strange rubbing behaviour?

Hello everyone,

First let me explain about "my" cat. Basically my family found a mewling cat outside our townhouse. They petted it, etc and went on their way, came back 2 hours later to find the cat still there. Young, no tag, very domesticated and looking lost. The conclusion was she (as we found out later) was indeed a lost cat. They felt bad and took her in, called some friends with cat experience to get some basic essentials, fed her, etc. She has been in our house for 3 days now. We have called SPCA and told them about her, and are making some posters. Also seeking friends and acquaintances in case the owners are not found (My mom may have a slight allergy)

I myself have no knowledge of cats at all, so i don't know the breed, though she looks mixed, or anything for that matter. However, the cat is VERY cute, very playful, meows and purrs a lot. We know she is not neutered as well (My dad has some experience)

Heres what I'm curious about. This cat (whom we haven't named yet, though my 10 year old sister calls her "Princess") likes to constantly rub back and forth on our carpets and lick her paws in mid air. Constantly. So far the only conclusion we came up with is she's shedding fur, for indeed we have a lot of fur on our carpets since we brought her in. But it's so strange, none of us have seen any cats do this, in videos or friends cats. She would roll back and forth, back and forth on her back, each time licking her paws in mid-air, in a careless fashion, smacking her head on nearby objects. She also rubs against everything when patrolling around the house.

What on earth is she doing!

Oh and on a side note: I'm suspecting the cat is yearning to go outside, but obviously that hasn't been a reality yet.

Cats have certain glands in their faces and have oils in their fur. They rub their bodys and their face against things to mark them as their owm. She may be marking you and the house with her scent. Hey, you've always thought your cat belongs to you -- but maybe she thinks you belong to her .
Peace ,
Rob & Sport

It also sounds a little like she might be in heat, which means she might have to be spayed. The signs are rubbing her face on everything, tummy low to the ground, butt and tail up in the air and they also chatter, with the back legs going up and down. If thats the case then don't let her out, because if she meets up with an intact male, there will be a litter of kittens.

Good Luck.

well, everyone thought she was marking her territory, but she's rubbing in the same places for 3 days now! each time in that amusing rolling on the ground and licking her paws.
As for being in heat, maybe. She doesn't have her tummy low on the ground though and what is this chatter? I've never seen her back legs going up and down. She just moves around the house, hides, sits, and does her rolling around (which now that i think about, i think she only does around people)

Maybe she's just happy to be with you and your family. If she was owned by someone before, she may be lonely and wants to be petted and loved. Every cat has their own ways of showing how they feel.

Yea maybe. I's just so strange. Every time we try to pet her when she's rolling around, she just shrugs us off and continues to roll around, licking her paws in the air. Oh and about the raised tail, yea i notice her tail is always high in the air.

It really does sound like she's in heat, because usually when they are, you can't really comfort them. If she's not then there maybe something else wrong, and wouldn't hurt to take her to the Vet.

It doe snot sound like that cat is in heat to me. She would be meowing so loudly and constantly that you would be quite annoyed with her! (lol). Cats have a great sense of smell...she could smell something in the floor that she either likes or wants to mark on. I wouldn't worry about that behavior. I have had cats do that to certain places in the carpet.

I think you can be fairly sure that cat is in heat. She needs to be fixed.

Well, i was just curious is all. It doesn't really matter now though, as we will have to give her to SPCA today anyway (tear). It's just that we happen to be going on a one week vacation tomorrow and we couldn't find the owners or any friends to take care of her even for a while. (and we can't leave her at home, as she is beginning to use her claws a lot). Oh well, it was a nice experience. Any thoughts?

It seems like there are many inconsistencies and similarities with her being in heat. She likes to be comforted, and she doesn't meow very loud. She meows a little from time to time and sometimes when we comfort her. And i don't think we'll have time for the vet.

The other thing we thought of was maybe she was constipating. She hasn't pooed in like 2 days (she pooed on the first day) and also now just recently (a lot of poo). Maybe she was rubbing her stomach to ease constipation (or whatever).