The "Why do my cats do that?" Thread

[Bianca and Bernard]

Mittens will steal your meat off your plate. If you have chicken or a hamburger or steak, you have to guard it! She does not like fish at all.

MJ will hunt Nerf darts. If there are any laying about, she will get it, deposit it in front of my bedroom door and do a mewling meow until I pick it up and praise her. Nothing else, just Nerf darts!

Tiana hunts bugs, lizards and frogs when they come inside, but she doesn't eat them. She plays with them. Catch and release and catch until they are too damaged to move, then she leaves them laying on the ground. I try to catch them (kill bugs, release frogs/lizards) but I'm not always successful.

Oberon has to be with a human; either me, DD#2 or GS#2. If I'm in the tub, he's sitting on the tub. If I'm on the toilet, he's sitting on the tub. If I'm in the kitchen cooking, he'll lay by the dishwasher; if I'm doing dishes, he lays by the stove. He's moving with DD#2 and GS#2, who has formed a very strong attachment to Obie. Obie will let GS attempt to pick him up; they'll lay together and nap on my living room floor; he let GS throw water on him while GS was bathing, and just stayed on the edge of the tub, trying to rub his head on GS's.

Obie also cannot bury his poo. I have the litter boxes sitting inside plastic totes (to try to contain the litter flinging, plus easy to clean) and everytime he goes, you hear him pawing at the sides of the totes! I have to go in and scoop a little litter over the poo so I can scoop it.

 

[U2_rocks!]

My ginger male will happily lie at the foot of my bed while I'm sitting there blow drying my hair (I sit and bend over when I'm drying the underneath) and the noisy blow dryer doesn't scare him (though he does watch it carefully the whole time). But if I put my round brush down next to him, he's off like a shot!

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

We used to have a cat named Hal (short for Halloween, she came trick or treating at our door when she was a tiny kitten). She was a character.

1. She had an unbelievable vocabulary and used the words correctly. If she was looking for the other cats, she would go up and down the hallway saying "hello", if she was stuck in a closet or room, she'd say "out", if it was bath time she'd say "no" the whole time, etc. It was very disconcerting to be home by myself and hear "hello" coming from the empty hallway, it was that realistic.

2. When people say cats are smart and graceful, I'd invite them over to meet Hal, other than talking she was the dumbest, klutziest cat ever. She was constantly getting stuck on top of the kitchen cabinets and falling off when she tried to get down.

3. She loved to watch the water in the bathtub. We had a bath mat that didn't always stick so sometimes it would float to the top of the water when someone got out. She thought it was the perfect boat for a kittycat to float around on and tried multiple times to jump on it. Of course it sank every time and she ended up soaked.

4. She ADORED kittens, hated other adult cats but considered every kitten we ever got to be hers. When my son was born, she didn't like him either until she worked it out in her head that he was just a funny looking hairless kitten. After that she was his constant companion.

5. The last year of her life, she had 2 goals. One was to get out of the house (strictly indoors, never tried to get out before), and the other was to eat ALL the food. My husband left the door open by accident one day, she got out and was gone for a week. I figured she'd been trying to get out to find someplace to die (14 years old), the weather was awful the entire time she was gone so I really didn't have any hope of her returning. Until one morning I was scraping the ice off my car and hear "hello" from the neighbors driveway. She was sitting there like nothing had happened. Another time, I'd fixed dinner and my husband had sat down with his plate at the table when all of a sudden here comes Hal divebombing off the china hutch, grabs his meat off his plate and runs under another piece of furniture with it.

6. She considered it her job in life to pee on all things fabric. Thankfully we had hard floors, but throw rugs, bath mats, clothes, towels, anything fabric left on the floor, she'd pee on it.

Of all the cats we've ever had, I miss her the most.

 

[amberpi]

It's cold here today so I'm reminded of another weird Mischka thing - when she gets cold, she covers herself up (like in the bedclothes, or under a throw blanket on the couch) or buries herself in the pillows. This is adorable because I can come in and just her little head is peeking out of the covers...and problematic. She loves getting in my closet when I'm getting ready and have the doors to the closet from the bathroom open. She'll bury herself completely under the clothes and throw pillows on the chaise in there and I'll lock her up. This is especially a problem when I might end up gone over night. I let her out, love on her and she acts traumatized, but once she's eaten and had some water, she'll be trying to get back in there. She's not the smartest cat I've ever had, but she's loves her covers.

