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The litter tray

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

Tell me about your cats weird quirks *light hearted*

68 replies

oneforsorrow1 · 18/06/2022 00:35

Hi all,

We bought a ragdoll cat about four years ago when she was a kitten and I've never really thought about it before but actually she has this really weird quirk where if you want to stroke her it has to be with your feet (grim) she absolutely under no circumstances will let you stroke her with your hand, she actively seeks out your feet and will rub herself all over them which is a bit annoying at 5am when she's digging under the covers meowing so she can get some feet love Grin I've never really thought about it before but this morning she did it to my 1 year olds feet so I think she's finally accepted him into the family. I can't say why she doesn't like hands, I got her from a reputable breeder and she's been with us since she was 12 weeks old so hasn't been mistreated in anyway, she's just a bit odd! But we love her all the same.

On the other hand we have a six year old stray rescue and he loves hands and is definitely a lot less weird than she is.

Does your cat have a weird quirk too?

OP posts:
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WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles · 18/06/2022 13:40

*@MsOllie no one will ever look at you the way your cat does"

I know you meant this sentence well @LaQuern but fuck me, it reads a bit wrongly Grin

@MsOllie I always look forward to that picture on these threads!

MsOllie · 18/06/2022 13:46

WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles · 18/06/2022 13:40

*@MsOllie no one will ever look at you the way your cat does"

I know you meant this sentence well @LaQuern but fuck me, it reads a bit wrongly Grin

@MsOllie I always look forward to that picture on these threads!

Grin thankfully my partner looks at me like that too
Ollie does not look at him in the same way Blush

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 18/06/2022 13:52

My eldest is a suckler. She's almost 5 and has always done it. She lays across my chest with her head on my shoulder suckling on my dressing gown.

Youngest is a fake wee-er. We have a spare tray in the downstairs loo and abs trots behind my jumps in the tray and pretends to wee whilst staring up at me.

mommandme · 18/06/2022 15:55

I've only had one cat so not sure how much this is typical cat behaviour or just my weird cat!

My cat has set places she has to sleep during the day and she moves between them. Mornings... my daughters bed, afternoon- window sill, evening - sofa.

She has her own spot on the sofa with a particular cushion that has to be put down for her to sit on. If the cushion is not in place, she'll miaow until everything is done the way she likes it.

When she wants her head rubbed she taps your hand with her paw.

If there's paper, an envelope or towel on the floor she has to sit on it, but never a box. She'll never sit in a box.

She loves licking the flavour off skips crisps. No other crisp, just prawn cocktail skips.

She'll only use the cat flap to come into the house, but not out. She has to go out of the front door (never the back) but only ever comes in through the back door or cat flap.

She's scared of birds.

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 18/06/2022 18:17

mommandme · 18/06/2022 15:55

I've only had one cat so not sure how much this is typical cat behaviour or just my weird cat!

My cat has set places she has to sleep during the day and she moves between them. Mornings... my daughters bed, afternoon- window sill, evening - sofa.

She has her own spot on the sofa with a particular cushion that has to be put down for her to sit on. If the cushion is not in place, she'll miaow until everything is done the way she likes it.

When she wants her head rubbed she taps your hand with her paw.

If there's paper, an envelope or towel on the floor she has to sit on it, but never a box. She'll never sit in a box.

She loves licking the flavour off skips crisps. No other crisp, just prawn cocktail skips.

She'll only use the cat flap to come into the house, but not out. She has to go out of the front door (never the back) but only ever comes in through the back door or cat flap.

She's scared of birds.

All of that is normal cat behaviour except for not sitting in a box 😂😂

Toddlerteaplease · 18/06/2022 18:18

The late Maia used to fish things out if the bin and play with them. How on earth she had the brains to do this, I have no idea. She was a typical thick Persian. I was astounded!

Toddlerteaplease · 18/06/2022 18:18

LaQuern · 18/06/2022 11:35

@MsOllie no one will ever look at you the way your cat does. He luffs you sooooo much and bigs you up to all the other cats in the area

And brings them all to visit. 😂😂

Mumoblue · 18/06/2022 18:23

My cat won’t sit on anybody’s lap unless they’re wearing a blanket over them. If she wants to sit, she’ll just look expectantly at you until you put a blanket over your lap, and if you fail to do so she’ll sit next to you looking angrily into the distance so you know just how badly you’ve disappointed her.

