to leave me presents.

I can not be mean to the cat. I am an animal lover.

I shoo cats away because they lurk around my bird bath.

Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Al

 

[Jack Briggs]

Remember: This is a thread by and for cat lovers. And they will be the first to tell you that one does not "own" a cat. Nor are they stupid. So, please, hold the negative stuff. Thanks. JB

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Now wait a minute. I own three cats. And I have their permission to say so. Isn't that right, Fluffy Pumpkin?

 

[Jack Briggs]

Attila told me he's been receiving communiques from Fluffy Pumpkin, Dennis. Seems you're on the watch list at Feline Central for further reeducation. I hear some FANG representatives may be paying you a visit soon.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Fluffy Pumpkin was re-educating me this very morning at breakfast. And I have the scratches to prove it.:p)

 

[Mitty]

Well, my cat Harvey (who has, FYI, been empirically proven - by me - to be the cutest cat in the universe) has a little food habit that would drive all of you bonkers.

He likes to pick up a mouthful of food and then move to a location on the floor away from his bowl where he proceeds to chomp down upon it, letting all of the "crumbs" fall to the area of carpet/linoleum that he has selected. Naturally he is above eating these fallen food particles (sometimes actually entire pellets of food). As a results, within 48 hours of each vaccuum, he has built up a nice crunchy perimeter (approximately 6 feet in diamter) around his food dish for me to walk on as I enter the kitchen.

Maybe this is to allow no predator approaching his food dish to go unnoticed? I dunno, and he ain't talkin'.

 

[Richard Cooper]

Our old cats all used to do exactly the same, Mitty. What a mess!
We don't have any cat's at the moment, but one of teh last ones, Smiff, had a strange habit when it came to trees. Now I know cats are good at getting stuck up trees, but this little blighter couldn't quite grasp teh method of climbing up them. His 'technique' was to run full pelt at a tree, leap into the air and splay his legs out with claws extended, and basically nail himself to it. There he would remain until he either worked himself loose and fell, or someone passing by heard his yowls and would peel him off. Now I love cats, but some of 'em are definitely stupid!

 

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Al G,

I suppose you could cover your front porch with aluminum foil so that the cat won't walk on it and leave you a squirrel. Remove the foil once the behavior subsides. (I know. Not very practical.) You could also try animal repellent sprays on your porch. This won't help the squirrels from being hunted, however. Cats have that hunting instinct, you know.

 

[Brian W. Ralston]

Butch Said...

I think this must have something to do with the scientific fact that cats are stupid

So you prefer an emotionally shallow animal do ya Butch?

 

[Seth Paxton]

Oh, and he also sits in the bathroom sink when I get up in the morning and take my shower.

Yeah, our "shower loving cat" who has to rub on you the minute you come out of the shower (eww, cat hair) also loves to curl up in the sink waiting for your shower to end.
The other 2 love to drink out of the faucet and have the head cocked technique working, but little Ernie (the shower cat) just sticks his head under the flow so the water hits the top of his head. Kinda pathetic.

 

[Seth Paxton]

Mitty, that's what I mentioned in my post earlier. Joey used to get a mouthful and come dump it by me and then eat it. He wouldn't leave a mess though.
It's just funny to be sitting there playing Playstation and he walks in the room over to the PSX and you here the sound of dry food hitting the lid. You look over and he's freaking sitting down to breakfast on my game machine.
Cats, like children, have the built-in "cuteness" defense mechanism which keeps me from killing them, little SOBs.
Jack, our cats tell us 2 things
1) Were is my food? It's dinner time. Now you feed us, remember.
2) Hey, I left some puke over there for you. BTW, is it dinner time?

 

[Steve Schaffer]

My newest cat Fiona (named after the Shrek character 'cause she was an ugly kitten) will watch me shower thru the glass shower door and proceed to try to lick my legs dry when I emerge.

She also is fascinated by the toilet, loves to watch the water swirl when I flush it. I've sometimes caught her drinking out of the toilet, something my dog has never done.

My equipment rack is right next to the patio slider in my family room. When she wants out she leaps on top of receiver to get my attention.

She has yet to bring me any dead animal "gifts" but does present me with dirty socks she digs out of the dirty clothes barrel in my bathroom.

Oddly, this hideous sorta mottled dark-brown kitten has changed into a truly gorgeous adult, with light gray, black, and ginger tiger stripes. I've never had a cat whose markings changed so dramatically as she grew up.