Does your cat know when the groceries are for THEM?

[Caspers Human]

Every time we bring groceries home, our cat, Casper, comes to greet us and investigate the the things we brought home.

It's kinda' funny how he seems to know which things are for him!
He knows which packages that his cat food, his kitty treats and cat litter come in and he always gravitates toward those items as if he's inspecting them. Then, when he's found "his" things he rubs on them, ostensibly to scent mark them. Once he's investigated and found his stuff, he turns around and goes about the rest of his daily business.

I'm sure that most cats do the same but I'm wondering what stories others have to tell about their cat coming in when the groceries are brought home and asking, "What did you bring me?"

 

[Margot Lane]

I suspect mine does can inventory when I sleep. I’m thinking of hiding the cans b/c now he only seems interested in the juicy top portions.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Daisy and Phoebe don’t take much notice of the groceries. They’re more like “Good, you’re home after deserting us for YEARS, now where’s our lunch?”

 

[Alldara]

Yes, our cats do the same. Though they also like the paper bags things come in and potatoes?

 

[ArtNJ]

I don't subscribe to visual identification/recognition, mind reading, monitoring humans for "tells," or the theory that humans are at most the 4th smartest terrestrial lifeform. So its gotta be the smell. Probably. It um permeates (?) through the bag? That sounds uh . . . scientificy?

In all seriousness, my cats only attack the bags of dry food, NOT boxes of cans. So I do think the smell somehow gets to them.

 

[danteshuman]

He must smell something in the Chewy boxes because he knows those boxes!

 

[Margot Lane]

Also good to know where the butter is in your grocery bags before bringing it inside!

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

Neko-chan gets her food and litter delivered. Her main interest in groceries is waiting for me to empty the bags so she can jump in them.

 

[Alldara]

I don't subscribe to visual identification/recognition, mind reading, monitoring humans for "tells," or the theory that humans are at most the 4th smartest terrestrial lifeform. So its gotta be the smell. Probably. It um permeates (?) through the bag? That sounds uh . . . scientificy?

In all seriousness, my cats only attack the bags of dry food, NOT boxes of cans. So I do think the smell somehow gets to them.

Smells like pet store, pet store things are for me type idea?

 

[betsygee]

Oh, yeah: 'Is this for ME?'

 

[Caspers Human]

I don't subscribe to visual identification/recognition, mind reading, monitoring humans for "tells," or the theory that humans are at most the 4th smartest terrestrial lifeform. So its gotta be the smell. Probably. It um permeates (?) through the bag? That sounds uh . . . scientificy?

In all seriousness, my cats only attack the bags of dry food, NOT boxes of cans. So I do think the smell somehow gets to them.

Casper knows that his kitty treats come in bags that make a crinkly sound when you open them. In fact, if you have something else that also comes in a crinkly bag, such as beef jerky, he'll come to investigate and beg for treats if he hears the crinkle sound.

He also knows the shape of his cat food cans but, if we buy canned tuna, he thinks that's for him, too. Maybe that's partly my fault. Whenever I cook something that has tuna in it, I save him some of the bits in the bottom of the can and a spoonful of the juice. Since he always gets a treat when I make tuna, logically speaking, it would be right for him to think that tuna cans are for him, as well.

His kitty litter, he knows because that's the only thing that comes in a big, heavy box. Yes, I'm sure that he recognizes the smell, too.

Packages of catnip? Definitely the smell! He knows that smell the second we walk in the door.
Casper is the biggest catnip fiend I have ever seen. You can't open a jar of catnip, anywhere in the house, without him coming to investigate the smell. He also knows what cabinet we keep the catnip in. If you go into that cabinet to get something else, Casper will come to investigate.

I don't think that it's any one thing that triggers the behavior. It's partly sound, partly smell, partly visual but I also think that it's learned behavior because, whenever the humans come home, carrying shopping bags, there's usually at least one thing in there for Casper.

 

[betsygee]

I don't think that it's any one thing that triggers the behavior. It's partly sound, partly smell, partly visual but I also think that it's learned behavior because, whenever the humans come home, carrying shopping bags, there's usually at least one thing in there for Casper.

That's it. They know that at least one thing in there is going to be for them!