Attached a picture of the Kitty Sulk.

Tell me about your cats weird quirks *light hearted*
SpittinKitten · 18/06/2022 18:24

Mine also has an unhealthy interest in the armpits of tops I've worn - she likes to pick them up in her mouth and shake them like prey. I'm glad I'm not the only one!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 18/06/2022 18:34

MaleCat likes lounging on our bed if there is underwear and coathangers on it . His NN is DWP (Dirty Wee Pervert) for his overinvestment in lingerie .

FemaleCat walks along the laminate with her claws out so she "clicks" .
She likes sleeping in small boxes or DS guitar case

He bunnyhops out the catdoor , she slides out like a crocodile going into the river

She likes plastic bottle tops and hairbands and carries them round in her mouth

RaspberryParfait · 18/06/2022 18:49

Our cat will not sit on a lap, be picked up and cuddled, or stroked when she’s laying on the floor. She doesn’t lay on the sofa/beds either as trained her to sleep in an igloo cat bed. Will not sleep inside from around May to October even if raining so have had to set up an outside waterproof kennel bed for her. Hardly see her in summer. She’ll start coming in when it gets much colder.

She will come to us and stand up on her hind legs to ask for a stroke and will stay standing up while we stroke her.

We got her from the RSPCA at 12 weeks, mother was a street cat. She was so jittery, still is now, she was terrified and had her claws out when we first met her. She was the runt of the litter too. She’s a big fat furball now as a very avid hunter and will only eat Sheba for wet food. Beautifully mannered and extremely well behaved. I feed her in front of her food cupboard and she’ll move out of the way so I can shut it before eating. Stopped using a litter tray at less than 6 months. No idea where she does it but neighbours have never complained. Hardly ever hear her meow. Probably once a month if that.

Completely different from our old cat. He’d constantly meow, run up your legs, jump on your lap, liked being carried, would jump on the counter tops, loved walking over my keyboard and licking my cardigan while I was working etc.

Soubriquet · 18/06/2022 18:55

She will claw at the duvet so I will lift it up and she can lay on me with her little paws on my shoulder.

This is how she likes to sleep

Tell me about your cats weird quirks *light hearted*
Tell me about your cats weird quirks *light hearted*
Snailsaresweet · 18/06/2022 18:56

@TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo One of mine does the suckling thing, but only on my left arm, basically aiming towards the inside of the elbow. Right arm, not interested...

DrinkingAllTheGin · 18/06/2022 19:05

@Mumoblue our boy is the same but must be the right blanket.
Or at 3am the duvet is just about acceptable.

caringcarer · 18/06/2022 19:23

My exh cat says 'ham'. Sits in front of fridge and when it is opened 'haam'. Needless to say he is reinforced by being given a bit of wafer thin ham, every time. I have told exh this is not good for cat because of salt content, but he ignores my advice.

BrylcreamBeret · 18/06/2022 21:51

There are times when I wish this website had a like button. I love all of your cats 😭 My oldest is being a shithead today. She has systematically biffed every single item off my desk when I already cleared my second desk to make a bed for her, I even lined it with her favourite silk blouse of mine but nope, she wants to fuck with my stapler, folders, papers, files, pencil case and tub of paperclips. Then she sat on my lap and had the nerve to purr loudly 🙄😂🤨

forlornlorna1 · 18/06/2022 21:55

No matter how big my cats littertray is he'll still dig around in it for ages Digging a hole to crap in, then perch his arse over the side and crap on the floor. Then bury an imaginary shit in the litter. Prat he is

ZealAndArdour · 18/06/2022 22:01

My cat meows conversationally, we talk backwards and forwards to each other for up to ten minutes at a time, but he MUST have the last word. If I carry on, he carries on, ridiculous boy.

