What are some weird things your cat does #fundraiser2023 #chatfilter
September 7, 2023 1:36 PM Subscribe
I did it! I set up a recurring donation to MeFi!
Also I really want to know about everyone's cats and cat behavior. For example one of my cats opens cabinets to hide from strangers. The other cat noshes on kale stems and licks pans (for the oil/grease residue). They both love playing on top of a drying rack, but only if it's unstable. When the rack is braced between furniture they immediately lose interest.
One guy:
Licks the butter container lid.
Meows to get into the cabinet, and then once he gets in immediately meows to get out.
Furiously paws at mirrors like he’s trying to gain access to the cat on the other side.
The other one:
Hides under the bed when I have company and then at the most inopportune moment possible, yowls at the door to be let out.
Does a respectable otter impression: belly up, paws near his chin.
posted by sugarbomb at 1:50 PM on September 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
Licks the butter container lid.
Meows to get into the cabinet, and then once he gets in immediately meows to get out.
Furiously paws at mirrors like he’s trying to gain access to the cat on the other side.
The other one:
Hides under the bed when I have company and then at the most inopportune moment possible, yowls at the door to be let out.
Does a respectable otter impression: belly up, paws near his chin.
posted by sugarbomb at 1:50 PM on September 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
One of my current kittens likes to jump into the refrigerator, though he's starting to get a bit too big to fit and the refrigerator is getting a bit too crowded since I got a roommate. He did get stuck in there once and I didn't notice before closing the door (because he was on a shelf in the door) then I heard meows coming from the kitchen a few minutes later...
One of our cats growing up used to like to go into our bedrooms and grab any dirty laundry lying about (often undergarments...) and drag them down the stairs whilst caterwauling to alert us to his "catch."
posted by knownfossils at 2:00 PM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
One of our cats growing up used to like to go into our bedrooms and grab any dirty laundry lying about (often undergarments...) and drag them down the stairs whilst caterwauling to alert us to his "catch."
posted by knownfossils at 2:00 PM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
Our big orange guy often pauses to lick his left front leg when eating. He will take a mouthful of food, drop it on the mat/floor and then while looking down apparently thinks "hmm, gotta make sure my left leg looks good." He is also very scared of heavy rain or thunderstorms and will hide in the closet until well after they've passed.
posted by rednikki at 2:10 PM on September 7, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by rednikki at 2:10 PM on September 7, 2023 [9 favorites]
One weird thing my cat does is be a total stinking jerkface at any and all opportunities.
Good thing she's adorable.
posted by bondcliff at 2:18 PM on September 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
Good thing she's adorable.
posted by bondcliff at 2:18 PM on September 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
This thread is sadly, SADLY I tell you, lacking in pictures.
My friend's cat is such a boy. He wakes me up at 5 am ready to run marathons. I take him and toss him onto the bed from a good 5 feet away, and he immediately runs back to me saying "do that again!"
posted by Melismata at 2:19 PM on September 7, 2023 [12 favorites]
My friend's cat is such a boy. He wakes me up at 5 am ready to run marathons. I take him and toss him onto the bed from a good 5 feet away, and he immediately runs back to me saying "do that again!"
posted by Melismata at 2:19 PM on September 7, 2023 [12 favorites]
This is not that uncommon among amputee cats, but he twitches the stump of his missing back right leg in the general direction of his chin. The odd thing is his chin moves as if it has been scratched by a high velocity paw which is no longer there.
He also realised some time ago that he can get sympathy scratches whenever he does this. Perhaps with a snack?
posted by biffa at 2:28 PM on September 7, 2023 [9 favorites]
He also realised some time ago that he can get sympathy scratches whenever he does this. Perhaps with a snack?
posted by biffa at 2:28 PM on September 7, 2023 [9 favorites]
When the opportunity presents, my cat likes to lick photographic prints.
posted by misteraitch at 2:35 PM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by misteraitch at 2:35 PM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
***** This is a calendar concept I can fully endorse. *****
posted by amtho at 3:06 PM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by amtho at 3:06 PM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
Foster cat Jonathan has a real drive to eat cobwebs, or the things in cobwebs. He regularly shows up with cobweb all over his whiskers and face.
posted by amtho at 3:18 PM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by amtho at 3:18 PM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
Digby: has a strange hand knitted "mouse" (essentially an indistinct gray ovoid with a long yarn tail) that came with him when we fostered then fostered failed that he carries in his mouth, meowing for attention. We call it his "wubby." Digby brings us his wubby quite a few times a day. He also plays fetch. We did not teach him fetch. We are baffled as to how he learned fetch. But he does! He also wears ties in the morning to smell his morning smells at the window.
Agatha: This little diva is the surest of herself cat I have ever met. You must present the Fingy of Friendship in order to pat her. She then cocks her head just so and allows you to do it. She also muscles her big brother and little sister out of the way for attention. And food. She also raises her paw in a sassy manner when she wants human attention.