 

[DisneyHardin]

It's cold here today so I'm reminded of another weird Mischka thing - when she gets cold, she covers herself up (like in the bedclothes, or under a throw blanket on the couch) or buries herself in the pillows. This is adorable because I can come in and just her little head is peeking out of the covers...and problematic. She loves getting in my closet when I'm getting ready and have the doors to the closet from the bathroom open. She'll bury herself completely under the clothes and throw pillows on the chaise in there and I'll lock her up. This is especially a problem when I might end up gone over night. I let her out, love on her and she acts traumatized, but once she's eaten and had some water, she'll be trying to get back in there. She's not the smartest cat I've ever had, but she's loves her covers.

My Felie does that. I woke up in the middle of the night the other night and my arm was uncomfortable. Felie has her body under the covers and her head out resting on my arm.

 

[petlvr1064]

It's cold here today so I'm reminded of another weird Mischka thing - when she gets cold, she covers herself up (like in the bedclothes, or under a throw blanket on the couch) or buries herself in the pillows. This is adorable because I can come in and just her little head is peeking out of the covers...and problematic. She loves getting in my closet when I'm getting ready and have the doors to the closet from the bathroom open. She'll bury herself completely under the clothes and throw pillows on the chaise in there and I'll lock her up. This is especially a problem when I might end up gone over night. I let her out, love on her and she acts traumatized, but once she's eaten and had some water, she'll be trying to get back in there. She's not the smartest cat I've ever had, but she's loves her covers.

My cat dose that too. If I don't make my bed in the morning I will sometimes come home to her being completely under the covers.

 

[jevs]

It's cold here today so I'm reminded of another weird Mischka thing - when she gets cold, she covers herself up (like in the bedclothes, or under a throw blanket on the couch) or buries herself in the pillows. This is adorable because I can come in and just her little head is peeking out of the covers...and problematic. She loves getting in my closet when I'm getting ready and have the doors to the closet from the bathroom open. She'll bury herself completely under the clothes and throw pillows on the chaise in there and I'll lock her up. This is especially a problem when I might end up gone over night. I let her out, love on her and she acts traumatized, but once she's eaten and had some water, she'll be trying to get back in there. She's not the smartest cat I've ever had, but she's loves her covers.

One of my idiot cats does this on 40 degree days.

Riddle me this. Why is there kitty litter from one end of the house to the other?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Great thread!

My current cat is...quirky. She must go to the bathroom with you, if it's bathing, teeth brushing, etc., she wants to be involved. One day she's going to fall in the bath, I'm certain. Also, she is talkative! Like holy bejesus, shut up cat, chatty. It's adorable though because she effectively talks back to you. Also, if she hears cats on tv or on laptop, she will look and look for those cats. Ugh, I love her so much!

We joke that our cat is helping us train for children. Bathroom doors are not to be closed or you'll get pawing and meowing or a paw under the door.

Our cat is also very chatty--boy there are times when we're like "shut up Apollo" lol

I so wish our cat responded to cats on the tv or laptope. He doesn't even twitch his ear.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Our cats make that chattering noise whenever they see a bird, but they ignore flies.

Our cat does chirping for birds but also squirrels. He will sit at the door for the backyard and just stare and chirp at the squirrels.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Over twenty years ago, we had a cat that would make this odd meow, more like a chattering noise, to lure flies. Flies would come to her when she did this and she would catch and eat them. A few times, we saw her actually spear them with her nail and then eat it. I grew up with cats and have never seen a cat call to flies. Our two cats after her never did that.

Fast forward to today with our two new kittens and we caught one of them chattering to a fly the other day.

Does anyone else have a cat that makes that odd noise to lure flies?

Our cat doesn't chirp for flies but will for birds and squirrels. On a slightly related note our cat is good at finding out when a spider or house centipede is crawling on the wall or the floor or when a ladybug (or something that looks similar to that) gets in the house. He would love to catch them and kill and eat them but usually we kill them first. However, after we kill the insect our cat looks up at us in a disapproving way like he's saying "why did you kill it..I wanted to play with it and eat it"

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It started when my husband went away for his second field assignment that lasted 8 1/2 months after having been back for 2 weeks but having been gone for 5 1/2 months before--our cat will climb on my chest, only mine, and usually sit with his butt towards my fact; I've found that usually that means he trusts me...only but now I've got a cat butt and a swishing tail in my face lol. Even though my husband has been back home for 16 months he's still clilmbs on my chest and it's to the point where if I'm sitting up in bed he'll meow until I lay down so he can climb up on me.

