why your cat purposely pushes an object as far as possible under a piece of furntiture, such as a refrigerator, and then proceeds to spend an excessive amount of time twisting and contorting his/her body in a vain attempt to retrieve it?
Last night I watched Gracie take her favorite mouse toy and shove it firmly underneath the refrigerator. She then sat back on her haunches and gave the toy mouse a minute to regroup. I guess it was supposed to either attempt an escape or sneek farther back underneath the refrigerator.
Once a sufficient amount of time had passed without any sign of the toy mouse making a run for it, she began her struggle to retrieve it. It was almost painful to watch - the twisting and turning, rolling from tummy to back, banging of paws against the underbelly of the refrigerator.
Now if this was the first time Gracie were to hide something under the refrigerator, I might be more empathetic. But, this same behavior happens daily. I just don't get it. Why would my very intelligent cat choose to hide her prey over and over again in a place that won't let her get it back?
Would you ever take a favorite cookie or candy bar and hide it from yourself in a place that you knew would be inaccessible in the future? And afterwards cause people around you to question your sanity by spending the next several hours trying to retrieve it.
The logic in this perverse game of hide 'n seek evades me. The way Gracie plays it should be renamed "Hide 'n Can't Ever Get It Back".
And so, I guess this is another missing piece to the puzzle that is a cat.
Enlightening comments about today's thought are welcomed, so please feel free to share.
An album of pictures designed to help you visualize the events described in this post are available for viewing at Feline Funnies new facebook page.
Until next time, remember...
We cannot without becoming cats, perfectly understand the cat
mind.
- St. George Mivart
