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Cat Forum / General Topics / March 2008The cat goes bananas
Here's another case of funny cat behaviour. Liutik has a special feeling toward bananas. When I peel one, he comes up, looks at the banana in my hand with disgust and tries to make it go away using his claws as an argument. Now, normally, if he doesn't like a fruit (orange, apple etc.), he would run away. With the "yellow monsters" it's exactly the opposite: he would chase them until they're dead, and then dance a jig on their remnants. As soon as the "monster" is buried in the litter bin, Liutik calms down as if nothing has happened. Strangely, he doesn't touch bananas lying on the table before they're peeled although he can definitely feel their smell (even I do). My friend has suggested that the cat sees the cruel banana peel "biting" mama's hand (see the hand, half-covered with the peel?) and tries to rescue me but I doubt this is the case. What do you think? > Here's another case of funny cat behaviour. > Liutik has a special feeling toward bananas. When I peel one, he comes [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > mama's hand (see the hand, half-covered with the peel?) and tries to > rescue me but I doubt this is the case. What do you think? tarantula visions perhaps your cat has possibly seen too many bad movies <G> > Here's another case of funny cat behaviour. > Liutik has a special feeling toward bananas. When I peel one, he comes up, [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > half-covered with the peel?) and tries to rescue me but I doubt this is > the case. What do you think? Hi Ira, This is really odd. Cats are usually attracted to yellow, so it's unlikely to be the colour. I know what you mean about the smell. Apart from the banana's own fruity scent, it also gives off ethyl gas which ripens the fruit (all fruit, incidentally). Banana scent/gas gives me migraine, but I doubt this affects your cat. Unless you're binning the banana skin in another room, I'm not sure how disposing of it could calm him down, because he could easily smell it in the same room. This would seem to leave the banana's appearance as the only provocation. Perhaps he does see something like life in this yellow critter. Next time you peel a banana, give him the skin to play with or attack and see how he initially reacts and then deals with it. I know my cats get excited about food wrappers (natural or man-made), but as soon as I bin them, the interest fades. It may be that your Liutik thinks it's a game, until you make it clear that it's not by throwing the 'game' away. The very fact that Liutik claws at it but doesn't run away, suggests that he doesn't feel threatened by it. Perhaps the way it appears to'dance' as you handle it makes it an appropriate toy or prey item. Do, for my curiosity's sake, give him a skin and make it 'dance'. You may just find your answer ... or another question ..! Spider > Hi Ira, > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Spider Hi Spider! I agree with you, it's an "out of sight, out of mind" case: as soon as the banana skin disappears, Liutik loses interest in it. The litter bin is inside the cupboard, so, even though he likes to peep in, he cannot reach it when the door is shut. I have allowed Lutik to play with the skin many times, and here's the usual sequence of actions. When Liutik sees a banana skin on the floor, he comes up carefully, stretches a paw as far as he can and gives it a tap, the way he does when he doesn't know what he's dealing with or when he finds the thing in front of him dangerous (he would do it to a cup of hot tea or orange juice - he knows what they are and doesn't like them). With the banana skin I opt for the second cause, for he must have seen hundreds of them by now. After a series of clawed taps he begins the real attack which stops only if the skin is taken away. During the "battle" he seems to be constantly repulsed by his enemy (it must be the smell), an attack is followed by a retreat, then a new attack, and so on... > > Hi Ira, >> [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > to be constantly repulsed by his enemy (it must be the smell), an attack > is followed by a retreat, then a new attack, and so on... Hi again, Ira Yes, I'm sure the smell prevents him playing with it more actively. He no doubt likes the yellow skin, especially when you animate it during peeling and eating, and if it were less offensive he would probably continue playing. He knows it's not threatening because he's seen you rip it open and devour its innards!, so it would seem to be the 'pong stops play' theory. I think we may have cracked it. Spider > Yes, I'm sure the smell prevents him playing with it more actively. He no > doubt likes the yellow skin, especially when you animate it during peeling [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Spider Spider, thanks for the analysis! Ira >> Yes, I'm sure the smell prevents him playing with it more actively. >> He no doubt likes the yellow skin, especially when you animate it [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Spider, thanks for the analysis! > Ira Why is it that as soon as I made a "numerous" post about tarantulas... someone named "Spider" posted next ??? >>> Yes, I'm sure the smell prevents him playing with it more actively. He >>> no doubt likes the yellow skin, especially when you animate it during [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Why is it that as soon as I made a "numerous" post about tarantulas... > someone named "Spider" posted next ??? Aw.. missed your tarantula post, Philo. No doubt the weird phenomenon you