Prudence: The smol one. Also requires Fingy of Friendship. Harasses Shepherd multiple times a day to get what we call "stair squinches." She goes to his home office, screeches at him, he then follows her (with her checking over her shoulder to make sure he is following). She gallops up the bedroom stairs, demands squeezy pats along her back through the stair railings. Then a couple of quick pops with paws and finishing with her losing her damn mind by rolling around on the landing, bonking her tiny noggin along the banisters.
posted by Kitteh at 3:32 PM on September 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
Agatha: This little diva is the surest of herself cat I have ever met. You must present the Fingy of Friendship in order to pat her. She then cocks her head just so and allows you to do it. She also muscles her big brother and little sister out of the way for attention. And food. She also raises her paw in a sassy manner when she wants human attention.
Prudence: The smol one. Also requires Fingy of Friendship. Harasses Shepherd multiple times a day to get what we call "stair squinches." She goes to his home office, screeches at him, he then follows her (with her checking over her shoulder to make sure he is following). She gallops up the bedroom stairs, demands squeezy pats along her back through the stair railings. Then a couple of quick pops with paws and finishing with her losing her damn mind by rolling around on the landing, bonking her tiny noggin along the banisters.
posted by Kitteh at 3:32 PM on September 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
My cat, Rudi (8) likes to sleep like this, which I call his 'chicken wings pose'. It looks horribly uncomfortable, but he's a cat, ergo a weirdo.
posted by essexjan at 4:03 PM on September 7, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by essexjan at 4:03 PM on September 7, 2023 [11 favorites]
Moon Pie gets mad when I lay on the bed facing the edge so I can look at my phone while it charges. She wants me to turn towards the center of the bed so we can snuggle. If she doesn't get her way she will bite my shoulders and pull my hair HARD with her teeth until I roll over.
Twinkle loves to get in the bathtub after my husband has had a shower and licks the tepid drops of water off the floor of the tub.
Literally every item on the front part of the shelf on which I keep my crystals was put there to create a fortress to keep Twinkle from getting up there to play with them. How it's going so far
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:09 PM on September 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
Twinkle loves to get in the bathtub after my husband has had a shower and licks the tepid drops of water off the floor of the tub.
Literally every item on the front part of the shelf on which I keep my crystals was put there to create a fortress to keep Twinkle from getting up there to play with them. How it's going so far
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:09 PM on September 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
Cucumber delights in licking me when I have freshly applied moisturizer. Normally, licking is a perfunctory "hello yes I am a cat" sort of thing, but when I have put on my (drugstore, $13.22 per ounce) moisturizer, she is into it. (I don't let her do it much, it can't be good for her, but she's frustratingly good at timing her attacks to when I am distracted/have my hands full.)
posted by pollytropos at 4:21 PM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by pollytropos at 4:21 PM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
Mine both LOVE broccoli. Like come running to the kitchen when I cook it and scream like maniacs for it. One of them messes with spinach and some other greens but it's broccoli that really gets them both. Never encountered it before and I've had a good number of felines.
posted by dazedandconfused at 4:30 PM on September 7, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by dazedandconfused at 4:30 PM on September 7, 2023 [9 favorites]
Ha! And i thought my Mimi was the only cat worldwide who loves broccoli! She will help herself if she can, fishing for it with her right paw.
posted by 15L06 at 4:41 PM on September 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by 15L06 at 4:41 PM on September 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
Demands to lick coconut oil off my hands every evening around 8pm. For a while I was using it to oil cleanse and somehow it became a habit. Now that it’s cat food I have moved on to different cleansers but it still lives in the bathroom and he will stand near the door and yell at me if I’m late. The other day I was trying to leave with a friend in the evening and he glared at me from just inside the bathroom door and I was like “ugh, FINE” and it was a little embarrassing to have to explain what was going on to someone else.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 5:06 PM on September 7, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by jeweled accumulation at 5:06 PM on September 7, 2023 [7 favorites]
My younger cat hates people except me a one of my cat sitters. When she’s especially upset, she will jump on the headboard, burrow between the pillows, and make the smallest ball possible under the top sheet in the bed. She also likes to get on the bed when I am exercising and prance about seeking pets and even cuddling.
My older cat likes to face a corner and yowl, because she is at war with ghosts.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:37 PM on September 7, 2023 [7 favorites]
My older cat likes to face a corner and yowl, because she is at war with ghosts.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:37 PM on September 7, 2023 [7 favorites]
This is less of a behavior and more of a general oddity, but…
My 14 year old tuxedo tabby named Mu smells ever-so-slightly musty, like an antiques store. I didn’t notice this until about a year ago. He’s a little corpulent and has poor eyesight but otherwise has a clean bill of health. I don’t collect a ton of antiques, and he grooms himself as well as he ever has (haha), so I don’t know what’s going on.
