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My Cat Has Adopted a Stuffed Cat?

The Crowing OneThe Crowing One Registered User regular
edited February 2012 in Help / Advice Forum
Hey everyone, I wanted to see if anyone else here has come across/could pore some light into a strange behavior my cat has recently picked up.

Meet Celeste:
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Celeste is my little two year old, spayed female buddy. Recently she has taken on a rather strange habit that I haven't seen in the few other cats that I have kept/known well. I started working from home recently, and two weeks ago I moved to a new apartment with a dedicated office space. I took three stuffed animals that I have kept at my work desk for half a century and set them up by my computer in my home, two little mice and a kitty. Celeste, recently, has begun to carry around the stuffed cat in what I can only explain as a "friendly" fashion. She will carry it around with her, sometimes, and it will "show up" in many of her various hang-out spaces.

The strange part is that it appears she doesn't "play" with this stuffed cat like she "plays" with the rest of her toys. I can give her plush mice/toys and she'll rip 'em to shreds, often very quickly. With this stuffed cat I can find no evidence that she attacks, claws or bites. In fact, I can't really see any of the usual indications that it is a "toy" for her as she seems to treat it so very differently.

It makes sense to me that this stuffed animal may be "company" or a maternal instinct for her, as I tend to travel a lot for work and it seems that days that I'm gone from the house or overnight are most often when I find the stuffed animal has been moved.

Part of this is also, specifically, that in the next six months she'll most likely be introduced to a new cat who will come live with us. I'm wondering if this may be a sign that she's lonely, especially when I'm out of town or sleeping? Any insight is welcome!

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The Crowing One on

Posts

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    My cats have briefly imprinted on stuffed animals too. I brought in a huge rocking tiger I found in the trash once and one of my vats freaked out at it and the other rubbed all over it and purred like crazy. After a bit they realized it was fake and now just sit on it.

    I'm guessing this stuffed cat of yours functions more as an imaginary friend then a lonliness bandage tho. It's a also a really good sign that she should be friendly to a new cat but don't count on it; cats rarely are introduced with no troubles unless they're both kittens.

  • HevachHevach Registered User regular
    My cat Loki has a small stuffed rabbit that he does the same with. He keeps it on his favorite blanket when he sleeps there, and sometimes moves it to the bedroom when he sleeps there. He wakes up and gets agitated if you move it. He's had it for most of his life, and he's almost five. None of his other toys have lasted more than a year or so before he either hides them under the couch and stops playing with them or they're completely unrecognizable.

    I'm not sure why he does it, but I don't think you should take it as a sign either way of how your cat will react to a newcomer. Even as a kitten, Loki was extremely aggressive to other cats to the point of hurting himself trying to get through the window if a cat came through the yard, and if I've been in another house with a cat in it he'll act grumpy until I shower the other cat's smell off myself.

  • Jam WarriorJam Warrior Registered User regular
    I'm not sure what advice you need here. Other than that sounds super cute, pics please.

    MhCw7nZ.gif
  • SheepSheep Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    My cat has his "hump lion". A little stuffed lion he carries around the apartment with him. He'll just lay on top of it for a bit and then lose interest.

  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    Yes, both my cats have/do this. One cat is very fond of the toy mice - she won't play with them in the same way her sister will; she'll carry them around in her mouth, miaow pitifully, and sit down on top of them to 'protect' them. Her sister has a toy shark she loves to snuggle up to. I wouldn't say they're lonely as they have each other - although your cat may definitely benefit from having another cat around. :)

  • The Crowing OneThe Crowing One Registered User regular
    Thanks everyone! Here's a pic of the "two of them" for the awww-factor:
    eqnssk.jpg

    I'm mostly just puzzled because this seems to be a new thing for her. She has never, in the year and a half I've had her, done anything close to this. I did some google searching and found a similar list of stories as shared here by everyone.

    My questions are really simple in that I'm wondering if it's a loneliness thing (I spend multiple days out of the house frequently) or just "normal cat" behavior (and "normal" for a cat is almost always weird).