When we go to bed at night and we’re walking around the bed getting ready etc he will follow me around the edge of the bed, over and over again, like a trained cat from Britains got talent. I like to add in the hand movements to pretend in leading him deliberately, as though it’s Crufts.

Ragged · 18/06/2022 22:27

Our old cat is incredibly tolerant. I don't think he ever cuffed a human. At most he does a kind of wailing moan if he dislikes something we've done. I guess he might hiss if getting very stressed. He'll put up with almost anything, though.

tribpot · 18/06/2022 22:42

Mine loves to sleep on bags too, altho towels are preferred. And she will only drink water from a bowl in my bathroom. Nowhere else in the entire house is acceptable. Last time we were away for the night I thought 'I can't tell the cat sitter this, it's too embarrassing. Surely she will drink from a bowl by her food if we're not here'. Nope. Not a drop. So when we're away next weekend I'll have to admit this to him.

MsOllie · 18/06/2022 22:43

I also forgot mine can sit and do paw, and say mama ConfusedBlush

twomumsonebump · 18/06/2022 22:44

My parents cat Stella takes her biscuits out of her bowl with her paw one by one and eats them off the floor.

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 18/06/2022 22:46

twomumsonebump · 18/06/2022 22:44

My parents cat Stella takes her biscuits out of her bowl with her paw one by one and eats them off the floor.

Haha Betsy does this but less neatly. She likes to take a lawful and fling them in the air 😂😂

BarnacleNora · 18/06/2022 23:28

Never had a car before. Stephen has been remarkably tolerant of youngest DC and his rather overpowering love for all animals. In fact he seems to have returned the love and DC2 is now his favourite human although he does now seem to have set up a rota system of which bed he'll sleep on overnight after oldest DC started complaining it was unfair that he never got a turn. Quite spooky actually, it was genuinely like he'd heard the complaints and taken the comments on board, he suddenly started taking turns between the two beds which is remarkable considering his considerable lack of brain power.

Never used to hunt live things. Would demonstrate all his stalking and batting skills on dropped pieces of broccoli which he was excellent at, truly a master at his craft. Every piece of broccoli in the land should fear him but other vegetables were totally safe.

Recently however, although I'm not convinced he's actually hunting (I think he's too stupid for that) he has been bringing pieces of animal back into the house. He has beef with precisely one other cat in the neighbourhood and I wonder if he's started stealing this cat's trophies just to piss him off. It's pissing me off certainly to have to clean up a portion of mouse thigh and tail of a morning, having enjoyed two blissful animal parts free years. He's so proud though when he comes trotting back to the house with grim things in his mouth and I'm reminded that cats are supposed to do this because they view us as giant bald kittens that they need to provide for and that makes me laugh Smile

He gets trapped in the toilet once a week. Our house is a bit old fashioned in that the toilet is separate from the rest of the bathroom and tiny. He doesn't follow people in and then get trapped because they don't notice, he walks his fine self in, bashes the door closed and then can't get out. Then is trapped until someone hears his mournful cries. Checking the toilet is now my final step before leaving the house. Tried getting a doorstop to wedge the door open, he winkles it free. Utter tit.

Finally he is obsessed with the cupboard under the sink. He's worked out how to pull it open but doesn't go in (unlike the damn toilet), just stands on his hind legs with the door handle hooked in one of his front paws, leaning on the side of the sink with the other, just peering in at all the cleaning bottles and bin liners like he's gazing at the fridge. There's no food stored in there, he doesn't use litter, absolutely no idea of the appeal but he is fascinated.

In all honesty I got a cat because we couldn't have a dog and I was expecting it to be a bit of a poor substitute, but he's bloody entertaining the furry little idiot!

BloodT · 19/06/2022 04:33

One of my cats is too dim to use a cat flap has to have the back door opened for her to go out. She stands at the back door with her face right up to it, but when I try to open it she doesn't move backwards so each time I spend about 10 minutes opening it 1mm at a time, saying "move back or I can't open the door".

When she finally does work it out and I open the door, my other cat (who admittedly trolls her) is usually sitting right on the step outside staring at her, so DimCat won't go past her either.

I seem to spend most of my life at the fucking back door.