Otherwise…he likes sticking his face in my hair and staying there for a little while (I call it the hair grotto). He also likes to stand by an elevated place where people are (e.g., couch, bed) and wait/stare at you until you invite him to jump up…like he’s a little vampire or something. :)
posted by beastelyse at 7:40 PM on September 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
My 14 year old tuxedo tabby named Mu smells ever-so-slightly musty, like an antiques store. I didn’t notice this until about a year ago. He’s a little corpulent and has poor eyesight but otherwise has a clean bill of health. I don’t collect a ton of antiques, and he grooms himself as well as he ever has (haha), so I don’t know what’s going on.
Otherwise…he likes sticking his face in my hair and staying there for a little while (I call it the hair grotto). He also likes to stand by an elevated place where people are (e.g., couch, bed) and wait/stare at you until you invite him to jump up…like he’s a little vampire or something. :)
posted by beastelyse at 7:40 PM on September 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
My current cat, Sheba, loves, loves, loves grooming humans. My couch has a flat "ledge" on the back and she will climb up there and lick your head for 5-10 minutes at a stretch. It is like catnip to her. I have seen her roll her face around in people's hair; get so drunk on the scent she starts falling off the couch ledge. She has no respect for anyone's personal boundaries and I have seen her climb all over perfect strangers to get her grooming fix on. This is kind of endearing except for the fact that at some point she gets overstimulated and bites your head (not hard enough to break skin or anything, but she has pointy teeth!).
A previous cat loved cantaloupe and if you put a wedge down he would lick it like a popsicle until it was all gone; he also let us dress him up in a pink sweater. And another previous cat really loved broccoli.
posted by brookeb at 8:58 PM on September 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
A previous cat loved cantaloupe and if you put a wedge down he would lick it like a popsicle until it was all gone; he also let us dress him up in a pink sweater. And another previous cat really loved broccoli.
posted by brookeb at 8:58 PM on September 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
Our (sadly no longer with us) cat loooooved those individually-wrapped Kraft singles american cheese. Just crinkling the wrapper a little bit would result in him flying into the kitchen from wherever in the house he was. He would then put on the most pathetic demonstration of meowing and rubbing against and around your legs until you tossed him a piece of cheese.
He got out of the house once, and we lured him back in by crinkling the “cat cheese” (which is now our name for wrapped american cheese singles.)
He would also play fetch using those plastic rings from the caps of plastic milk jugs. I really miss that fella.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:43 AM on September 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
He got out of the house once, and we lured him back in by crinkling the “cat cheese” (which is now our name for wrapped american cheese singles.)
He would also play fetch using those plastic rings from the caps of plastic milk jugs. I really miss that fella.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:43 AM on September 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
A kitten that *loved* to jump into the shower with me.
posted by zengargoyle at 5:02 AM on September 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by zengargoyle at 5:02 AM on September 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
My cat is 18 years old. He does basically nothing these days but sit in a box in the kitchen, sometimes with his face buried in the corner, as if he's being punished. He basically only gets out if he thinks there's dairy for him -- yogurt, sour cream, cheese, butter, whatever. God help you if he hears you open the sour cream container and get a spoon, because he will leap out of that box as fast as his arthritic hips will allow and yowl at you until you hand over the goods.
Twinkle loves to get in the bathtub after my husband has had a shower and licks the tepid drops of water off the floor of the tub.
He used to do this too, when we had a shower stall. He's not really a jumper, so he never got into the bathtub, but I bet he would have.
He would also play fetch using those plastic rings from the caps of plastic milk jugs. I really miss that fella.
We had another (sadly departed) cat who would play fetch, too. Sometimes she'd bring something and drop it at your feet -- usually a hair tie, but sometimes a ball of paper or whatever she found lying around, she wasn't picky -- and yell at you until you threw it for her.
posted by uncleozzy at 7:24 AM on September 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
Twinkle loves to get in the bathtub after my husband has had a shower and licks the tepid drops of water off the floor of the tub.
He used to do this too, when we had a shower stall. He's not really a jumper, so he never got into the bathtub, but I bet he would have.
He would also play fetch using those plastic rings from the caps of plastic milk jugs. I really miss that fella.
We had another (sadly departed) cat who would play fetch, too. Sometimes she'd bring something and drop it at your feet -- usually a hair tie, but sometimes a ball of paper or whatever she found lying around, she wasn't picky -- and yell at you until you threw it for her.
posted by uncleozzy at 7:24 AM on September 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
Mod note: This question has been added to the Sidebar and Best Of blog
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 7:51 AM on September 8, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 7:51 AM on September 8, 2023 [8 favorites]
My cats don't do anything weird, now, because I've read this thread so far-- likes coconut oil, yes; go into another room and howls until I say something or get up, yes; adores banana bread, yes; walks around the house with a fabric "sneck" in the mouth warbling in triumph, yes; sits at the water bowl dipping paw into water and licking off paw, yes; completely indignant about me being on the other side of a closed door, yes; walks up to another sleeping cat and bops them several times, yes; eats all the dry food and throws it back up into the bowl, yes.
posted by winesong at 8:28 AM on September 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by winesong at 8:28 AM on September 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
My orange tabby is obsessed with licking the roll-down blinds. He'll get up on his hind legs to lick them if they're not unrolled far enough to reach.
