Odd behavior

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Psipsini - 25 Jan 2007 18:03 GMT

Over the past 2 weeks our cat, RED, has begun to do something that I
think is odd. I left a pair of pajamas out and she kneads them with
her front paws -- that is not the odd part -- she also now kneads with
her back legs as well (something I have never seen cats do before) and
then she does this thing where it looks like she might poop, but
doesn't (she's never peed or pooped outside of her litter box).
She appears to be very happy when she is doing this, purring extremely
loudly! and she does it almost every day for a few minutes at a time.
(I left the pajamas out because she seems to enjoy it so much)

I'm not so much alarmed as I am curious about what she is doing. Is
she leaving her scent?
She doesn't do this on anything else, just my pajamas.
What is she doing?
I'm curious to hear what you all think.
Thanks so much!!

A little background history: Red is about 2 years old. We adopted her
as a stray 6 months ago. She was a scared and tiny cat and it has took
her about 3 months before she started to "play" or enjoy catnip. She
is spayed, has normal healthy cat checkups, she eats and drinks
regulary, there is plenty of pee and poop in the litter box, she plays
with gusto, and purrs like a lawnmower.

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Clockmeister - 26 Jan 2007 06:38 GMT

> Over the past 2 weeks our cat, RED, has begun to do something that I
> think is odd. I left a pair of pajamas out and she kneads them with
> her front paws -- that is not the odd part -- she also now kneads with
> her back legs as well (something I have never seen cats do before) and
> then she does this thing where it looks like she might poop, but
> doesn't (she's never peed or pooped outside of her litter box).

Pretty normal behaviour there.

> She appears to be very happy when she is doing this, purring extremely
> loudly! and she does it almost every day for a few minutes at a time.
> (I left the pajamas out because she seems to enjoy it so much)

Yep, ours does the same on anything that is black like a doormat or rug or
black pants.

> I'm not so much alarmed as I am curious about what she is doing. Is
> she leaving her scent?

Yes, our desexed male used to do it and there was definitely a sexual
overtone to this behaviour.

> She doesn't do this on anything else, just my pajamas.
> What is she doing?
> I'm curious to hear what you all think.
> Thanks so much!!

IMO your cat is associating your pyjamas with it's mothercat or location at
a time of early development, possibly the material, colour or pattern of
your pyjamas. This triggers a feeling of contentment and security and the
cat enjoyed when it was suckling and it goes through the motions.

> A little background history: Red is about 2 years old. We adopted her
> as a stray 6 months ago. She was a scared and tiny cat and it has took
> her about 3 months before she started to "play" or enjoy catnip. She
> is spayed, has normal healthy cat checkups, she eats and drinks
> regulary, there is plenty of pee and poop in the litter box, she plays
> with gusto, and purrs like a lawnmower.

One of our cats at one time was born in a cardboard box with newspaper in it
and whenever we had a newspaper on the floor the cat would attempt to bury
itself under the newspaper whilst purring and kneading. She would also
always sleep in a cardboard box if there was one around.

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Ketzl's Dad - 26 Jan 2007 13:20 GMT

> Yes, our desexed male used to do it and there was definitely a sexual
> overtone to this behaviour.

Ketzl is a four-legged kneader, almost always in my right armpit (again: YES.
I USE DEODORANT! :-) and there is also definitely a sexual overtone. He
usually finishes by retreating a bit and licking his private (though no SO
private at that point) parts.

>> She doesn't do this on anything else, just my pajamas.
>> What is she doing?
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> your pyjamas. This triggers a feeling of contentment and security and the
> cat enjoyed when it was suckling and it goes through the motions.

This has been my suspicion with Ketzl, too: he is a foundling who probably
lost his mother or was otherwise separated at a very early age. When I was
browsing at the shelter where he had been surrendered (this was a year and a
half later however: he was almost 2) he was crazed to get my attention. When
we went into the playroom to get acquainted, he was all over me, rubbing and
grabbing and touching, head-butting; everything but licking. I think I
somehow remind him of his momma. <VBG!>

When he kneads, he buries his face and sometimes my shirtsleeve gets a bit
wet from his "suckling." Let me tell ya: THAT's a feeling I never thought I'd
experience!

It seems, from reading posts here, that this behavior is probably pretty
normal, maybe more so in cats who were abandoned early on.

Anyway, (OT): This morning when I got up (very cold here) I said "BRRRR!" out
loud and K looked at me as if to say "Did you just purr!?" I explained the
difference between the two. He didn't seem to care much, put his head back
down and stayed curled up in the folds of my flannel-covered down comforter.

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Joey DoWop Dee
Remember: It is To Laugh

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Psipsini - 26 Jan 2007 14:36 GMT

It is interesting that this might be linked to her being abandoned
early on.....
When our vet was doing the surgery to have her spayed she discovered
that Red had already been spayed! and that the incision was *so small*
they couldn'd detect it. She thought it probably from being spayed at
a *very* early age. And pair that with the fact that Red also has a
crumpled ear, most likely a birth defect, this may account for or
indicate the owner abandoning this kitty at an early age.
I'm just happy we found her, living in a nest of weeds, bushes, and
briars behind an abandoned house.
thanks for the input!!!

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