Arnold loves clothes

Question
My fiance and I laugh so hard when we see our cat Arnold drag clothes from the
bedroom into the kitchen. It's always the kitchen and always our clothes, never
towels or rags. He drags them when we're here or away and doesn't hump them
or anything. He just leaves them all over the kitchen. Have you heard of a kitty
hobby like this? It's hilarious but we often wonder what could he be thinking.

Answer
Danielle,

Indoor cats have surpressed hunting urges that they can't satisfy if they don't go outside. Cats who exhibit this behavior are usually trying to utilize their natural instinct to retrieve. The only thing that the inside cat can do to satisfy this urge is to 'hunt and kill' something inside the home, like clothing, which actually is quite popular. In the wild, cats hunt their prey, then they bring their prey back to a safe place before they consume it.

In Arnold's case he hunted and caught an article of clothing (I bet it gave him an awful fight too!)(smile). Arnold is 'hunting and killing' your clothes and bringing his 'fresh kill' into the kitchen, which in the wild would be his nest.

Try getting some little furry stuffed mice that you can throw and he can catch; get a pet laser light (PetSmart, Petco, etc,) where he can chase the 'little red bug' on the floors, wall, and ceilings. They also love the sparkly craft balls that you get in a package in Wal-Mart's craft dept., or at a craft store. Mine carry those around in their mouth

Another thing that hunter type cats like, periodically for a treat, is a raw beef rib bone. I have the butcher cut some in half. The cats satisfy their 'fresh kill' instinct by pulling on the meat, the protein is good for them, and the fibers in the meat help clean their teeth. Not all cats are interested in them (some of mine aren't...one of mine won't touch meat, raw OR cooked) but the 'hunters' usually have fun with them. Sometimes they will growl at you if you look like you might take their prize away!

Tabbi