He also likes to lick and bite our ankles after we get out of the hot-tub. Not the shower, just the hot tub.
posted by egeanin at 9:23 AM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
He also likes to lick and bite our ankles after we get out of the hot-tub. Not the shower, just the hot tub.
posted by egeanin at 9:23 AM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Finn tries to eat plastic. The thinner the better...grocery store-type bags are a particular favorite. I have to be hyper vigilant about anything of that sort that comes in the house because he will track it down.
My mom had a cat who ate all kinds of vegetables. Present him with a piece of fish and a piece of vegetable and he'd go for the veggie every time. She also had a cat who sucked on the end of his tail.
posted by Preserver at 10:20 AM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
My mom had a cat who ate all kinds of vegetables. Present him with a piece of fish and a piece of vegetable and he'd go for the veggie every time. She also had a cat who sucked on the end of his tail.
posted by Preserver at 10:20 AM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Fizz also eats plastic, but that doesn't seem to be entirely uncommon. She has a nervous constitution and we now joke that she's a Tennessee Williams character. But she consistently does one weird thing that seems to be unique to her:
Our kitchen has an island, and when we are feeding the cats Fizz will prowl around it, always going clockwise. Not long after she started that habit, she started going in a straight line past the end of the island, down the entry hall, and into the living room, which enables a much larger circle through the dining room back to the island. (Imagine it's a figure eight, where the short loop just goes around the island, but the longer loop takes her through the hallway and back). She pretty much prowls the same way every time we feed them. Sometimes she'll come running if we tap the fork against the bowl, but that seems to be getting increasingly rare now.
Her brother Flip will find my arm and press himself against it for scratches. This results in copious shedding. He only does that to me, not my wife. But when we watch TV, he insists on sitting on her armrest and not mine. She also bears the brunt of his begging for meals.
posted by fedward at 11:17 AM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Our kitchen has an island, and when we are feeding the cats Fizz will prowl around it, always going clockwise. Not long after she started that habit, she started going in a straight line past the end of the island, down the entry hall, and into the living room, which enables a much larger circle through the dining room back to the island. (Imagine it's a figure eight, where the short loop just goes around the island, but the longer loop takes her through the hallway and back). She pretty much prowls the same way every time we feed them. Sometimes she'll come running if we tap the fork against the bowl, but that seems to be getting increasingly rare now.
Her brother Flip will find my arm and press himself against it for scratches. This results in copious shedding. He only does that to me, not my wife. But when we watch TV, he insists on sitting on her armrest and not mine. She also bears the brunt of his begging for meals.
posted by fedward at 11:17 AM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
One of mine will get close and stare at me while intermittently doing his "I want something & I want it now" meow when it's meal time. He stares! Into my eyes! Having been raised by with cats, this is deeply unpleasant.
He can be sweet and loving and follows me around, but also steals avocados, bread, and tomatoes. Turns out he's diabetic! He doesn't eat tomatoes anymore but still steals them.
My calico is a sweetheart but beyond skittish. She used to sleep at the head of our bed every night, so when I bought a new mattress I made sure it was long enough to accommodate her & my tall husband. The new bed freaked her out and it's been years since she last set foot in my bedroom.
She's been hiding out in a spare room when the living room fireplace isn't running, & we were really concerned about her quality of life but didn't want to traumatize her further. Finally I absolutely had to clean the room out (mystery pee smell) and sure enough, she freaked out and ran... To the front room. Now she owns the big couch in front of the window. I'm delighted but very confused.
posted by Baethan at 11:29 AM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
He can be sweet and loving and follows me around, but also steals avocados, bread, and tomatoes. Turns out he's diabetic! He doesn't eat tomatoes anymore but still steals them.
My calico is a sweetheart but beyond skittish. She used to sleep at the head of our bed every night, so when I bought a new mattress I made sure it was long enough to accommodate her & my tall husband. The new bed freaked her out and it's been years since she last set foot in my bedroom.
She's been hiding out in a spare room when the living room fireplace isn't running, & we were really concerned about her quality of life but didn't want to traumatize her further. Finally I absolutely had to clean the room out (mystery pee smell) and sure enough, she freaked out and ran... To the front room. Now she owns the big couch in front of the window. I'm delighted but very confused.
posted by Baethan at 11:29 AM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Another big orange guy tale (tail?): he loves to play with rubber bands...and eat them. Especially wrapped hair elastics. We don't have hair elastics in the house anymore. (Dear MeFi: if you have recommendations for large elastics he can't swallow I'm all ears!)
posted by rednikki at 12:11 PM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by rednikki at 12:11 PM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Coil-style...ponytail holders? They're plastic, not elastic, but work well and the larger ones especially might not be edible. Eatable?
posted by Baethan at 12:21 PM on September 8, 2023
posted by Baethan at 12:21 PM on September 8, 2023
Late younger kitty used to run to the kitchen if we dropped tortilla chips. And fight with the dog over them.
