Why does a cat run around the house with a toy in its teeth?
Experienced, loving and caring cat owners know that you need to play with your four-legged friend so that he feels needed and loved.
That's why all kinds of cat toys are in demand - from fishing rods with feathers to balls and soft mice.
However, sometimes the cat’s attitude towards these toys can alarm the owners.
The animal often grabs a ball/mouse with its teeth and runs around the house or runs after family members, clearly wanting something? Why does the cat behave this way?
There is absolutely no need to panic and suspect your pet of having an unhealthy psyche because of this behavior, because there are reasonable explanations for this. There are several reasons why a cat loves to carry toys in its teeth.
The first of them is that the pet simply wants you to take part in the game. Cats are sometimes capable of fetching a dummy, like dogs, and you don’t have to train them to do this.
If you come home from work and your cat runs out to you, holding a toy in its mouth and meowing/purring, it means it's bored and asking you to play with it. You'll throw it a toy, and it'll run after it and bring it back.
Reason number two is that female cats often carry toys around the house in their mouths because this is how they exercise their parental instincts.
After all, cats that have given birth very often move their kittens from place to place, looking for a safer and more reliable shelter. And if a cat has never given birth, this does not mean that the instinct to preserve and protect offspring has disappeared. And a toy mouse/fish can easily play the role of a small kitten for an animal, which must be protected and carried to a safe place.
The third reason is that a cat or a male cat, bringing their toys to their owner, teaches the latter how to hunt and "shares" their catch. Many people are familiar with the situation when a cat, free-ranging, brings mice or birds caught on the street to their owners' pillows or under the door.
Domestic cats can only hunt for toys, which they do with pleasure, and then brag about the result to their beloved owners and show: “Here, look how it should be done!”
The fourth reason why a cat won't let go of a toy is that it simply likes it. After all, people are attached to certain things, even when they have several of them - pens, bags, keychains, jewelry.
And a cat, given a dozen different toys, can choose just one, but the most attractive one, and refuse to part with it. That's why she runs around the house with a mouse/piece of paper in her teeth, and there's no need to be afraid of such behavior.
And reason number five, which may indicate some problems, is that the cat is stressed, and carrying a toy in its teeth helps it calm down and get distracted.
This may happen if the animal is frightened by moving, noise outside the window or in the apartment. It is possible that this anxiety causes the cat to want to hide away its favorite toy, which it takes for a kitten.
How should owners behave in all the situations described? It's usual. If the cat persistently brings you a toy and purrs invitingly, play with it; when its behavior is connected with instincts - let it show this instinct; if carrying a toy in its teeth is a reason for the pet to boast of its hunting skills - praise and pet the "breadwinner". And when the cat is clearly uncomfortable and is experiencing stress, it is best to be close to it and, if possible, eliminate the stress factor.
