Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Weird things your cat does

50 replies

msrisotto · 09/08/2015 08:55

Mine will back up to a door or window and kick it with her back leg. It will sound like someone is knocking.

She also 'washes' the windows with her paws, except she'll do it on horizontal smooth surfaces too.

Does yours do this? Any insights into why?
What else do they do?

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 09/08/2015 13:19

Kicking with your back leg is rabbit behaviour. Are you sure you got the right animal? Grin

IHaveBrilloHair · 09/08/2015 13:24

Stretches into odd positions and stays like it, totally still for ages, she looks like she is playing musical statues

IHaveBrilloHair · 09/08/2015 13:25

This is her yesterday, furry little weirdo

Weird things your cat does
MadAngryGnome · 09/08/2015 13:26

Backs himself into a corner and then marches on the spot, with the base of his tail and whole bum wiggling madly. No idea why he does this although there's a lot of purring involved. Any ideas also gratefully received.

cozietoesie · 09/08/2015 13:28

Not sure you're old enough for relevant ideas, Mad ! Grin

Original poster
msrisotto · 09/08/2015 16:09

cozie Grin I know, it's bizarre. I wish I could catch her at it with a camera!

OP posts:
VulcanWoman · 09/08/2015 16:15

OP, your Cat sounds like Thumper.
Mad, they're usually spraying their scent when doing that.
My Cat scratches his side with his back leg and his tongue comes out at the same time and washes his chest.

SacredHeart · 09/08/2015 16:16

mad that's scent marking behaviour.

My cat take worn socks and pants from the laundry and carries them while singing the song of her people - just like mother cats do with their kittens.

VulcanWoman · 09/08/2015 16:19

These are giving me a good laugh.
Sacred, what's the Cat Peoples song?

SacredHeart · 09/08/2015 16:28

It is so cute but so sad as she was a rescue and had not been fixed so had been allowed to breed but was only a baby herself.

SacredHeart · 09/08/2015 16:28

The video isn't my cat by the way

TheGirlOnTheLanding · 09/08/2015 16:29

Stares at random spots on the wall, his ears all pricked up on full alert - but there's nothing there, as far as we can see.

Cries to be fed every time anyone goes into the kitchen, even if his food bowl has just been filled - although if you bring him over to the bowl and show him to remind him, he's quite happy and eats a few mouthfuls before drifting off (till next time.)

He's an old boy, so it might be that his mind is getting a bit wandered in his old age, but he's done both things for quite a while.

The kicking the door sounds crazy! Maybe you should rename him Thumper!

anythingforaquietnight · 09/08/2015 16:36

Comes home in the wee small hours, walks past his full food bowl, jumps on the bed and smacks me round the face (no claws unless I don't respond quickly enough) whilst purring until I wake up, get out of bed and walk with him BACK to the food bowl, where he stares at it in surprise as if he had no idea it had food in it, then starts eating and completely ignores me.

VulcanWoman · 09/08/2015 16:38

Ah, Sacred, it is sad isn't it, does your Cat do it now much?

SacredHeart · 09/08/2015 16:40

Yeah, we've had her 5 years and she still carries her "babies" if she can get to the laundry.

Ruhrpott · 09/08/2015 16:43

Mine jumps on any surface and gets his paw around whatever is on there and chucks it on the floor. He can move a whole 12 sachet pack of whiskers and send it crashing off the windowsill and has broken many many mugs.

IHaveBrilloHair · 09/08/2015 16:48

My tortie does that Rurhpott, we call her Olly Purrs because of it.

RugBugs · 09/08/2015 16:48

MiL gave DD a 'living breathing' fake cat with its own bed for Christmas.
One of our (3) real cats turfs the fake cat out of it's bed and wedges herself in there!

diddl · 09/08/2015 16:56

Goes down the steps to the cellar & scratches at a patch of wallpaper then makes a really odd meow as if she's lost.

Only stops meowing when you call her & she'll run back up the stairs.

The door from the sitting room to the garden opens inwards.

When she wants to go out, if she's standing in the wrong place when you open the door, she backs behind it as you open it.

So is left standing behind the open door, trying to figure out why she can't get outside.

Archfarchnad · 09/08/2015 16:59

"Stares at random spots on the wall, his ears all pricked up on full alert - but there's nothing there, as far as we can see."

It's possible that he can hear mice living 'in' the walls - cats can hear their squeaks because the sound is emitted at a very high frequency.

Lurkedforever1 · 09/08/2015 17:01

For one of mine it would be easier to list her normal habits. She is super agile, even by cat standards and can't half jump. Nevertheless if she isn't hurrying, she will always climb, including climbing head first down to the floor. The locals no longer bother telling me my cat is stuck up a huge tree, as 15' of vertical head first climb is apparently a fun pastime.
She's also very territorial and dominant, yet nevertheless cats that she takes a shine to she brings home with her, like dd bringing a friend home. And chases them back to the lounge if they leave.
The other is more like a mini lion. She hunts to kill and eat, yet when full a mouse can walk past her and she's not bothered. And looks at you like you're stupid if you offer her toys. She's also average size but has managed to bring home massive rabbits and a few seagulls that outweigh her over at least one 6'+ fence. I now have a brick bbq I can't use because she stores her leftover large kills in there for the next day.

orangefusion · 09/08/2015 17:05

One of mine drinks tea- only tea, not coffee by dipping his paw into the cup and licking the drops off. He steals tea from neighbours if they are having a cup in the garden.

The other is obsessed by shiny things, especially christmas bows, he chases them, throws them in the air, catches them, chases them again and turns into a great big kitten as soon as the christmas decorations come out.

They are litter brothers, and have totally different likes and dislkies despite having been played with and offered all the same stuff all their 10 year long lives.

LavenderRain · 09/08/2015 20:33

Old Boy will sit and mew unless you put a few Dreamies on his food, you can dish up a lovely fresh bowl of meat and he will go Hmm and mew until the Dreamies are added bloody Diva

imabusybee · 09/08/2015 20:38

One of my boys isn't all there upstairs - he stares into space with a vacant look on his face and often finds himself sitting facing the wall. When he's happy he lays on his back receiving tummy tickles whilst kneading the air with his paws.

My littlest girl has a weekend morning routine of getting into bed with me under the covers for cuddles but she must wander in & out of the opening 6 times before settling (& of course I hold the duvet up for her while she does this...!)

My biggest boy is very vocal especially at tea time and his begging call sounds just like he's saying Joaquin! Bizarre. His little brother can say 'Mom' & shouts it if he can't see me.

Before we got the three above my oldest girl just lived with me in our flat & used to 'sing the song of her people' aka cry despairingly in the middle of the night if she awoke alone in a room. Now she has her brothers and sister she no longer does this which makes my heart go 'oof'!

GemmaTeller · 09/08/2015 20:54

Boy cat ignores me in the garden because I play with the dog !

Instead, he makes DH go for a walk round the garden with him and will show off by running up a tree then jumping down and running up the next one.

He also has the knack of looking at you as if you're a piece shit and stalking off if you so much as dare to not put his food in the correct dish/place.

Swipe left for the next trending thread