Cattitudes

[John Malcolm]

Our new kitty has been through a rough time recently: torn from his home (we don't know much about it but there were KIDS there!), passed from shelter to shelter, finally transported in a cage to a strange place with strange smells and strange people who like to pour ice-cold liquid in his ears twice a day (apparently he came to us with some sort of infection that the vet is culturing). After a couple of weeks of hiding, he came out and became very kittenish and cuddly. But he has a couple of behavioral ticks I hadn't seen before:

1. After eating (a 5.5 oz can of wet and a couple of handfuls of kibble daily) he likes to scratch the floor as though he were covering up the remains. He learned pretty quickly that the big Tom in the room growls at him when he claws the living-room carpet, so now he takes a few swipes at the hearth where the food is or even at the fireplace screen. I was just wondering if this behavior is common among feral cats, as I've never seen it in a domestic one before.
2. When lying at ease in the Queen's lap, being deeply messaged as he loves, he lashes his tail so it makes a loud smack on the couch or the leg. I would have thought this a sign of displeasure but the rest of him is as relaxed as a wet dishrag and purring to boot. The only time he's given her a smack was when she unintentionally rubbed his skin infection (we think it may be ringworm and it seems to be responding to topical Tolnaftate, which he loves having applied twice a day). Anybody else have experience with this behavior?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
My boy uses his tail against the floor very emphatically at times, and he can create quite a thump with it lol. There's probably some reason for it in his mind but basically it's normal for him, and so I'm thinking it's normal for your gorgeous fellow

I don't know if the covering motions are specific to ferals, it seems I've read about domestic cats doing this at times.

 

[susanm9006]

Thanks for taking this cat in! For what he has been through he seems remarkable adjusted.

Scratching around food is normal and very common. Sometimes it is instinct to protect/cover what remains but it can also be “yuck, this is awful”. Assuming he eats first it is the former.

As far as the tail slapping it can be a sign of a cat starting to get overstimulated and they go from purring to nipping in a flash. If that happens you want to back off petting when the tail starts wagging. If there hasn’t been any signs of aggression happening with your guy then it’s just his reaction to something he enjoys and not to be worried about.

 

[fionasmom]

My cats are all rescues, including those who have passed on over the years, and I could sometimes not vouch for who might have been feral or not. However, the raking over the food is very popular around here. Jamie, who is now 3 and was rescued by me at 4 weeks as an abandoned and dying baby, does this all the time. I doubt that he was with his mother or siblings long enough to have seen anyone do this or to have been "taught" to do it. He can also be quite the tail thumper at times.

You have really made your little boy happy. He is just beautiful.