She also loved muffins. If I baked muffins, I had to cover them up to cool; otherwise, I would find one bite taken out of each one. Not other baked goods - cookies, bars, rice krispy treats, all ignored - but muffins, oh my, muffins were it.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 2:10 PM on September 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
She also loved muffins. If I baked muffins, I had to cover them up to cool; otherwise, I would find one bite taken out of each one. Not other baked goods - cookies, bars, rice krispy treats, all ignored - but muffins, oh my, muffins were it.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 2:10 PM on September 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
Several years ago I was cat sitting for Kofi, who was named after Kofi Annan. When Kofi was thirsty, he wouldn't drink from his water bowl. He would stand in my shower and beg for me to turn the water on.
posted by Jeanne at 2:38 PM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Jeanne at 2:38 PM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Every morning after her breakfast Hopper demands to have her fort made in my bed. Two rows of pillows must be placed, then she stands between them while a tidal wave (fleecy blanket) breaks over her. She settles in under it and takes her first nap.
If I'm puttering and forget, she stands on my bed and yells at me. If she's puttering and forgets and I say "Do you want a fort?" she runs to my room.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:53 PM on September 8, 2023 [13 favorites]
If I'm puttering and forget, she stands on my bed and yells at me. If she's puttering and forgets and I say "Do you want a fort?" she runs to my room.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:53 PM on September 8, 2023 [13 favorites]
Josie, orange & white agouti tabby, former stray found starving, will drink milk out of unattended cups, especially if they are on the bar in the kitchen. He's also a box kitten and will sleep in them. Sings for grass (not the smoking kind), and will gently eat his offerings from my hand. Also enjoys shredded cheese and lunch meat. He is six.
Cookie, calico former feral, full name Cookie Dough Ice Cream, will pick up pieces of plastic or paper and carry them around singing about what she found. Also, will do the same to her banana (stuffed with catnip). She's also an excellent mouse hunter. She is 10 now, and the old lady of the house. Loves tuna juice and shredded bits in broth.
Cookie and Josie have this thing where they swap sleeping spots. Cookie will sleep somewhere, then Josie comes along and takes a nap on it, and vice versa. Until I put up a curtain, they loved to sleep in my towel shelf.
Faya, or Miss Fluffington, has all the brain cells in the house, and the one with a full cat software download package. She purrs loudly at pettings, and will insist on them, especially when I get into bed and cover up with the blankets. She adores bird TV, and likes the cat fishing app. She will try to eat the feathers on her toys, so she's under strict supervision with those. She's two, and yes, as soft as she looks. She's the bravest one of the house, will come out to see new people.
Edit: Faya will run to me if I come in, even if she's getting pettings from her daddy (my husband). He's chopped liver if I'm around.
posted by tlwright at 7:05 PM on September 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
Cookie, calico former feral, full name Cookie Dough Ice Cream, will pick up pieces of plastic or paper and carry them around singing about what she found. Also, will do the same to her banana (stuffed with catnip). She's also an excellent mouse hunter. She is 10 now, and the old lady of the house. Loves tuna juice and shredded bits in broth.
Cookie and Josie have this thing where they swap sleeping spots. Cookie will sleep somewhere, then Josie comes along and takes a nap on it, and vice versa. Until I put up a curtain, they loved to sleep in my towel shelf.
Faya, or Miss Fluffington, has all the brain cells in the house, and the one with a full cat software download package. She purrs loudly at pettings, and will insist on them, especially when I get into bed and cover up with the blankets. She adores bird TV, and likes the cat fishing app. She will try to eat the feathers on her toys, so she's under strict supervision with those. She's two, and yes, as soft as she looks. She's the bravest one of the house, will come out to see new people.
Edit: Faya will run to me if I come in, even if she's getting pettings from her daddy (my husband). He's chopped liver if I'm around.
posted by tlwright at 7:05 PM on September 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
Why! Does my otherwise extremely normal cat Zevo usually pee standing up like a human boy????? He can do it normally but his preferred position is vertical as pictured. Weirdo.
posted by Mizu at 7:31 PM on September 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by Mizu at 7:31 PM on September 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
Oh, I forgot to add, Faya uses her paws like hands to scoop out her food, and she will occasionally drop bits into her water dish, I guess to flavor the water? Or something. She has laid on her side and will reach into her food dish and scoop the food up, then eat it off her paws. If I'm eating, she expects something in her dish too.
posted by tlwright at 7:47 PM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by tlwright at 7:47 PM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Shadow takes every opportunity to gnaw the hair off my head. And he so helpfully unrolls all the toilet paper. Thanks Shadow.
posted by SyraCarol at 9:05 PM on September 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by SyraCarol at 9:05 PM on September 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
Our late first cat would have to sniff you every time you pet her. If you were petting her, and stopped at all, even just to put your hand on her and leave it, she'd have to re-sniff you to make sure you were the right person.
