Tonk with Cloth Toy

Question
My female blue mink tonkinese (approximately 8 years old) loves to play fetch with a ball.  Often, she will carry the ball around while engaging in a blood-curdling scream.  She lays the ball down, slaps it, plays, picks it up and screams while carrying it.  This is not a problem for her or me, but I am curious as to why she cries while carrying her toy.

Answer
Scott,

There are a few different theories on this one ranging from what some behaviorists believe is the cat developing her own substitute for mothering kittens (usually this becomes a favorite toy) to a kitty who plays this way simply seeking attention. Personally I believe that the answer lies somewhere in the middle for some cats since I've seen this behaviour in either gender of cat both fixed and intact. Your kitty could simply be a chatty girl who enjoys having long conversations with her favorite ball, she could be asking for your undivided attention (which it sounds like she gets much of the time) - try calling her to see if she comes to you when she begins chatting with her toys, if she does see what her behaviour is like...Does she want to play, cuddle, chat with you or simply go back to her own routine? Her responses will give you a good idea of where she's coming from.

Note: If your girl is an intact queen and you don't intend to breed her have the veterinarian check her for false pregnancy just to be certain that she hasn't decided on a psychological level that she's a mom. It is most humane to have pets that aren't being used by breeders in careful breeding programs spayed/neutered to control pet overpopulation as millions (if not many more) perfectly healthy, adoptable pets are euthanized in shelters every single day worldwide simply because they outnumber the suitable adoptive families available to them.

If you have any further cat related questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me again at any time, I'd be more than happy to help in any way that I can.