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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / August 2004My cat walks on its hind legs
I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. I have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all of whom reacted with disbelief. Five times over the past three years, I have seen my cat rear up on her hind legs, stand fully erect for a few seconds, and then take four or five forward steps. This is apparently in pursuit of some flying insect. It is astonishing, adorable, and hilarious. I have to think that other cats can do this, and possibly be trained to do it, but no one else I know has ever seen this. So, any similar observations/thoughts? > I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. I > have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all of [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > So, any similar observations/thoughts? No, but Smokey is self petting. If I go to pet her she'll stand on her hind legs to meet my hand. Saves me bending over in my old age. I think she's part d*g. > I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. I > have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all of [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > So, any similar observations/thoughts? We had a cat that would drag home anything not nailed down. Clothes, towels, swimsuits... When those were not readily available from neighboring clothlines, she would bring home newspaper. One windy day, she was bringing home a section of the SUnday comics across the neighbors yard. At one point, a gust of wind blew the paper up in front of her face. She stood erect, reroneously figuring she would be able to see over it and not taking into account that the paper would also raise. She walked across nearly half a yard fully erect on her hind legs. My mom and I were in stitches. In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.anecdotes", Karen Chuplis <kchuplis@alltel.net> artfully composed this message within <news:BD4CD06A.3CD95%kchuplis@alltel.net> on 21 Aug 2004: > One windy day, she was bringing > home a section of the SUnday comics across the neighbors yard. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > also raise. She walked across nearly half a yard fully erect on > her hind legs. My mom and I were in stitches. Amazing!  SignatureCheryl >I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. I >have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all of [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >So, any similar observations/thoughts? Just as I suspected. Cat thumbs, walking on two feet. They are evolving at warp speed. Yet another thing to be very afraid of. :P Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com alt.tv.frasier FAQ: http://www.im-listening.net/FAQ/ > I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. I > have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all of [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > So, any similar observations/thoughts? Well Rosie knows I can't hear, so she will stand on her hind legs and tap me on the arm with a paw to get my attention when I'm at the computer. Maybe I could teach her to walk. Note, it is very weird to have a cat tap you on the arm like a person would. Jo > Well Rosie knows I can't hear, so she will stand on her hind legs and tap me > on the arm with a paw to get my attention when I'm at the computer. Maybe I > could teach her to walk. > > Note, it is very weird to have a cat tap you on the arm like a person would. Could feel a bit spooky. Nikki doesn't tap me with her paw, but she touches her nose lightly against my leg when she wants something. Very cute but only effective if I'm wearing shorts (eeek - cold wet nose!). SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki Email marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/frankiennikki Chatterley (RB) would calmly beg for treats from the dining table, and seemed quite stable sitting up. Mind you, if there was something like shrimp on the table and you didn't guard it, she was known to leap up and disappear in a gray streak. >> I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. I >> have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all of [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > >Jo My little Mimi didn't tap, so much as *poke.* Very firmly, TWICE. She was such a tiny little cat, and so assertive and determined. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com alt.tv.frasier FAQ: http://www.im-listening.net/FAQ/ >>> I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. I >>> have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all of [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com > alt.tv.frasier FAQ: http://www.im-listening.net/FAQ/ Mine do this. Drives me nuts. But it is cute. > > I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. I > > have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all of [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > on the arm with a paw to get my attention when I'm at the computer. Maybe I > could teach her to walk. > Note, it is very weird to have a cat tap you on the arm like a person would. > Jo Yes, you expect them to say "Excuse me, don't you know I'm here?" It's interesting how tall cats are when they go up on their hind legs, isn't it? They're like little accordions - some times all bunched up, and at other times, stretched w-a-a-ay out (or up). "Jo Firey" <JAfirey@NETZERO.NET> had some very interesting things to say about Re: My cat walks on its hind legs: >Well Rosie knows I can't hear, so she will stand on her hind legs and tap me >on the arm with a paw to get my attention when I'm at the computer. Maybe I >could teach her to walk. >Note, it is very weird to have a cat tap you on the arm like a person would. Felix does that