Our late senior cat groomed Mr. Meat's beard like he was her kitten every day for the first year we had her and intermittently after that. Note: this did not mean that she wanted a kitten. Sorry, Senior Kitty, for making you have a younger kitty sibling that I thought you wanted.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 8:46 AM on September 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
Our late senior cat groomed Mr. Meat's beard like he was her kitten every day for the first year we had her and intermittently after that. Note: this did not mean that she wanted a kitten. Sorry, Senior Kitty, for making you have a younger kitty sibling that I thought you wanted.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 8:46 AM on September 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
My first cat liked to lick armpits. But only certain ones. Not mine. My roommates and then later when I moved home, my mom's.
posted by kathrynm at 11:37 AM on September 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by kathrynm at 11:37 AM on September 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
Mimi has different things she wants from people. My teenage son is treated like a kitten brother, rough play is what she wants from him. At the end of it she snuggles into his armpit and licks until he giggles. Then falls asleep. When i am not at home she spoons with him.
Me, she grooms my hair, chewing and licking, and generally not moving far from me, always staying close. If i move, she does. If i go into the kitchen, she expects food, If i do other things there she watches very closely always ready in case something drops that she might want. She was a rescue and i think she must have survived on scraps for years, she would eat noodles if i let her (which i don't).
When my son's father visits, she demands he go with to the small courtyard next to our garden where the trash cans for the building are kept. There she inspects everything before signalling she is done so he can open our garden gate. Then she climbs up on him, puts her paws on his shoulders and her chin beneath his and demands he scratch and massage her ears. If he doesnt comply she makes whiney sounds until he does. All this is rather ironic as he is not really a cat person. But she persisted until he now actually really enjoys her company.
She ignored my brother for a long time, like almost a year. Which is odd as he likes cats and she loves visitors in general. Last week he came by with his partner, who is strongly allergic to cats so usually does not visit me at home, and for the first time Mimi demanded that he should pick her up and snuggled all over with him, sort of rolling around on him. By the end he was so badly covered in cat hair i had to lend him T-shirt so that his partner could travel home on the tube sitting next to him.
In general Mimi loves visitors. When the door bell rings she will run to the door and check who it is and demands attention from whomever it is, even delivery guys.
posted by 15L06 at 1:21 PM on September 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
Me, she grooms my hair, chewing and licking, and generally not moving far from me, always staying close. If i move, she does. If i go into the kitchen, she expects food, If i do other things there she watches very closely always ready in case something drops that she might want. She was a rescue and i think she must have survived on scraps for years, she would eat noodles if i let her (which i don't).
When my son's father visits, she demands he go with to the small courtyard next to our garden where the trash cans for the building are kept. There she inspects everything before signalling she is done so he can open our garden gate. Then she climbs up on him, puts her paws on his shoulders and her chin beneath his and demands he scratch and massage her ears. If he doesnt comply she makes whiney sounds until he does. All this is rather ironic as he is not really a cat person. But she persisted until he now actually really enjoys her company.
She ignored my brother for a long time, like almost a year. Which is odd as he likes cats and she loves visitors in general. Last week he came by with his partner, who is strongly allergic to cats so usually does not visit me at home, and for the first time Mimi demanded that he should pick her up and snuggled all over with him, sort of rolling around on him. By the end he was so badly covered in cat hair i had to lend him T-shirt so that his partner could travel home on the tube sitting next to him.
In general Mimi loves visitors. When the door bell rings she will run to the door and check who it is and demands attention from whomever it is, even delivery guys.
posted by 15L06 at 1:21 PM on September 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
Asami likes to lick my hair around 4am. It's kind of adorable and also incredibly annoying.
Kiki is obsessed with chasing yarn (not balls, just in string form) especially if its being pulled under a pillow or jacket or something. She asks me for this game 5 or 6 times a day, very clearly.
Elvis seems to be half-dog and lays on his back asking for belly rubs. He's also BFFs with Kiki and they love to snuggle.
posted by signal at 2:41 PM on September 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
Kiki is obsessed with chasing yarn (not balls, just in string form) especially if its being pulled under a pillow or jacket or something. She asks me for this game 5 or 6 times a day, very clearly.
Elvis seems to be half-dog and lays on his back asking for belly rubs. He's also BFFs with Kiki and they love to snuggle.
posted by signal at 2:41 PM on September 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
Late younger kitty also used to meow every time she finished a meal. So sad that it was all gone.
Every. time.
One time Mr. Meat overslept; she woke him up so super loud and sad demanding breakfast.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 3:31 PM on September 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
Every. time.
