Purring and odd behavior

Question
Hello,

    If you wouldn't mind, I actually have 2 questions, given that you are an expert on feline behavior. My first question is why is my 7 year old Siamese male suddenly purring with his mouth open and kind of hiccuping in mid purr? Is this something I should be concerned about? Otherwise, he seems to be fine, although he is recovering from a recent bout of gastrointestinal illness.
    My second question is a little bit more bizarre. My 3 year neutered Siamese "adopted" a stuffed Beenie cow toy that we call MJ. When you ask Morsel where MJ is, he will go and get him. The bizarre part is that he will put MJ in front of the food and water bowls, as though to make him eat or drink and has put him in front of the litter pan. He brings him downstairs to "socialize" and then brings him back to my bedroom. And when he is carrying MJ, he makes the most pitiful crying noises. What's up with my cat??? I know that cats will bring their owners "gifts" from time to time, and Morsel has dropped MJ at my feet on occasion, but what about the feeding and litterpan? Any info you can shed is greatly appreciated and thank you for your time!
    Sincerely,
    Sheryl Brill

Answer
In regards to your first Siamese, cats have a pair of structures on the roof of their mouth called the vomeronasal organs.  These organs help them to fully gather smell information, so when you find him in this mouth open position it could likely be the reason.  They can seem to grimace or make odd facial expressions when smelling like this also.  Open-mouth breathing also occurs with cats that are in respiratory distress but it sounds like he is otherwise healthy from your description.  If he exhibits any problem you should have him examined though.

The carrying of MJ to food and little pan sounds as if Morsel were mothering it.  Mother cats will often bring kittens to the litter pan, to teach them appropriate behavior.  Though I would actually expect this adoption and mothering more from a female cat, males have also been known to exhibit such behavior.

Quite often cats are seen to yowl while playing with their toys.  It is a vocalization for them which can indicate pain or distress but also can be part of their normal "vocabulary" in some.  It is always a good idea to take him in to your veterinarian for a health check to make sure there is no problem behind it, but I have seen many "toy serenades", including from my own amusing adult male.