Lady Harriet and her "kill"

[belle8bete]

So, Lady Harriet was on the streets as a younger cat and had a litter.  That's the background.

She randomly picks up a mouse/bird/fish toy (it looks like a combo of all three creatures...I have attached it to the da bird stick) and she will drag the whole thing around, making really really odd noises.  She holds up her head really high, too.  I once caught her dumping it into her food bowl!  

What is going on here?  Right now she keeps dragging it over to my purse and then trying to kill it some more.  Her noises are truly bizarre.  

 

[msbedelia]

Gracie did this for a couple of days when her new, unasked for sister arrived in the next room. Before and after this challenger, she wil sometimes try to walk away with her "kill", but not as intensely (and I would wriggle the kill way from her and continue playing, since I only take it out during play time; when she was dealing with Squeak's arrival, though, I had to yield it to her and she'd drag it around and do all sorts of crazy stuff)

That is all the insight I have. ^^

 

[sadeeanne]

Sounds like she thinks its a kitten. Does she really try to kill it? Or could she just be trying to play with it. Maybe the stick gets in the way?

 

[belle8bete]

I've taken it off before, and she'll walk around with it all the same...it just usually stays on so we can play easily!  

I feel like she is calling her kittens to come eat.  Maybe I'm just nuts, but she looks around like she expects someone to show up and join her. 

 

[msbedelia]

Who knows! It seems possible.

I always get the impression that Gracie is showing off what a magnificent hunter she is. She has that head-up, prideful look.

 

[catspaw66]

Sugar carries her toy furry mice around like that, and she was spayed as a kitten, and is an indoor-only (except for the screened-in back porch) cat.

She will carry it around, making mewing noises, then throw it into the air with her mouth, and try to catch it while it is still in the air. This is a hunting cat behavior.

Your cat is showing what a good hunter she is, and teaching her kitten (you) how to do it.

 

[belle8bete]

She probably thinks Lord Wilson and I are pretty awful hunters.  And she would be correct. 

 

[msbedelia]

On an semi-related note: Did anyone else hear about the leopard seal that tried to feed penguins to the national geographic photographer? ^^ He wasn't any better at catching and killing penguins than belle8bete and I are at hunting toys.

 

[belle8bete]

Looking that up now!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/16/paul-nicklens-unbelievabl_n_359623.html