May 11: Why Do Cats...?

My husband and I have found ourselves googling random questions about our cats' odd yet delightful behaviors. For example, if I leave the bedroom door open and there's a sock on the floor, Fela will inevitably find it, bring it downstairs to me, and make this particular mewing sound that I only ever hear when he brings me a sock. So we googled "Why do cats bring me socks?" with delightful results. Here are some reasons why:

1. Cat experts believe that felines like to bring socks or other items to their humans as part of a “toss and fetch” game. I know this is not the case with Fela, as we have tried throwing the socks and getting him to play with them, but he has never been interested. Fela *does* however play fetch with little tinfoil balls, and will play catch with kitty treats. He is very athletic, just not with sox. 😉

2. A more likely reason is that Fela may be teaching me how to hunt. Cat ancestors once taught their young how to eat by bringing home their prey. Domestic cats still possess this instinct but since they do not have their young to teach hunting skills they turn to their owners and since Fela stays indoors, items like socks are usually accessible and their next options instead of dead prey. 

3. The most likely reason is that Fela simply feels like it because he thinks it is fun. Cats are playful creatures and bringing socks to you may simply mean they are doing it out of sheer fun.

Here's another fun question I googled: "Why do cats run around after they poop?" It's another crazy behavior Fela exhibits. After he is done using the litter box, he runs around the house like crazy person (I often say he "runs around like a banshee" but apparently banshees don't run around like crazy like I imagined, they actually scream like crazy, oops! but anyways...). Here are some reasons why:

1. Cats who are used to getting their rear ends licked by their mother after defecating as kittens are showing off their independence by sprinting away, their butts having taken on self-cleaning properties in adulthood. (maybe not Fela's reason, as he never spent any time with his mother, unless it's just an instinct). 

2. Cats have a vagus nerve running from their brain stem which can be stimulated by defecation, leading to a pleasurable sensation and what some have labeled “poo-phoria,” or post-poop elation. In running, the cat may simply be working off excess energy brought on by stimulation of the nerve. (definitely a possible reason for Fela).

3. Notoriously hygienic cats may simply want to shake off excess litter or fecal matter by running a 100-meter dash (this is the most likely reason, and is also super gross. Thanks Fela for spreading litter and fecal matter all over our house!)

Thanks to Fela and Google for never-ending delight!

With delight,

♥Jamie