Need some insight into my cat's behavior?

Question

I have this HUGE housecat,and when I say HUGE I mean HUGE.He nevers plays with anything.....except my hair ties.He will get up on the dressing table in the bathroom and grab a hair tie.He then plays with it for a couple of minutes,then puts it in the dog's food dish.Any suggestions why he does this strange behavior ??

Answer 1

"Safe" Toys
There are many factors that contribute to the safety or danger of a toy. Many of those factors, however, are completely dependent upon your cat's size, activity level and personal preference. Another factor to be considered is the environment in which your cat spends her time. Although we can't guarantee your cat's enthusiasm or her safety with any specific toy, we can offer the following guidelines.

Be Cautious
The things that are usually the most attractive to cats are often the very things that are the most dangerous. Cat-proof your home by checking for: string, ribbon, yarn, rubber bands, plastic milk jug rings, paper clips, pins, needles, and anything else that could be ingested. All of these items are dangerous, no matter how cute your cat may look when she's playing with them.

Avoid or alter any toys that aren't "cat-proof" by removing ribbons, feathers, strings, eyes, or other small parts that could be chewed and/or ingested.

Soft toys should be machine washable. Check labels for child safety, as a stuffed toy that's labeled as safe for children under three years old, doesn't contain dangerous fillings. Problem fillings include things like nutshells and polystyrene beads. Also, rigid toys are not as attractive to cats.

Toys We Recommend
Active Toys:
Round plastic shower curtain rings are fun either as a single ring to bat around, hide or carry, or when linked together and hung in an enticing spot.
Plastic rolling balls, with or without bells inside.
Ping-Pong balls and plastic practice golf balls with holes, to help cats carry them. Try putting one in a dry bathtub, as the captive ball is much more fun than one that escapes under the sofa. You'll probably want to remove the balls from the bathtub before bedtime, unless you can't hear the action from your bedroom. Two o'clock in the morning seems to be a prime time for this game.
Paper bags with any handles removed. Paper bags are good for pouncing, hiding and interactive play. They're also a great distraction if you need your cat to pay less attention to what you're trying to accomplish. Plastic bags are not a good idea, as many cats like to chew and ingest the plastic.
Sisal-wrapped toys are very attractive to cats that tend to ignore soft toys.
Empty cardboard rolls from toilet paper and paper towels are ideal cat toys, especially if you "unwind" a little cardboard to get them started.
Catnip:
Catnip-filled soft toys are fun to kick, carry and rub.
Plain catnip can be crushed and sprinkled on the carpet, or on a towel placed on the floor if you want to be able to remove all traces. The catnip oils will stay in the carpet, and although they're not visible to us, your cat will still be able to smell them.
Catnip sprays rarely have enough power to be attractive to cats.
Not all cats are attracted to catnip. Some cats may become over-stimulated to the point of aggressive play and others may be slightly sedated.
Kittens under six months old seem to be immune to catnip.
Catnip is not addictive and is perfectly safe for cats to roll in, rub in or eat.
Comfort Toys
Soft stuffed animals are good for several purposes. For some cats, the stuffed animal should be small enough to carry around. For cats that want to "kill" the toy, the stuffed animal should be about the same size as the cat. Toys with legs and a tail seem to be even more attractive to cats.
Cardboard boxes, especially those a tiny bit too small for your cat to really fit into.
Get The Most Out Of Toys!
Rotate your cat's toys weekly by making only four or five toys available at a time. Keep a variety of types easily accessible. If your cat has a huge favorite, like a soft "baby" that she loves to cuddle with, you should probably leave that one out all the time, or risk the wrath of your cat!
Provide toys that offer a variety of uses - at least one toy to carry, one to "kill," one to roll and one to "baby."
"Hide and Seek" is a fun game for cats to play. "Found" toys are often much more attractive than a toy which is blatantly introduced.

Answer 2

It sounds like your cat is fighting for attention. If your cat and dog are competing all the time, spend some time with your cat at the same time of day everyday. The cat will look forward to this time. We have three cats and they are always fighting for attention. To solve the problem with the hair ties, put them around your soap pump or give your cats the milk rings from your gallon of milk. You may be surprised at the fun they wil have with these. It works for me!

Answer 3

Maybe he's trying to give your dog a present, like when my cat gets outside and brings me a lovely mouse. For some reason, he thinks the mouse catching shows me what a great hunter he is, and he brings me the mouse to feed me (yeah, gross, I know, but thats why they do it, they're trying to take care of us). Perhaps you cat can't get out to get your dog a mouse, so he's substituting it with a hair tie? If this is the case, then your cat really likes that dog!

Answer 4

Every cat does something strange like this. My cat likes to open cabnetsand things and if there is any jewelry he takes off with it. He has a stash under my bed! My other cat likes to play with stuffed animals and sleep with cat stuffed animals. I ould go on forever about all the strange things my 2 cats do.

Answer 5

Maybe you just have a HUGE odd cat. Just move the dish or something. Or your cat is just strange. Or move the hair tie, so this HUGE cat can't put it in the dog dish...

Answer 6

possibly not getting enough attention...but i think he is just being his silly cat self!! I can't tell ya why my cat does 1/4 of the things he does, but it's entertaining! He does like hair ties too...but then again he like to play with anything

Answer 7

Maybe he is pretending like he caught some food for your dog. Does he get along with the dog?

Answer 8

There won't be a special reason for it, really. Most cats have bizarre behavior.
My female cat opens drawers, unwraps tampons and gives them to male houseguests. Very embarrassing for me. I've started having to lock them away! lol!

Answer 9

I think your cat wants to make your dog happy by giving it the "prey" he has just caught.

Answer 10

cats are funny, some times they express them selves in weired ways, maybe he needs some attention