Hi, I’m Dr. Lauren! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my two adventurous cats, Pancake and Tiller.
Cat Burglar may be an apt description of some feline passions. Their ninja-like ability to stalk, sneak, and stealthily pounce allows cats to get away with all kinds of mischief. Enter today’s topic: the weird things cats like.
Growing up, we had a cat named Mr. Kitten. Or Kitten, for short. She started life with a fancier and more creative name, but we also thought she started life as a girl. When we found out he was a boy, it was obvious he needed a new name, but we ran out of steam, and names, and nothing stuck, so he became a Kitten.
The kitten is a bit strange, even as cats go: he likes to jump in the bathtub with me and walk around in the water, he likes to take toilet paper out of the toilet and follow it around the house, but his favorite is the beloved oven mitt.
Mr. Kitten and The Oven Mitt
Go to remove something hot from the oven and there’s no oven mitt in sight? Find the cat, and you have a better chance of finding the mitt as well. Trying to wash an oven mitt was nearly impossible—she pulled it out of the hamper, and burbled as she carried it around the house. And if you’ve managed to successfully clean and dry one, he’ll probably slip into the basket before it’s back in the kitchen drawer, and he’ll be out and running, bound to the oven.
But why do cats like these strange things? It is a mystery. Some suggest that cats may have a certain attachment to such items and that they may experience motherhood, treating these random objects like kittens, herding them around the house, and taking care of them.
Tiller & Her Fish Toys
Tiller started life with a small slice of stuffed pizza and now has a series of stuffed fish toys that he rotates every night, to leave in different positions: grouped outside of the room; clustered at the bottom of the stairs, sometimes neatly tucked into my shoes. It was a little confusing the first few times, as I wondered if they were some vague cat threat (more food or you’ll be sleeping with the fishes!); so far, it seems like nothing. In the colloquial language, when Tiller starts gathering the fish at home, we now say that he is “fishing” and leave it!
Pancakes and coins
Pancakes, on the contrary, used to really like coins. If a dime or a nickel falls on the floor, he’s on top of it- banging it until he picks it up in his mouth. Then he ran around the house, carrying said coinage in his mouth. As a vet, all I can think of is: foreign body! And quickly, that activity decreased!
Are There Risks Involved in These Behaviors?
Which leads to the downsides of this strange behavior:
There are some risks. Foreign bodies from ingesting these strange things cats seem to like are a real concern. Some of the more common foreign bodies that fit into this category include:
- Hair ties
- coins
- Tires
- Silicone (eg, bottle tops, reusable straws)
- Foam shoe pieces (eg Crocs, flip flops)
- String/ thread
- Fishing flies/lures (especially with hooks, which represent a new level of danger!)
Another negative is a potential behavioral aspect. I remember a colleague once saying that even though his dog wanted to chase the laser pointer, he refused to use it. Similarly, our university course in behavior reflects this concern. The thinking is that if the cat or dog can never actually catch the red dot, will that lead to real feelings of unresolved frustration? For me, I’ve always thought that cats enjoy the experience as much as they nap more often, but they burn more calories in the chase game, so I’m pro-red-dot camp.
Along those lines, I’ve heard the discussion that allowing cats to partially exercise their supposed maternal instincts (if that’s what they’re doing), also harms their psyche if the offspring aren’t actually complete their end of the bargain, and feed. return appropriate physical and emotional stimulation.
The Story of the Cat Burglar
There is also a rare risk of retaliation. Enter my discussion with a recent law-abiding cat owner, who actually has a cat thief. I examine her rather adorable short haired cat, and compliment her on what a great cat she is. Yes, says his owner… most of the time! But again he steals things from the neighbors…. The client explained that her cat had a total variety of food from the local street, including several bags of microwavable rice, several pizza crusts, and a few days later, an entire slice of pizza.
Apparently, there have even been some accusations by the neighborhood husband that some wife throws various treats behind her husband’s back…when really, it’s stealing the neighbor’s cat at work! (While I can’t condone illegal activities, I can certainly condone the cat’s choice of pizza!)
You might say that cats are really weird, at heart, but isn’t that one of the reasons why we love them so much? Perhaps such strange behavior just fits like a glove (or oven mitt). As for me, I let Tiller have his fish, and try not to worry too much about the why as long as he looks happy. Pancake, however, does not allow his coins. But that’s just my 0.02 on the matter…
