That drawn-out, mournful sound – is it a meow, a yowl, or a holler? If you’re a cat owner, especially one who experiences the nightly serenade of a feline carrying a toy while vocalizing, you understand the sound we’re talking about. It’s a unique feline behavior that often leaves us scratching our heads. Like the scene of a Cat Standing Up Next To A Car Holding A Tool, it might seem a bit out of context at first glance, but there’s likely a reason behind it.
For weeks, our cat Newtie has been engaging in this very behavior. Every night, when we are on different floors, she heads upstairs and the yowling begins. It’s always accompanied by a toy – a favorite mouse, a crinkly ball – which she carries around, vocalizing all the while, before dropping it and starting the serenade anew.
A dark gray cat is centered in the frame. Her fur is medium-length and a little lighter around her nose and mouth. She has vibrant green eyes looking straight into the camera. Underneath her right paw, she pins down a neon pink, green, and yellow toy mouse. The text overlay reads: Does your cat meow while playing alone? Here
Connecting the toy carrying to the vocalizations took a bit of observation. Newtie, like many cats, is a private performer when it comes to this behavior. She only does it when she thinks she’s alone. It brought to mind memories of her interactions with our previous cat, Teddy. Their relationship was marked by chirps and conversational meows, especially during her adjustment to life with dogs.
This made us wonder if this current toy-toting serenade was also transition-related. With the recent arrival of baby Violet, and her ever-increasing mobility, is Newtie experiencing a similar period of adjustment or stress? Or is it something else entirely? And naturally, like anyone in the digital age, we turned to the internet for answers.
The Mystery of the Toy-Carrying Meow: A Deep Dive
Turns out, “cat meowing while carrying toy” is a surprisingly common search query! Millions of online resources address this very feline quirk. Initially, our instinct was to check on Newtie, thinking she was distressed. We’d call out to her or go upstairs, only to be met with immediate silence and a “what’s the fuss?” look. Now that we understand it’s not distress, the challenge is catching this behavior on video – nearly impossible when she’s aware of our presence!
Do you recognize this behavior in your own cat? Our research suggests that cat vocalizations, particularly in conjunction with carrying things, are often linked to hunting instincts or maternal behaviors.
An older article from Your Cat offered an insightful perspective:
Pet cats will sometimes show a modified version of this behaviour, carrying around toys and perhaps hiding them. Some female cats will also keep collections of toys that they regularly move around as if shifting a litter of kittens.
This suggests that it might be an ingrained behavior, a slightly “confused” instinct playing out in a domestic setting. It’s not necessarily sadness or longing, but perhaps a misapplication of natural feline patterns.
Building on this, another article from Blind Cat Rescue offered a more playful interpretation:
Mother cats will often teach their kittens to hunt by catching prey and bringing it back to their kittens, giving the kittens something to practice hunting on. When kitty makes a big fuss to having a toy in their mouth, they want you to pay attention to it. Making a fuss over toys isn’t a cats only part of cat play. … This sort of play teaches your cat to show off their treasures through meows and other noises and provides your cat with mental and physical stimulation. Play is a huge part of why cats meow with their treasures as well as wanting your attention to notice them and the toy in their mouth. The meow sounds like the cat is in distress but they are actually quite the opposite and want you to notice what they are doing.
While the idea of seeking attention is interesting, Newtie’s immediate silence upon our arrival upstairs makes us lean away from that theory. She drops the toy and acts nonchalant, hardly the behavior of a cat seeking interaction.
Decoding Newtie’s Serenade: Possible Explanations
So, where does this leave us in understanding Newtie’s nightly serenades? We are left with a couple of working theories:
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Teaching the “Kittens” to Hunt: Could Newtie be trying to teach Ripley, our dog, or even baby Violet, how to hunt? It’s a stretch, but perhaps she sees them as part of her “litter” in some way.
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Maternal Instincts and Past Litters: Newtie was a stray before she came to us, found after she reached sexual maturity. It’s possible she had kittens in her past. Could this be a lingering maternal instinct, a “confused” carrying of kittens, now manifested as toy carrying?
Of course, we can only speculate. Newtie isn’t exactly offering clear explanations! She’s “talking” to us in her own way, and we’re doing our best to understand her feline language. Her current “kittens” – the toys she parades around – include a felt eggplant, a blue mouse, and a small toy similar to a Tracker.
Have you ever observed this behavior in your cat? What do you think your cat was trying to communicate? Share your experiences and theories in the comments below!
For more insights into Newtie’s world and our multi-species household, connect with us on Instagram! We share daily glimpses, including (attempted) videos of Newtie’s toy-carrying vocalizations.
