Expert: Jessica - 4/10/2010

Question
At the beginng of the year I have reccieved a tabby x'd with maybe Burmese or Siamese, but he has big ears like a siamese.  I have trained him to sit, beg, give cuddles on command and fetch. All he does with pleasure and learns quickly. He blinks at me a lot, I blink back, then he closes both eyes slowly, which I am told is his way of saying I love you.The behaviour I am curious about and unsure of is, he has a habit of 'stealing' items and dragging them to his 'lair'. It ranges from my clothes (which he will get onto my wradrobe to find)to his favourite love, anything shiny. At night just before bed after he has had lots of pats and cuddles, he will try to steal my glasses and if that fails he has started to trying to pull the blanket off me. Is there some particular reason he does this or have I just got an odd cat?

Answer
Hi Jema.  You don't have an odd cat, but the reason some cats collect items remains a mystery to us.  The best guess is that it's a hunting behavior, although parenting behavior is another theory.  In support of the hunting theory is that many cats deposit their items in their food bowls once they're finished dragging them around.  Also, males engage in the behavior, and usually, males are not involved in parenting.  However, in support of the parenting theory, many cats also collect the items in their beds with them.  This behavior does seem to be a little more common in females than in males, and some males do have a nurturing instinct, especially Siamese.  When possible, keep items that it's inappropriate for him to steal tucked away in drawers or hampers with lids on them, and provide plenty of cats toys or old t-shirts or socks that he will be allowed to collect freely.  Hopefully, this will keep annoyances to a minimum.

Best wishes!

Jessica