Bougainvillea and mouse behavior

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

John Lippincott - 11 Aug 2004 21:52 GMT

Hi,

Two seperate questions here.

1) I am thinking of bringing in my Bougainvillea plant when it gets
cold in the fall and am wondering if it might be toxic to my cat? I
haven't seen it on any lists of poisonous plants to cats (yet) but I
thought I'd ask here as well.

2) My cat has an old toy mouse she has loved since before she was
given to me (about 4 years ago). Someday I will replace it as it is
getting pretty beat up... I know that her carrying it anywhere is her
re-enacting the results of a kill so her bringing it to the food bowl
certainly makes sense. My question though is why would she do this? In
the hope of their being food there? As a hint that I should feed her?
I know it makes sense that the two are connected but I am wondering of
any of the more thoughtful cat psychologists out there could offer a
better explanation as to why she/any cat would do this. She doesn't
bring it anywhere else and she only does this once in awhile,

Many thanks.

John L

Reply to this Message

m. L. Briggs - 11 Aug 2004 22:58 GMT

>Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
>John L

I know this is simplistic but IMHO this is a friend that she wants
to share her dinner with.

Reply to this Message

John Lippincott - 12 Aug 2004 04:04 GMT

> I know this is simplistic but IMHO this is a friend that she wants
> to share her dinner with.

I love it! Thanks!

John

Reply to this Message

rpl - 12 Aug 2004 01:18 GMT

> 2) My cat has an old toy mouse she has loved since before she was
> given to me (about 4 years ago). Someday I will replace it as it is
> getting pretty beat up

Oh, don't replace it; repair it if possible, and maybe hand wash it,
lightly if it needs it.

> ... I know that her carrying it anywhere is her
> re-enacting the results of a kill

had a cat that used to drag around a 5 foot plush snake around... does
that mean he once killed a boa constrictor? (wouldn't doubt it; that was
one big-a.s cat)

> so her bringing it to the food bowl
> certainly makes sense. My question though is why would she do this? In
> the hope of their being food there? As a hint that I should feed her?

On the odd occasion when nobody feeds the cats 'round here, they
immediately go out and start bringing not-so fast-food in. I'm not sure
if they're being helpful or know that the fastest way to get fed is to
have somebody step on a dead mouse in bare feet.

pat

Reply to this Message

Silver - 12 Aug 2004 07:14 GMT

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> haven't seen it on any lists of poisonous plants to cats (yet) but I
> thought I'd ask here as well.

As far as I know, Bougainvilleas are not poisonous, although they do
have thorns that you might want to watch your cat around.
See: http://www.rosefloral.com/poison.htm
or http://www.wtv-zone.com/Doriedew/Pages/Furangels.html
both sites list both poisonous and non-poisonous plants.

> 2) My cat has an old toy mouse she has loved since before she was
> given to me (about 4 years ago). Someday I will replace it as it is
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> better explanation as to why she/any cat would do this. She doesn't
> bring it anywhere else and she only does this once in awhile,

My cat usually brings her mice etc to the bed, but sometimes drops them near
the food bowl.
Maybe it is a hint to tell us she is hungry, or maybe she associates the
food bowl area more
closely to the 'den' or 'nest' than other parts of the house. This depends
on where the food bowl
is, how much time she spends there and how safe she feels in that part of
the house.

-Silver.

"I love cats because I enjoy my home; & little by little, they become its
visible soul."

- Jean Cocteau 1889-1963.

Reply to this Message