One time Mr. Meat overslept; she woke him up so super loud and sad demanding breakfast.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 3:31 PM on September 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
A bit over a year ago, my step mother went to get her hair done and came home with a cat (there were already two in the house - mine and my late father's). This cat turned out to be pregnant, so there are now seven cats in the house.
Apologies for no cat taxes - I have no social media on which to put the pics to link them.
Hope (4 yrs old,white, blue eyes, deaf, Dad's cat) is the kind of cat that cat haters think all cats are. Standoffish, destructive - glasses on counters are his natural prey and he will shove them off the counter and break them every time.
Gareth (16 yrs old, yellow mackerel tabby and white, mine) refuses all wet cat food. Dry kibble only for his taste. But - peanut butter, strawberry or lemon anything, and pastry turn him into the Mighty Hunter. Seriously, if I wish to not have my pb&j swiped from my hand, I have to hold out a finger full of peanut butter for him to lick while I inhale the sandwich.
Purrrrl (momma cat, age indeterminate, grey ticked tabby and white) has a thing about establishing her dominance over any dog that enters the house. There is detente with the dog who lives here, but all others are fair game.
Earl (grey ticked tabby, one year) has a fetish for nonhuman butts. Any animal near him is liable to have a nose pressed into their butt for pretty much as long as they will tolerate it.
Jasmine (grey ticked tabby, one year) is the runt of the litter. She loves being under things, and mashing her face into small spaces. The height of happiness for her is being under the covers with me, shoving her face into my armpit to groom it. She prefers that I not hold my arm up - she likes to mash her face in there. It's a distinctly odd sensation, a wildly purring cat licking your armpit and kneading your side in ecstasy.
Pekoe (grey spotted tabby, one year) loves attention but will not be picked up or cuddled. She will pace on you while you scratch.
Oolong ( brown mackerel tabby and white, one year) will only be touched by me, and even then, only in certain parts of the house. In my room, there are many cuddles and I can pick her up, pose her, whatever. In the living room or on the catio, I may stroke her IF she approaches me, but there will be no further familiarity, or she'll disappear for ten hours under something. She may not be touched anywhere else in the house at all. But in my room, she demands my attention: I am typing this one handed because her whole body is wrapped around my right arm while I scratch her chin and upper chest.
When we move back home next month Gareth, Jasmine, Pekoe and Oolong are coming with us. I wouldn't have intentionally chosen to serve so many cats, but I love them now.
posted by Vigilant at 10:53 AM on September 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
Apologies for no cat taxes - I have no social media on which to put the pics to link them.
Hope (4 yrs old,white, blue eyes, deaf, Dad's cat) is the kind of cat that cat haters think all cats are. Standoffish, destructive - glasses on counters are his natural prey and he will shove them off the counter and break them every time.
Gareth (16 yrs old, yellow mackerel tabby and white, mine) refuses all wet cat food. Dry kibble only for his taste. But - peanut butter, strawberry or lemon anything, and pastry turn him into the Mighty Hunter. Seriously, if I wish to not have my pb&j swiped from my hand, I have to hold out a finger full of peanut butter for him to lick while I inhale the sandwich.
Purrrrl (momma cat, age indeterminate, grey ticked tabby and white) has a thing about establishing her dominance over any dog that enters the house. There is detente with the dog who lives here, but all others are fair game.
Earl (grey ticked tabby, one year) has a fetish for nonhuman butts. Any animal near him is liable to have a nose pressed into their butt for pretty much as long as they will tolerate it.
Jasmine (grey ticked tabby, one year) is the runt of the litter. She loves being under things, and mashing her face into small spaces. The height of happiness for her is being under the covers with me, shoving her face into my armpit to groom it. She prefers that I not hold my arm up - she likes to mash her face in there. It's a distinctly odd sensation, a wildly purring cat licking your armpit and kneading your side in ecstasy.
Pekoe (grey spotted tabby, one year) loves attention but will not be picked up or cuddled. She will pace on you while you scratch.
Oolong ( brown mackerel tabby and white, one year) will only be touched by me, and even then, only in certain parts of the house. In my room, there are many cuddles and I can pick her up, pose her, whatever. In the living room or on the catio, I may stroke her IF she approaches me, but there will be no further familiarity, or she'll disappear for ten hours under something. She may not be touched anywhere else in the house at all. But in my room, she demands my attention: I am typing this one handed because her whole body is wrapped around my right arm while I scratch her chin and upper chest.