sometimes. Signature"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding. :-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL >> Five times over the past three years, I have seen my cat rear up on >> her hind legs, stand fully erect for a few seconds, and then take >> four >> or five forward steps. (snippage) > Well Rosie knows I can't hear, so she will stand on her hind legs and > tap me on the arm with a paw to get my attention when I'm at the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Jo Persia does that to me. She also taps me on my shoulder in the morning to indicate it's time for me to wake up :) Jill > Well Rosie knows I can't hear, so she will stand on her hind legs and tap me > on the arm with a paw to get my attention when I'm at the computer. Maybe I > could teach her to walk. > > Note, it is very weird to have a cat tap you on the arm like a person would. Otis used to settle for tapping. Now he lightly extends a claw every time to make a point. Scratch/tap scratch/tap scratch/tap. I thought he'd mellow ... Susan M Otis and Chester >Otis used to settle for tapping. Now he lightly extends a claw every time >to make a point. Scratch/tap scratch/tap scratch/tap. I thought he'd >mellow ... Sammy does that sometimes if I don't pay attention when she wants to play. I wear overalls most of the time, and unfortunately she knows that she'll get a better reaction if she pokes me where the overalls aren't covering. Rocky has an even more unique method of demanding attention, though he's only done this twice. If I'm busy typing on the computer, he reaches up and pats my arm, which is pretty normal. But, if he doesn't get the attention he feels is his due, he jumps up and bounces off my shoulder with all four feet - sort of a wrestling drop kick. Sort of freaked me out the first time he did it, and I wasn't sure he'd actually done what I sort. A couple nights later I purposely ignored him ti see if he di it again, and sure enough he did. SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html > >Otis used to settle for tapping. Now he lightly extends a claw every time > >to make a point. Scratch/tap scratch/tap scratch/tap. I thought he'd [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Steve Touchstone, > faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky Cav has a new and cute way of protesting if I spend too much time at the computer. He lies down on his side between the monitor and the keyboard, and gently pushes at the keyboard until it falls off the desk. Of course, if I'm sitting down, I push back. That's his cue to start tapping at the F keys until he does something irrevocable to whatever I'm doing. Of course, I could just lift him up and put him on the floor, but he looks SO cute when he does it. Jeanette > > >Otis used to settle for tapping. Now he lightly extends a claw every > time [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > looks > SO cute when he does it. I can't figure out if Mr. Clark is just being friendly, or is protesting, when he moves against my hand on the trackball, to the right of the keyboard. Of course, whenever my hand moves back to the keyboard, he slips onto the trackball, with highly unpredictable results. >I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. >I have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >So, any similar observations/thoughts? I have seen a number of cats stand upright to bat at something dangled overhead. I haven't seen them walk forward, but it is quite plausible. I have seen dogs that have been trained to walk this way, so a cat could probably be trained to to this as well. One friend of mine, who only works part-time because of a medical disability and therefore has lots of time on his hands, has taught his cat to beg, play dead, and roll over on command. Each time she does one of these actions on command, he gives her a kitty treat. SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria >I have seen a number of cats stand upright to bat at something >dangled overhead. I haven't seen them walk forward, but it is quite [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >play dead, and roll over on command. Each time she does one of these >actions on command, he gives her a kitty treat. There was a d*g on the Nashville news this morning that was born without front legs. She runs around on her back legs, and seemed very happy. -- Nan and the furkids A wise man talks because he has something to say; a fool talks because he has to say something. > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > play dead, and roll over on command. Each time she does one of these > actions on command, he gives her a kitty treat. My Grandfather taught several of his dogs (all called Susan) to dance/count. They would stand on their hind legs and do pirouettes the number of times he told them. Followed by a treat of course. He was an amateur magician when he was young, so I suspect he was giving the dog some kind of signal to stop dancing. But it was a cool trick when I was a kid. > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: PGPfreeware 7.0.3 for non-commercial use <http://www.pgp.com> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > =A1W6 > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- >Hash: SHA1 [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] >=A1W6 >-----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Mine are real good at playing dead.. ZZZZZZ...until supper time! >Five times over the past three years, I have seen my cat rear up on >her hind legs, stand fully erect for a few seconds, and then take four >or five forward steps. >So, any similar observations/thoughts? Can't say as I have seen it in the general population but when I worked with the "Special Needs" kitties at Best Friends Sanctuary earlier this year, those with leg problems (i.e., neurological, paralysis, born without legs, etc.) had adapted beautifully to their disabilities. Memorable is the amazing Baby who walks on her *front* legs like a little furry acrobat. She can go quite a distance, not just two or three steps. Another is Scooter, who doesn't try to stand but "scoots" about so fast he can outdistance any four-legged cat in no time at all!! Remarkable what *any* kitty can do when he/she wants to! Jeanne > Remarkable what *any* kitty can do when he/she wants to! ....Or human, for that matter. One of the finest classical singers around, the German bass-baritone, Thomas Quasthoff, was a thalidomide baby. Rather than accepting "invalid" or "handicapped" status, he proceeded to learn to sing, despite all the nay-sayers who told him a career wasn't possible for someone with his disabilties. The only way his hadicap affected him was that he could not graduate from a music conservatory, since all professional schools require their graduates to play two instruments. Of course voice counts as ONE instrument, but what other instrument can one play without arms? I've been lucky enough to hear him "live" in concert, and that wonderful voice is accompanied by such wonderful facial expressiveness that his audience totally forgets his body is lacking "normal" limbs. Lately he's sung a few operatic roles, too (but he refuses to sing the hunchback "Rigoletto", because he doesn't want to "capitalize" on his physical appearance). A lot of artists have built careers "in spite of" handicaps, but this one is a great artist, regardless of physical challenges - hearing his recordings, without knowing his history, you'd still say "this is one of the world's greatest singers". > I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. I > have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all of [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > So, any similar observations/thoughts? I once had one who taught himself to "sit up and beg". Not just get up on his hind legs trying to reach something, but actually sit back on his haunches in a geniune "begging" posture, like a dog. I guess it's not true that cats can't learn tricks - you just have to convince them they thought of it first! > Five times over the past three years, I have seen my cat rear up on > her hind legs, stand fully erect for a few seconds, and then take four [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > So, any similar observations/thoughts? Squeakers does this when he's excited about tracking an arial object. We call it his meerkat impression. Pam S. >> Five times over the past three years, I have seen my cat rear up on >> her hind legs, stand fully erect for a few seconds, and then take four [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Pam S. Whee, meerkats! Get some for your lawn! ;) Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com alt.tv.frasier FAQ: http://www.im-listening.net/FAQ/ > I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. I > have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all of [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > So, any similar observations/thoughts? The late, beloved Isadora used to rear up on her hind legs and bump my hand with her head. She would aslo do little hops to reach a stroking hand. Once, when Pan was young, I gave him a brand new, very potent and evidently smelly catnip rat for Christmas. He was SO excited that as he romped with the rat, he actually did take a few staggering steps forward on his hind legs, his forelegs hugging the rat. Most of the time though, he stays on all fours. Nina, the new baby does little kangaroo hops on her hind legs, usually just before attacking her very patient mother, Francesca. Nina is cute anyway, but she's really adorable when she does this. =o) Melissa Panther Francesca and Nina > I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. I > have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all of [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > So, any similar observations/thoughts? Our little kitten, Hubert, will play with a mousie by holding the tail in his mouth, letting the body dangle, and sitting up on his back legs and batting at the mousie furiously with his front legs. It's extremely cute, just like everything else he ever does. ;-) I've never seen one walking as you describe, though my RB Mike would do his best to fly, leaping in the air with front legs flailing, when chasing butterflies. ------ Krista arbitrarilyyours@hotmail.com (LOL) had some very interesting things to say about Re: My cat walks on its hind legs: >Our little kitten, Hubert, will play with a mousie by holding the tail >in his mouth, letting the body dangle, and sitting up on his back legs >and batting at the mousie furiously with his front legs. It's >extremely cute, just like everything else he ever does. ;-) Got pictures? :-) Signature"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding. :-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL > arbitrarilyyours@hotmail.com (LOL) had some very interesting things to > say about Re: My cat walks on its hind legs: [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Got pictures? :-) There are pics of Hubert and his mom, Tallulah, at: http://photos.yahoo.com/crazycatlawyer There are none of Hubert doing this, though; it's impossible to get an action shot of Hubert. Shoot, he's practically a blur to the naked eye, much less the camera. ;-) ------ Krista >> I picked up a cat from a shelter, no particular breed, short-haired. I >> have related the following story to several fellow cat owners, all of [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >and batting at the mousie furiously with his front legs. It's >extremely cute, just like everything else he ever does. ;- Stinky lets things dangle by the tail, too. That's why cherries are da bomb around here. Ummm, er, live mice too, recently. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com alt.tv.frasier FAQ: http://www.im-listening.net/FAQ/ |
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