Carrying Toy and Crying

[stephanietx]

In the past several months, Tumbles has starting carrying around his "woobie" and crying out while the toy is still in his mouth.  He does it mainly at night when we've gone to bed, but I saw him doing this when he thought he was left alone in the house this morning.  When I opened the bathroom door, he was coming down the hall dragging his woobie and crying out.  He never plays with the toy, but I find it in different places throughout the house in the mornings.  Why does he do this?  Is it a comfort thing?

 

[StefanZ]

Im thinking of the behaviour not seldom of young females.  Ie a longing for babies to take care off.

Both cats and humans.  

He is a male, but it is well known not so few males are very protective of babies.  quite often with neutered cat males, but not seldom intact studs / toms.

Did you ever tried to take in small kittens for fostering?   Of if he did met kittens?

Chance is good he would be one of these motherly males.

So is my hypothesis at this moment.

Good luck!

 

[stephanietx]

Nope, we've never fostered or taken in any kittens.  He's the youngest.  I'm not sure he's the "motherly" type as he's the more dominant kitty and usually trying to run off our other kitty from whatever we're doing.

I'm not bothered by his behavior, just curious about it. 

 

[feralvr]

OH this is very, very common behavior. Pipsqueak has this one down and does this at night right when we go to bed. He has two stuffed toys he will do this carrying and crying at the same time. A pink stuffed mouse and a fluff ball. This goes on for at least a half hour each night. I also throw the toy for him and he LOVES this. He will carry it mewing LOUDLY into our room and drop the toy by our bed. He also does this behavior when I leave the house. He demands that I throw the toy each time before I leave the house and I hear him mewing loudly and carries the toy to the door where I have left. He is a very dominant cat as well. Presley also will do this now too. with one of his favorite toys. I will usually find the toy by my bedside the next morning. It is as if they are bringing me their prey as a gift :lol3: I think this is interesting behavior and many cat's do display this behavior.

I found this link and will look for other's as well.....

http://www.cat-health-behavior.com/cat-carrying-toys.html

 

[mbjerkness]

Gus and Lucky both do this

 

[skippymjp]

Sassy and the Diva both do this as well.  But none of my boys do it. 

 

[ldg]

OMG, Lauren, that page is hysterical! :lol3:

Ming Loy does this at night too. :nod: She yodels while carrying a furry mouse. She doesn't seem to want us to do anything other than appreciate she's got it, but she seems very happy once we tell her what a good girl she is! So for Ming Loy, I like the "mouser' theory. :lol3:

 

[rafm]

Fred does this too. I absolutely love listening to him. It always makes me smile. 

 

[just mike]

In the past several months, Tumbles has starting carrying around his "woobie" and crying out while the toy is still in his mouth.  He does it mainly at night when we've gone to bed, but I saw him doing this when he thought he was left alone in the house this morning.  When I opened the bathroom door, he was coming down the hall dragging his woobie and crying out.  He never plays with the toy, but I find it in different places throughout the house in the mornings.  Why does he do this?  Is it a comfort thing?

All of my cats do this.  The feral cat living in my garage does the same thing when she catches mice and rabbits. I'm not exactly sure why they do this but I think it is a normal thing with cats.  I have not yet read the entire thread which I intend to do.  Maybe someone has already answered your question.  I'd like to know the answer too

 

[white cat lover]

Several of mine do this also. I've never been able to 'understand' why - as they've all grown up different lives. I just chalk it up to being a cat. :lol3:

 

[feralvr]

OMG, Lauren, that page is hysterical! :lol3: :lol3:

. I thought so too..... .

And as I write this, here comes Pipsqueak howling with his mouse in his mouth. Ironic HUH :lol3:

 

[mizmelzy]

My Sassy has started doing this within the last year.  I can only guess her age because I rescued her as a feral. I'm guessing she was around 4-5 when I got her. She did have a litter of kittens.  When she was found, she was only found with one.  A friend took the kitten, and I took Sassy. Whenever she hears a kitten meow she will run to the source and start looking around.  So I know she remembers her kitten. She mainly does the yowling thing at night and when no one is home. I have found her bringing a musical Christmas mouse (when it's out) to my bedroom door! It's rather heavy so the fact that she can drag it from up on the TV stand to my bedroom door is quite amazing.  She will do this to stuffed balls, or anything black and white especially (she's black and white too so I find that amusing).   I've asked the vet about it and she said it's common for older cats to do this. She's had a blood test so all was normal there.  I can usually stop the behavior if I hide anything fluffy or stuffed in any way shape or form.   

Here is Sassy. This is from 2007 I believe.




She is such a Character. I love her dearly.

 

[gatitasmami]

My one year old momma kitty dose this no matter the time of day. She had 5 kittens about 11 weeks ago but we kept them all... I. Know I know but we think we had two sets of twins then a odd ball lol.... couldn't bare to even choose which one to give up so we didnt. But I'm a house wife and barley leave so I'm not sure why but mine dose it all day...

 

[sweetybabymomma]

I know this answer!  My cats have done this and my 3 yr old adoptee does it with her stuff mice.  They are acting out their primal instincts of carrying their prey and many cats call out during the process.  My cat willusually drop it in front of me and I say thank you.  Many imes when she is out on our screened porch , may hear the sound ans she has actually caught a lizard ! 

 

[rustysmom]

I had a cat who would do this. Every night, shortly after lights out, A.C. would come into my room carrying his "weasel", meowing profusely. I was sure to get up and thank him just as profusely. Saying it from bed wasn't good enough. I had to get up and acknowledge receipt of the weasel. I lost him in May, 2014. We miss him and his brother terribly. They died five weeks apart.

 

[sweetybabymomma]

I am sorry to hear about Weasel.  my other cat was so affectionate but rarely spoke and you could hold her  and pick her up.  My new cat is a chatter box, loves to be pet and sleeps near my head but does not like to be picked up, but she is a chatterbox

 

[sweetybabymomma]

That is the same behavior I have with my 3 yr old female.  She loves her toy mice and unfortunately likes real lizards too!

 

[furbulousbunz]

My Leo does this. He stole a small rubber ducky from my niece. He LoVeS it. Recently when my sister came over, he immediately fished my niece's pacifier out of the car seat that was sitting in the living room and started to run off with it! He appears to have a thing for rubber. So I took the pacifier and hid it behind a closed door. But eventually, a pacifier got left lying around and he claimed it by chewing off the tip of it. It's been his absolute favorite thing ever since. He runs around, yowling loudly with his favorite pink pacifier. His brother also has a favorite stuffed mouse with a feather tail and he'll yowl like this as well. I agree that I think it is something that has to do with prey instincts or something. Whatever it is, I enjoy watching him happily walk around the house with the pacifier in his mouth.

 

[kcpaull]

I have many cats who do that and it always seems to be an attention thing. The ages range from 10 months to 14 years both neutered male and spayed female.  Bucky, who is 10 months old just brought me the remains of an old feather toy. I tried seeing if he wanted it thrown, but he just kept rubbing his head on my hand and wound up on my lap snoozing. 

 

[mjandclyde]

MJ is strangely obsessed with brown paper bags. He has similar behavior as he tries to walk around with a brown paper bag on his head. Sometimes he bumps into things because I forget to poke seeing holes in the other side of his bags