Why does my cat carry socks around the house?

[Magscat]

She's about 12 years old and has always picked up socks and brought them downstairs with a loud meeow but she's doing it more often and more loudly now. (I wouldn't mind but she never managers to pick a pair).

Could this be a bid for attention ? (Had 2nd child 5 motnhs ago)

Aw, that's adorable!

on an entirely unhelpful note.... think yourself lucky it's socks not live mice !

I've heard of cats doing this when their kittens have been given away.

If I remember correctly, cats like lanolin in wool. Are these woolen socks by any chance?

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Sounds like what they do with kittens - perhaps it's an instinct thing. Although I've heard that cats like wool, too.

Could be worse. we lived iwht a cat whose fav thing to take was paper money. that caused a few panics I can tell you

Yes - glad it's not mice. She did that when she was younger but think she's too well fed to be bothered now.

Kittens - she did have kittens when she was v.young and they were taken away from her (she was chucked out of her home when she had them & they all got re-homed separately)

Wool - the socks are cotton. Maybe we just need to get better at closing the sock drawer & not leaving them lying around.

PS - She used to do it with my dirty knickers but I'm much better about putting them in the laundry bin these days!

Tarantula - you sure someone wasn't just blaming the cat ?

tabitha, my old cat, used to do exactly the same thing, but it was bras and knickers - she'd hid them right under the bed - her favourite was to take them from the dirty washing pile - took me about six months to work out that blaming my flatmate was completely out of order

My cat used to do it with my knickers, too - I thought it was that she was just weird!

It sounds like maternal instinct to me.

Hmm - not sure in our case the "well-fed" bit applies - rather makes it worse. Presumably it's because he is so well-fed that he brings them in to play with as opposed to eating outside!

WWB - think you're right about the maternal instinct. It's just so comical when she comes bounding into the living room and loudly meeows as she drops a sock in the middle of the room as if expecting a round of applause.

Flatmouse - if it's not being well fed then I don't know what made her give up the mouse thing - maybe she's just too old these days - socks move less!

I think it has to do with odour, ownership, territory and scent marking etc. My (teenage at the time) tomcat did the same with my clothes before he got neutered (heh, heh).

Alux - Who's odour? She isn't bothered who's socks she gets. Any socks will do - including the baby's (which hardly smell at all). Though I think she prefers unwashed ones (YUK!!) so maybe you are right.

anyone's odour that is a part of her pride?

Could be Alux. That would be a nice because it would mean she's accepted the new baby. Not sure though cos she never goes near the kids - in fact we rarely see her when ds is about!