When we move back home next month Gareth, Jasmine, Pekoe and Oolong are coming with us. I wouldn't have intentionally chosen to serve so many cats, but I love them now.
posted by Vigilant at 10:53 AM on September 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
Just realized it isn't clear that stepmother is staying here with Hope, Purrrrl and Earl. I'm good with people thinking many bad things about me, but not that I would abandon a cat!
posted by Vigilant at 10:56 AM on September 11, 2023
posted by Vigilant at 10:56 AM on September 11, 2023
Nevada was a spanky cat. I wondered if it was a Manx thing -- you could not slap her butt hard enough. I made friends with her when Twice Sold Tales was on Broadway & John. People would go 'You're hurting her!' But she didn't think so. I got her because the store got recarpeted and Marmite, a new cat, started dogging her and Nevada in turn started peeing on the new carpet. The other thing about her was she was a biter with a whole communicative repertoire from mild nip to drawing a drop of blood depending on her mood and point. She was not a cat to be trifled with.
posted by y2karl at 7:36 PM on September 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by y2karl at 7:36 PM on September 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
This utter berk is called Beetle, he likes sitting over the arm of the sofa with his front legs splayed out like this for some unfathomable reason. It does not look comfortable but he spends ages like that quite happily. Perhaps he finds it supports his not inconsiderable bulk better than other positions - at his last check-up he was officially declared "chonky" by the vet.
These two chaos goblins are Agnes and Clovis and have an intense passion for chewing up cardboard. They will diligently work to destroy a box over the course of a few days, at which point we have to provide a new on or they start chewing the laundry basket or items of furniture. They are the newest freeloaders to join our family, and because they were borderline-feral we had to contain them in our bedroom to get them a bit more socialised. They now view this room as their personal sanctuary and the floor is covered in a semi-permanent layer of shredded packaging.
This dignified old lady is Marsha, she sadly left us in 2021. She used to do a weird thing where she would stand up on her back legs like so. She was also, many many years ago, the only kitten to have more than one picture in the Kittenwar book, although you can't see her in the preview there (previously, not our website anymore btw).
This tiny psychopath is Steve, she was obsessively attached to the small felt cat toy in that picture. It came from a McDonald's Happy Meal and she carried it around with her and washed it like it was her kitten, but would also beat seven shades of hell out of it. She also loved to play fetch with folded up crisp packets. She was a bit loose in the brain and went missing before her fourth birthday.
This is Deeley, Steve's sister, she didn't do anything particularly weird. She was just the loveliest, softest, best cat ever and I still miss her.
posted by tomsk at 5:27 AM on September 12, 2023 [4 favorites]
These two chaos goblins are Agnes and Clovis and have an intense passion for chewing up cardboard. They will diligently work to destroy a box over the course of a few days, at which point we have to provide a new on or they start chewing the laundry basket or items of furniture. They are the newest freeloaders to join our family, and because they were borderline-feral we had to contain them in our bedroom to get them a bit more socialised. They now view this room as their personal sanctuary and the floor is covered in a semi-permanent layer of shredded packaging.
This dignified old lady is Marsha, she sadly left us in 2021. She used to do a weird thing where she would stand up on her back legs like so. She was also, many many years ago, the only kitten to have more than one picture in the Kittenwar book, although you can't see her in the preview there (previously, not our website anymore btw).
This tiny psychopath is Steve, she was obsessively attached to the small felt cat toy in that picture. It came from a McDonald's Happy Meal and she carried it around with her and washed it like it was her kitten, but would also beat seven shades of hell out of it. She also loved to play fetch with folded up crisp packets. She was a bit loose in the brain and went missing before her fourth birthday.
This is Deeley, Steve's sister, she didn't do anything particularly weird. She was just the loveliest, softest, best cat ever and I still miss her.
posted by tomsk at 5:27 AM on September 12, 2023 [4 favorites]
Sasha (12-ish year old American snowshoe) will paw furiously at the floor next to the water bowl before drinking, and if interrupted will do her “cat dance” all over again before she settles down to drink. She also quite enjoys smelling our breath, and for some reason likes to be held like a baby but only if I am the one doing it (no one else is allowed to hold her like that, she gets antsy and wriggles away).
She also spends a significant amount of time being grumpy and annoyed at the two new guys, Raisin (black) and Oatmeal (tuxedo).
They’re both nuts, being young boy kitties. Raisin growls furiously when eating. Oatmeal has so far not shown any strange (for a cat) behavior, but they’re both young, so give them time.
posted by caution live frogs at 5:52 AM on September 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
She also spends a significant amount of time being grumpy and annoyed at the two new guys, Raisin (black) and Oatmeal (tuxedo).
They’re both nuts, being young boy kitties. Raisin growls furiously when eating. Oatmeal has so far not shown any strange (for a cat) behavior, but they’re both young, so give them time.
posted by caution live frogs at 5:52 AM on September 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
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Bella (left) has a special place on a shelf above a hallway. the only way she can get there is via someone's shoulders. so she will scream until someone gives her a lift and then scream some more when she is ready to come down. SO.SPOILED.
Herbert (right) is my teddy bear. he spoons with me in the night and its so sweet even if I cannot sleep with his whiskers going up my nose.
posted by supermedusa at 1:41 PM on September 7, 2023 [5 favorites]