Cat Behavior: Please Help

My girlfriend bought me a horse beenie baby that I kept on my desk at home. It fell behind my desk one night. Then I heard my cat cry and cry. Since that night I have noticed the little beenie baby in the strangest places. At first I was a little shocked cause I would set it on my desk and find it somewhere else. Its been three years since that and I find it hidden in the strangest places all the time. Sometimes its barried in the corner of the closet, behind my desk, under our bed in the corner. I always take it and throw it on the floor in plain sight. She does it when we leave the house during the day and when we go to bed.

To test her I put the baby on the living room floor before we go to bed. We get into bed and ten minutes later she is crying and crying. Then we hear the sound of the beenie baby drop on our bedroom floor and just laugh. It happens almost every night now. She carries this horse in her mouth. I have actually caught her a few times, soooooo funny.

Does anyones cat do something similar to this? I think it is the strangest thing? Any vets out there? Cat people? I wish I knew what was happening. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks







[edit on 30-4-2005 by Event Horizon]

Okay i need to ask this. What is the "Cry" your cat makes? is it a wail, normal meow, meow/purr, short yaps? Is she a spade female?

If I wouldn't know better i think she is imitating a kitten, and using the beanie as a proxie. remember, msot cats think of thier owners as mother figures, so it might be using the beanie as a littermate.

really depdsn on the type of cry, and is she cries before she moves the beanie baby

I think this is proof that your cat is an alien!!!

She may be concerned that the beanie is actually a kitten and with it showing no signs of life she may be trying to bring that to your attention.

Not sure.

Cat and dog person here.

You need another cat.
I think it's like mild seperation anxiety.
Your cat might be wanting a buddy, after all they are night
creatures..and it doesn't start until you got to bed, or are at work..
ya think?

Originally posted by Jehosephat
Okay i need to ask this. What is the "Cry" your cat makes? is it a wail, normal meow, meow/purr, short yaps? Is she a spade female?

If I wouldn't know better i think she is imitating a kitten, and using the beanie as a proxie. remember, msot cats think of thier owners as mother figures, so it might be using the beanie as a littermate.

really depdsn on the type of cry, and is she cries before she moves the beanie baby

Its more of a long cry. Usually she starts crying, picks it up, and cries while its in her mouth. I know it sounds strange but i have caught her before.

I guessing to that she thinks its a kitten or something.

Also I have often wondered if she is lonely. but then i worry about another cat not getting along with her.

[edit on 1-5-2005 by Event Horizon]

Two more things i forgot to mention.

When I take her collar off and leave it laying around she... does the same thing.

Also, we have a little stocking ornament and she does the same thing.

strange...maybe that will help

I sure wish I could offer you some advice. But, all I can say as far as your cat goes, she's not the only strange cat in the world, like I thought mine was until reading your story.

I love cats, have had them most of my life. All different personalities, colors, males, females, you name it, I've had a cat to match. But my current cat, "Kitty" (original, huh), she I think needs psychiatric help, and I'm serious! I don't know her history the first four months (approx.) of her life, as she just came to us one summer day. Just walked right in the open patio door, and has never left. We have moved since then, she came with us.

(I'm sorry I have no idea why your cat behaves in the way she does with the beenie horse, except for what some others have said, that maybe she thinks it is dead. But, if you had already had the horse for any length of time before it fell off the desk and the cat got so upset, well then, that doesn't make much sense, since she would have noticed it sitting completely still on the desk. If she didn't pay much or any attention to it before it fell, it is unlikely that she ever thought that it was alive to begin with.)