mention is ESP - Extra Spidery Perception. I kept tarantulas for 22 years, incidentally, so I'm noted for being spidery. Spider > >>> Yes, I'm sure the smell prevents him playing with it more actively. He > >>> no doubt likes the yellow skin, especially when you animate it during [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Spider Cool. The reason I made the remark about the bananas is that in all those old movies... tarantulas were always portrayed as horrible and deadly. While I was doing some mountain climbing in Texas...we encountered a few tarantulas coming down the mountain as we were coming up. We were in a crevice...so there was really no way to go around them. Everyone froze for a few moments...then we decided to just proceed and see what happened if we ignored them. I'm pretty sure that they were thinking the same thing...as they also stopped for a moment...then they ignored us while we ignored them. I found out later that although they can jump pretty far...it's not very likely they'd ever attack you... and even if you did somehow manage to get bitten by one...they are not terribly poisonous anyway. The way they walk is was absolutely fascinating...IIRC they walked using 4 legs at a time... four legs, then the other four legs etc. Since you had them for all those years you could correct me if my recollection was wrong. Anyway, I doubt it tarantulas and cats would get along too well >> >>> Yes, I'm sure the smell prevents him playing with it more actively. > He [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > movies... > tarantulas were always portrayed as horrible and deadly. Nah! They wouldn't hurt a fly................. :~} > While I was doing some mountain climbing in Texas...we encountered a few > tarantulas coming down the mountain > as we were coming up. We were in a crevice...so there was really no way to > go around them. The mountain would scare me more than the spiders ... I can get dizzy standing at the kerb. > Everyone froze for a few moments...then we decided to just proceed and see > what happened if we ignored them. > I'm pretty sure that they were thinking the same thing...as they also > stopped for a moment...then > they ignored us while we ignored them. Yup .. they do ignoring. Actually, they have a kind of 'early warning system': first, they fein death........next, they kick hairs (rear pair of legs brush irritating hairs into eyes of predator), next, (if you haven't been warned off already!) they rear up and expose their fangs .... last of all, they use their fangs. > I found out later that although they can jump pretty far...it's not very > likely they'd ever attack you... > and even if you did somehow manage to get bitten by one...they are not > terribly poisonous anyway. Jumping is very unusual and is reserved for short distances. A jump can lead to a fall .. a fall to a burst abdomen .. dead spider. Not worth the risk. There are small spiders who jump, but they use a drag line (of web) for safety. The megalomorph tarantules (movie stars!) are so heavy no amount of drag line could save them from a fall. And no, they're not *terribly* poisonous, but you might be terribly susceptible. > The way they walk is was absolutely fascinating...IIRC they walked using 4 > legs at a time... > four legs, then the other four legs etc. > > Since you had them for all those years you could correct me if my > recollection was wrong. Mmm. It's been a while, but I think you're close enough. They don't move much in captivity unless you handle them. They tend to use their vivarium as their burrow or underground chamber, so they're fairly static. As you say, absolutely fascinating. Great pets. > Anyway, I doubt it tarantulas and cats would get along too well Quite so. I always kept my cats and tarantulas (16 at one point) apart. The cats knew the spiders were there, but couldn't get to them. There's no way I'd risk harming my cats, or indeed any pets. Interestingly, when I kept a hamster I found that my cat Tiggypuss was frightened of it. After a few months though, natural instinct kicked in! Well, I suppose we'd better stop this lovely spider chat before someone reminds us this is a cat news group! Fangs for the chat! Spider > >> >>> Yes, I'm sure the smell prevents him playing with it more actively. > > He [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > The mountain would scare me more than the spiders ... I can get dizzy > standing at the kerb. When I said mountain climbing... these were mountains that you could just walk up. No special skills were required. > > Everyone froze for a few moments...then we decided to just proceed and see > > what happened if we ignored them. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > amount of drag line could save them from a fall. And no, they're not > *terribly* poisonous, but you might be terribly susceptible. To tell the truth I had never seen one jump...I just heard that they were capable of doing so. > > The way they walk is was absolutely fascinating...IIRC they walked using 4 > > legs at a time... [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > as their burrow or underground chamber, so they're fairly static. As you > say, absolutely fascinating. Great pets. Well I am quite sure my girlfriend would not think of a taranutula as a good pet!!!! Though they are certainly facinating creatures...we'll stick to just having a cat as out pet... though I'm sure we have plenty of spiders in out basement!!! > > Anyway, I doubt it tarantulas and cats would get along too well > > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Fangs for the chat! > Spider
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