For the past several months, my 9-month-old kitten has this habit of wiping her front paws on the carpet. At first it started when she would finish using the litter box, and I figured that she was cleaning her feet from litter dust. Recently however, she started doing it before she's about to eat. What's even weirder is that she wipes her feet right next to her food dish. I've never read anything like this in the cat books. What does it mean? Thanks!
2007-03-24 07:20:48 · 11 answers · asked by Kaonashi 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
Thanks for the suggestions so far. I should have been clearer: my kitten wears little plastic caps over her claws. Also, the motion doesn't look like scratching. It's like how we would wipe our feet on a doormat.
BTW, we finally bought her a scratching post/cat condo. She loves it!
2007-03-24 20:24:30 · update #1
I actually have two cats that do the same thing. It is their way of "marking their territory". It comes form their "wild" instincts. My guess is she does it while standing kind of over the dish, right? Well imagine that the dish was outside in the dirt. They do this because to them they are "burying"their food to be able to return to it later. Don't worry, it is normal, and cute at that!!! :)
2007-03-24 07:41:31 · answer #1 · answered by sabby 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cats will often sharpen their claws on the carpet. Mine sound like machine guns going off as they run across the carpet, they have their claws out and it is just hilarious. If you have a Berber carpet, that's not to great, because they can pull up a loop, lol. When you mentioned that she does that by the food dish, that's a different matter. She is kneading. Some cats will do that all their lives, some outgrow it. It's a comfort thing. They have to knead to make the queen's (mom's) milk flow. Most people wean the kittens to early, causing the kitten to continue to look for that comfort. My cat kneads me all the time, before she goes to sleep on my side, lol. She was a stray I found chasing grasshoppers for food, in the street. She's 19 now, and still does it. Cats, like dogs, have to wear down their claws. We file our nails, being inside cats, they have no recourse except to sink their claws into the carpet or furniture or even the closest human. Smiling, I have more than a few scars from cats that climbed me, lol. Get a scratching post for the claws. Hugs, you are a great owner to be concerned and to learn about your animal.
2007-03-24 07:58:41 · answer #2 · answered by caje 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She is cleaning & sharpening her claws which helps to keep them trimmed. Have a scratching pad or pole for her to use. Catnip is usually used on the pad or post to help get them use to using that instead of someplace else that you prefer them not to. My husband even wrapped carpeting around our basement stair post for our cat to climb and tug on with her claws which she usually does after using the litter box that is located in our basement. She gets her exercise up & down the stairs plus keeps her claws trimmed as well. Only once have I had to trim her middle claws on her rear paws and she is going to be 7 years old this summer.
2007-03-24 15:59:36 · answer #3 · answered by Helen 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if the kitten is sufficiently old yet some catnip on the scratching submit my mum and dad had a cat that could use the settee as a scratching submit so as that they have been given a scratching submit and the cat wouldnt use it so as that they bought catnip and then the cat began using it yet while the catnip wears off greater should be placed on or the cat will bypass back to creating use of yet it sounds like using
2016-10-19 12:41:26 · answer #4 · answered by fugere 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She is trying to sharpen her claws, even of she is declawed, cats still do this, dont worry about it and think into getting a scratching post!!!
Good luck!
2007-03-24 07:24:46 · answer #5 · answered by MY CHEM♥ 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
is she kneading? or just stretching? its hard to say because ur descriptions a little hazy. but im sure its just a weird habit, she's probably fine
2007-03-24 07:25:35 · answer #6 · answered by whoops :) 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
shes cleaning herself or shes scratching my cat does that to are chairs i gess you could say its a habbit
2007-03-24 08:37:05 · answer #7 · answered by hockeylova#1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well you have got a very weird case on your hands!cats have claws unless you de-claw them.they use their claws for alot of things! she/he may just be sharpening his/her claws!
2007-03-24 07:26:50 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
that's just what cats do. It's very normal
2007-03-24 07:27:04 · answer #9 · answered by cool girl 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It comes form their "wild" instincts, she's probably "burying" or "hiding" or "hunting". pretty cute! not even a problem.
2007-03-24 08:02:04 · answer #10 · answered by Freakgirl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