 

[ThistleMae]

My cat Cinderella will only lay on cotton cloth items. I have of those velour blankets on my bed and she wont' step on it to get near me...I have to move it so she can get onto the sheet or the duvet cover, both of which are cotton. She'll leap over any blanket or item that isn't made of cotton. She also won't step on fluffy carpets. One time I bought a bunch of scatter rugs for the den and she would walk around each and everyone to cross the room. I put down a little blanket on the sheet next to my pillow for one of my cats, who has kind of weepy eyes, and Cinderella will not jump up on the bed on that side. If she's already on the bed, she'll leap from the cotton blanket to the end table to avoid stepping on the small, fuzzy blanket. She'll just stand there and stare at me until I move the things she doesn't like to step on. She is so cute!

 

[luvavacation]

My eldest daughter's cat will stand on one leg in the litter box and do her business. Only one leg. The other three are on the sides to hold her up. Does not matter if you have perfectly clean litter, she just won't allow all her paws to touch that litter. She will also pee on clean laundry in a basket. I am so glad my daughter is married now and took her cat, and no longer have to put laundry away the moment it comes out of the dryer!

My previous cat, a big male Maine Coon, would call for me. If he couldn't find me, he would walk around the house meowing what sounded like, "Mom". As soon as he saw found me, he would walk off, content to know where I was. He also liked to sleep under the covers next to me, with his head on my pillow. He was so long that his tail went all the way down to my knees when he was stretched out. Not to mention, incredibly hot, which was great in the winter, not in the summer. I miss that cat so much.

My present cat, a 2 year old Maine Coon male, likes to come up next to me as I sleep and worm his body under my hand, roll onto his back, and sleep against me with my hand on his belly. It is the only time he ever wants to be that close and pinned down by a human!

My cat also knows how to turn on the water in the bathroom sink. It was a mistake buying a French-handle type faucet!

The doors in the house are also French handles. When I go out into the garage, my cat has figured out how to pull down on the handle and push open the door! He will walk through the door, look at me, and just sit and wait for me to go back inside. God forbid I try to pick him up and hold him, oh no, human arm confinement can not happen, but the human must not be out of sight! I try to only go out the front door now, as that door is too heavy for him to open!

This same cat loves it when my husband goes out of town! He will lay with his head on my husband's pillow, facing me, and reach out his paw to touch me as I sleep. If I move, he has to reposition his paw to keep touching me. This is only when my husband is gone. We joke that my cat would be very happy to be my only man!

My husband's cat is mesmerized by the bird at the end of The Hobbit, when the dwarves are dropped by the eagles on to Carrock, and a bird chirps as it flies off to the Lonely Mountain. No matter where we are in the house, if that scene is on the TV, the cat comes running and meows at the TV.

We presently have 3 cats and 2 dogs. They can all be a pain at times, but life would be so boring without them!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

My cat Cinderella will only lay on cotton cloth items. I have of those velour blankets on my bed and she wont' step on it to get near me...I have to move it so she can get onto the sheet or the duvet cover, both of which are cotton. She'll leap over any blanket or item that isn't made of cotton. She also won't step on fluffy carpets. One time I bought a bunch of scatter rugs for the den and she would walk around each and everyone to cross the room. I put down a little blanket on the sheet next to my pillow for one of my cats, who has kind of weepy eyes, and Cinderella will not jump up on the bed on that side. If she's already on the bed, she'll leap from the cotton blanket to the end table to avoid stepping on the small, fuzzy blanket. She'll just stand there and stare at me until I move the things she doesn't like to step on. She is so cute!
View attachment 288870

What a cute kitty and such an interesting avoidance towards a fabric.

Cats are strange cuz mine loves the soft fuzzy blankets-he'll knead for like 20 mins if I'm using one and he's laying on top of it sitting next to me. But he also likes laying on the cotton comforters (we use separate blankets) we use for bed, and if you're folding towels well good luck getting them into the linen closet because he's already sprawled out on top of them lol.

 

[Simba's Mom]

My previous cat, a big male Maine Coon, would call for me. If he couldn't find me, he would walk around the house meowing what sounded like, "Mom". As soon as he saw found me, he would walk off, content to know where I was. He also liked to sleep under the covers next to me, with his head on my pillow. He was so long that his tail went all the way down to my knees when he was stretched out. Not to mention, incredibly hot, which was great in the winter, not in the summer. I miss that cat so much.

My present cat, a 2 year old Maine Coon male, likes to come up next to me as I sleep and worm his body under my hand, roll onto his back, and sleep against me with my hand on his belly. It is the only time he ever wants to be that close and pinned down by a human!

My cat also knows how to turn on the water in the bathroom sink. It was a mistake buying a French-handle type faucet!

