|
|
|
Cat Facts: Editor's Letter The Prey Roar By Beth Adelman for Cat Facts |
 Daily Cat reader Sabra Hull told me recently about her cat Syslmod, a 13-year-old male Maine Coon Cat who's a Triple Grand Champion. "He will pick up one of several toys and carry it around, uttering in a specific tone of voice, like he's telling everybody about the prey he has caught. I can tell he's carrying something without being able to see him."
Several other readers have written in about similar behaviors, and my Yin Yin does this too. She'll carry a toy down the hall and "roar" with it in her mouth. She keeps calling and roaring, getting louder and louder, until we finally acknowledge her feat by telling her what a clever girl she is. It's a prey behavior, I know, and the calls may be related to the fact that cats call to their kittens to let them know they're coming home with food. I love it when Yin Yin roars with her "prey" in her mouth, except that she generally likes to do it about half an hour after I go to bed, just when I am drifting off to sleep. If you wrote to me with that problem, I'd advise you ignore the calls until your cat learns not expect a reply from you. But when it comes to my cats, I am just too well trained. I eventually do give in and call out to Yin Yin that she is a mighty tiger -- which wakes up my husband, of course. Then Yin Yin brings the toy to my side of the bed, jumps up and snuggles in with us under the covers. This is our reward for my correct response to her call. Yin Yin really understands the principles of good training. |
© Studio One Networks
