Why Does My Young Cat Do This?

[Velocivixen]

We adopted two older kittens in June. They are about 11 months old now and both females. This particular female has had kittens prior to being spayed (she was a stray). She jumps onto the kitchen counter and takes the sponge out of the holder in the sink. She either brings it to me or to places in the house where I spend a lot of time (although sometimes it's just in the middle of the living room or somewhere). She doesn't eat it or chew it or play with it. Just now she dropped it outside the office door then began meowing several times as if to alert me! Do you think she's bringing me a "gift"? I soaked the sponge in bleach water earlier today thinking that maybe it smelled or something. Anyway, she's super cute, but it's only the sponge. She doesn't do this with anything else.

Ideas? Speculation?

[lph]

Well, many cats will present prey they've caught to their owners and draw attention to it, and I've heard that this is because they're bringing "food to the family", i.e. those dumbasses who can't hunt for themselves . Maybe the sponge is the closest thing that triggers that instinct. But if she had kittens, and they were taken from her early, I guess it could be something to do with carrying kittens around.

If you don't want her doing this I'd try first praising her, then taking the sponge and hiding it for a few days, and if she does it again when it reappears try not giving her attention and then hiding it for longer. I think she'll outgrow it.

[skhill]

One of my cats does something similar-- she'll walk around the house carrying a sock, making weird noises, then present it to me. From what I've heard, it's hunting/prey behavior. Does your girl speak while she's carrying her sponge?

[Velocivixen]

Thanks for the quick reply. I was thinking the exact same things. Either she is presenting me with prey or since it's damp/wet and about the right size for a kitten maybe it's her "mothering instinct". Now she is laying behind a chair and she put the sponge about 6 inches away from her next to a wall. She's just lounging, and she's nowhere near where I'm at. So that makes me think it's a "kitten" thing. Yet when she brings it to me it seems like a "prey" giving ritual. She doesn't make sound while carrying it (I've never actually seen her carrying it) but when she brings it near me she does a multiple, quick "meow-meow-meow-meow" then looks at me.

I don't mind that she does it, just wondering what you thought it meant and if it's common.

[lph]

She sounds really cute

If you behave like it's prey, toss it around a little, what does she do? Join in, or take it "into safety"?

[indysteel]

One of my cats does something similar-- she'll walk around the house carrying a sock, making weird noises, then present it to me. From what I've heard, it's hunting/prey behavior. Does your girl speak while she's carrying her sponge?

Yep; one of cats did this with her toy mice. She would vocalize somewhat oddly as she was bringing it to me and then lay it at my feet. This happened almost nightly. She would also leave them in my shoes. She only did it with two specific toys, one of which was included in her ashes, it was so central to life with her.

But I would add that most cats have some stance habits that can't really be explained. They're funny that way.

[owlice]

I'd give her her own sponge; maybe then she'd leave yours alone.

[zoom-zoom]

We've had two cats bring us little wads of paper so that we could throw them...to play fetch. Both made cute little noises until we would pick up the paper and throw it. The game could go on for a very long time.