I hope you don't mind, but since you sort of put out a call to any vets, or people with similar knowledge, I thought that if there are any people who know more than we do about our cat's strange behavior, who may be reading this, I sure would like some answers as to why mine is so un-cat like. Kitty, like I said, wandered in at about the age of four months. She's a Tuxedo Cat, very pretty, although being a Tuxedo cat reveals nothing about her ancestry, or what mixture of breeds she has in her. It's just a pattern of markings. She has always been very sweet (most of the time). And she is extremely "needy", in so far as she has to know where we are all the time. She will come up to one or the other of us, (usually when we're busy with something else - that is very cat-like), jump on our lap and start "kneading" with her claws, pushing her head up wanting to be petted. That's fairly normal. But what isn't normal, is the fact that she absolutely will not let herself be picked up. If you dare to pick her up, and she has gotten much bigger and stronger now. As a matter of fact, I think she is the strongest cat I've ever had. She's just over 2 years now. Anyway, if you try to pick her up, she will squirm herself down, then as soon as you're not looking, she'll literally attack you. I don't mean playing. Her ears go back, she makes this wierd almost growling, but not growling noise. It is definately not a nice sound. Then she will leap up way high on your legs, sinking her teeth and claws in, like a true dearh grip. It is in no way any sort of game. Then, another thing is that in the 2 years that we've had her, she has purred maybe 3 or 4 times. And those can even hardly be counted as purrs. I don't think I've ever had a cat that didn't purr several times a day, at least, nor do I ever remember having one that didn't like to be picked up. I mean sure, there are times that any cat will not want to be picked up, but not just never!

Then recently, she has developed this new thing which is totally unnerving. If she goes to the door and meows becaue she want's to go out and we're busy and can't get to the door just right that second, she will stare right at you, meow loudly once more, then "squint" very slowly and deliberately. I've never seen a cat do that, and it may not sound so very unnerving just reading it, but if she did it to you personally, you would have nightmares if you didn't drop what you're doing and let her out before she could do it again. There's more, but those are the strangest.

So, I also am asking, please if there are any knowledgeable cat people out there reading this, please, please let us know what might be wrong with our cats????

Thanks,

CyberKat

Originally posted by Nerdling
She may be concerned that the beanie is actually a kitten and with it showing no signs of life she may be trying to bring that to your attention.

Not sure.

Yeah. Of course an old cat of mine did this with balled up empty cigarette packs too. She'd herd them. Fetch them. Really. Throw one anywhere, she bring it back and drop it in your lap.

And a little rat dog I had stole beanie type toys and slept with 'em. Would snap at you for taking them. That was mothering behavior.

It's like dollies for pets.

Originally posted by Event Horizon

Cats in containers. Let it begin.

Originally posted by RANT
Cats in containers. Let it begin.

or...

Cat in a box....

Event, could be a phantom birth/mothering deal. I love cats.
I have a black cat named Freddie.

Your cat has an interesting face. Has the colours of an owl.
Sanc'.

Cats and owls are my favorite. I think thats why I like this picture so much. I wish I could just ask my cat why she does these things?







[edit on 1-5-2005 by Event Horizon]

I am going with he phantom kitten idea, or seperation anxiety for the cat with the beanie baby. 2 ways to get around it is to get another cat, or play soft music when your not active in the house. A long meow is usually a sign of distress (Have had at least one cat in my life for almost 25 years). So be awareshe might be feeling lonely and needs some company.

CyberKat, As for your cat. With the problem of being picked up. Some cats are like that. But with a hiss and obviosu defensive actions it might be something more like a sore, or injury.... or bad experaince in previous time before you. I have had cats that didn't purr, or it sounded like thier mortor was broken and it only putters before stopping. Vets dont really know what causes the purring noise but I dont think it is a big concern.

lastly, when a cat looks directly at you, and closes its eyes.. or squints.. be very VERY pleased. It means they trust you. Remember, cats are not as good as Dogs in reading body language, so they do not know "Your busy" they know where you are, and theywant someonthing from Mommy and daddy. Often it does reasure to them if you call out to them and say "In a minute, kitty" and you can train them to understand you cannot do it right away.

Or you could get a cat door like I did. and have the cat let themselves in and out and in and out and in and out when ever they wanted.

Where's Abu Dahbi, and why am i going there?

I have to agree with some other posts, your cat may need a buddy,... it may be the milk anxiety ... if she was removed from her mom to early ...

let her play around with the beeny baby ... or get another kitty ... one that can play with her ...and give her back the atention she wants ???

Hi,

I have a cat who does the same sort of thing. he'll carry his string around the entire house, it's like he can't live without it. Your cat might just like your beanie baby so much it wants to hang out with it, either that or it hates horses.

p.s. This opinion was written by my son.

My cat does something like that. During the summer, she'll bring dead animals to our doorstep. I think your cat is bringing you a "trophy".

actaully it is a instict so that you start chasing and killing mice. Mommy cats do it for thier kittens to teach them how to hunt and stalk.