    I am planning on introducing her to a new cat who is also a spayed female, and I was wondering if this behavior is a desire for companionship or similar. I doubt it would make the actual introduction any simpler/easier, but it would make me hopeful that she would accept companionship a touch easier. There's probably no real way to know. Thanks!

    3rddocbottom.jpg
  • InfidelInfidel Heretic Registered User regular
    Roommate has two cats, one of them does this.

    No worries.

    (dawwwwww)

    OrokosPA.png
  • InfidelInfidel Heretic Registered User regular
    Roommate has two cats, one of them does this.

    No worries.

    (dawwwwww)

    OrokosPA.png
  • SentrySentry Registered User regular
    Cat's may be solitary creatures but I doubt she likes being alone for that long. I'm sure a friend would probably make her much happier. Which is not say there won't be some tension, but still...

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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    'Fuck yeah, me too. What little kid ever pretended to be part of the lynch-mob?'
  • SightTDWSightTDW Registered User regular
    Sheep wrote: »
    My cat has his "hump lion". A little stuffed lion he carries around the apartment with him. He'll just lay on top of it for a bit and then lose interest.

    My previous cat had a stuffed bear for this purpose as well, but he would get on there and make some pretty disturbing noises.

    Long story short, I stopped getting larger stuffed animals for cats. My youngest one is pretty attached to a tiny stuffed pink lobster though, so I imagine this is pretty normal.

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  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    D'aw! That's an adorable photo.

  • BloodySlothBloodySloth Registered User regular
    My girlfriend has a cat that has done this for years, and it started when there was another cat in the house. To be fair, though, I don't think the cats had much to do with one another. It could be that your cat wants a buddy, but I don't think it's necessarily that.

    In short, I have nothing helpful to tell you about that behavior, I guess.

  • Dark Raven XDark Raven X Laugh hard, run fast, be kindRegistered User regular
    Cats are weird. I got my cat a scratching post. She looks at it, walks over to the sofa and SRKRTCH.

    Also got her a couple toys, she ain't give a fuck. But drop a flex tie on the ground, she goes nuts trying to kill it.

    Oh brilliant
  • StormwatcherStormwatcher Blegh BlughRegistered User regular
    My cat loves attacking wire ties. Fortunately he doesn't try to eat them, just pats them around crazily. Also, the OP's cat looks just like my late cate James Joyce. Man, I miss him, prettiest cat I ever had.

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  • The Crowing OneThe Crowing One Registered User regular
    I wasn't too concerned, just intrigued. It looks like cats do this sort of thing all the time!

    3rddocbottom.jpg
  • DoctorArchDoctorArch Curmudgeon Registered User regular
    Cats be weird yo. It's perfectly okay, entertaining, and daaawww-able.

    Switch Friend Code: SW-6732-9515-9697
  • EncEnc A Fool with Compassion Pronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered User regular
    Having a second cat, particularly if you are not home for many hours a day, is a good thing for your cat in most cases. Company and exercise alone will help. My older cat had similar traits for a while when he was alone, he would yowl if he lost his kittten toy and bring it everywhere (though not hump it). He only started doing it when there were times we were out for most of the days and weekends for about a month.

    Then we got him his very own little bro, and he did the same thing with him until he was old enough to wrasle with. It's probably a loneliness thing, imo. But I am not a cat, so it's hard to say.

  • testaccounttestaccount Registered User new member
    Thanks everyone! Here's a pic of the "two of them" for the awww-factor:
    eqnssk.jpg

    I'm mostly just puzzled because this seems to be a new thing for her. She has never, in the year and a half I've had her, done anything close to this. I did some google searching and found a similar list of stories as shared here by everyone.

    My questions are really simple in that I'm wondering if it's a loneliness thing (I spend multiple days out of the house frequently) or just "normal cat" behavior (and "normal" for a cat is almost always weird).

    I am planning on introducing her to a new cat who is also a spayed female, and I was wondering if this behavior is a desire for companionship or similar. I doubt it would make the actual introduction any simpler/easier, but it would make me hopeful that she would accept companionship a touch easier. There's probably no real way to know. Thanks!
    no helpful advice, sorry but 1) omg that is adorable, i'm dying inside, and 2) makes me want to get a stuffed kitty for my cat to see what happens

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