I love Maine Coons-that's what ours is also. Maybe Maine Coons have a natural fascination for bathroom sink water!

 

[Kitty 34]

Why does my Pudgie show definite signs of cabin fever (yes, he's more of an outside kitty) the third week in December when normally he shows those signs going into February???

 

[BrianL]

My cat Cinderella will only lay on cotton cloth items. I have of those velour blankets on my bed and she wont' step on it to get near me...I have to move it so she can get onto the sheet or the duvet cover, both of which are cotton. She'll leap over any blanket or item that isn't made of cotton. She also won't step on fluffy carpets. One time I bought a bunch of scatter rugs for the den and she would walk around each and everyone to cross the room. I put down a little blanket on the sheet next to my pillow for one of my cats, who has kind of weepy eyes, and Cinderella will not jump up on the bed on that side. If she's already on the bed, she'll leap from the cotton blanket to the end table to avoid stepping on the small, fuzzy blanket. She'll just stand there and stare at me until I move the things she doesn't like to step on. She is so cute!
View attachment 288870

Cinderella is such a cutie!

 

[ThistleMae]

My eldest daughter's cat will stand on one leg in the litter box and do her business. Only one leg. The other three are on the sides to hold her up. Does not matter if you have perfectly clean litter, she just won't allow all her paws to touch that litter. She will also pee on clean laundry in a basket. I am so glad my daughter is married now and took her cat, and no longer have to put laundry away the moment it comes out of the dryer!

My previous cat, a big male Maine Coon, would call for me. If he couldn't find me, he would walk around the house meowing what sounded like, "Mom". As soon as he saw found me, he would walk off, content to know where I was. He also liked to sleep under the covers next to me, with his head on my pillow. He was so long that his tail went all the way down to my knees when he was stretched out. Not to mention, incredibly hot, which was great in the winter, not in the summer. I miss that cat so much.

My present cat, a 2 year old Maine Coon male, likes to come up next to me as I sleep and worm his body under my hand, roll onto his back, and sleep against me with my hand on his belly. It is the only time he ever wants to be that close and pinned down by a human!

My cat also knows how to turn on the water in the bathroom sink. It was a mistake buying a French-handle type faucet!

The doors in the house are also French handles. When I go out into the garage, my cat has figured out how to pull down on the handle and push open the door! He will walk through the door, look at me, and just sit and wait for me to go back inside. God forbid I try to pick him up and hold him, oh no, human arm confinement can not happen, but the human must not be out of sight! I try to only go out the front door now, as that door is too heavy for him to open!

This same cat loves it when my husband goes out of town! He will lay with his head on my husband's pillow, facing me, and reach out his paw to touch me as I sleep. If I move, he has to reposition his paw to keep touching me. This is only when my husband is gone. We joke that my cat would be very happy to be my only man!

My husband's cat is mesmerized by the bird at the end of The Hobbit, when the dwarves are dropped by the eagles on to Carrock, and a bird chirps as it flies off to the Lonely Mountain. No matter where we are in the house, if that scene is on the TV, the cat comes running and meows at the TV.

We presently have 3 cats and 2 dogs. They can all be a pain at times, but life would be so boring without them!

Love your stories. They all have their idiosyncrasies don't they. My girls will sit next to my head, they both sleep at my head one on either side and one at the bottom, I have three...and if I'm not petting them, they will paw my face, very gently. They don't do it often, thank goodness, only if I'm already petting them and they want more. All three head into the bathroom with me first thing in the morning...then, like the herd they are, walk in a single line in front of me to get fed. They are just so adorable!

 

[ThistleMae]

What a cute kitty and such an interesting avoidance towards a fabric.

Cats are strange cuz mine loves the soft fuzzy blankets-he'll knead for like 20 mins if I'm using one and he's laying on top of it sitting next to me. But he also likes laying on the cotton comforters (we use separate blankets) we use for bed, and if you're folding towels well good luck getting them into the linen closet because he's already sprawled out on top of them lol.

I know right, she has sensory issues with her feet. She was adopted and when I first got her she was sleeping in mixing bowls. She wouldn't lay on anything soft. It took her about a year to start laying on surfaces other than counters or anyplace that was hard. Now she likes being cozy but only on cotton....LOL!

 

[Hikergirl]

How can you not love cats after reading this thread!
I tried wrapping last night and just like all my cats before, my two newest decided the best place for them to lay down was right in the middle of the wrapping paper I just rolled out.
Luckily I had enough shipping boxes and balled up wrapping paper to keep them busy while I hurried to get the wrapping done