strange cat behavior
Written by fla.packerbacker
I have a question that I have wondered about for a long time. Our 14 year old cat , Tigger, has been exhibiting this behavior since he was a young cat. He has a favorite small stuffed animal that he has seemed attached to since a kitten. He will search out his little doggie, make all kinds of strange meowing noises while he carries it and will physically carry this toy around the house. He even comes in the house, finds doggie and takes him outside with him. Tigger will lay down with doggie next to him. The next day, we will find doggie inside the house where Tigger has been laying. I do remember 11 years ago when our daughter was born, he seemed very maternal towards her. We kept her nursery door closed. When the baby would cry, Tigger would go to her door and lay down, making th same noises as he does when he carries doggie. We have three other cats in the home. 2 are male and one is female. Tigger gets along well with the 4 year old cat and is still keeping a distance with the 1 years olds, but tolerates the other two well. Does anyone have any ideas as to why he acts this way. We hand raised Tigger since 10 dys old and abanded by his mother, He did very well making the adjustments, he just prefers not to be petted unles he gives you signs that he wants to. If you try to get too close when he is not ready, he wil hiss at you, however, never trying to strike out. What do you think this all means
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Fla.packerbacker, It sounds like Tigger is displaying some sort of displaced maternal behavior. Some cats become attached to an item and will knead, suck on it and carry it around as a means of comfort. It is sort of like a child's attachement item. It is hard to say if he does it because he was abandoned or it is just his personality. I had a cat who carried around and nursed on a fuzzy snake.
Cats in a multi cat household do not alway arrive at complete harmony. The younger cats may be too active for Tigger and he may be a cat that requires more personal space than others. It is not uncommon for a cat to want attention on his or her terms. They may especially keep their distance if they have just returned from the outside or have just been stimulated by the other cats in the house, which may be why he hisses at first. Many cats need a winding down period before they are ready for interaction with people.
I hope this information is helpful in understanding your kitty. Cats can be complex little beings and it sure would be helpful if they could talk!
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