This is Max.
You have probably seen him
around here before.
He's a character.
He was a shelter cat.
He was mistreated and abused before we got him
and even after 8 years,
he still cowers when you reach to pet him.
and even after 8 years,
he still cowers when you reach to pet him.
Poor little guy.
He has come to trust me and my husband
but no one else.
So sad to think what he must have gone through....
but Max has a quirky thing that he does
and I wanted to post about it to see if
anyone else has a pet doing this
"thing"!
He has come to trust me and my husband
but no one else.
So sad to think what he must have gone through....
but Max has a quirky thing that he does
and I wanted to post about it to see if
anyone else has a pet doing this
"thing"!
Max has become a mover.
By that I mean he moves laundry
only at night
in the darkness...
socks
clean or dirty
but just socks
Three or four nights a week
for over a year and a half...
he manages to collect
all the socks he can find.
He drags them down the second floor hall,
down the stairs, through the house
and into the tack room
and into the tack room
which connects to the laundry room.
Sometimes they make it
all the way
and sometimes they
only get part of the way there.
(Typically, he moves 4-7 socks a night,
and has moved as many as 13, once.)
 |
| There are four socks in this hallway. Picture taken in the middle of the night! |
Bizarre, right?
And why now?
After all these years?
A new hobby?
A mid-life crisis???
A mid-life crisis???
And it is not a quiet migration.
He makes weird high-pitched noises
as he moves the socks!
And when you go to him during this
thing that he does, you can tell he is
so proud of his work.
thing that he does, you can tell he is
so proud of his work.
Has your pet started a new
project late in their life?
Is this normal
or do you find it odd too?!
or do you find it odd too?!
Would love to know.
My cat (who passed away at the age of 18) used to do the same thing exactly, except he was partial to anything cashmere! We had to make sure all sweaters and blankets were put away or we would find them dragged all over the house. When he got old and infirmed we tried giving him my son's outgrown sweaters to comfort him, but he seemed to prefer the off limits ones. Go figure!
ReplyDeleteI think Max is wonderful, even with his new quirky habit. Odd yes, but I have heard that cats have nighttime projects. My friend's cats do things that are similar..
ReplyDeleteLove your blog....
Nancy
wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
We used to raise show cats. Max is hunting. If it doesn't bother you, I'd just let him have his fun. (and hide the delicate socks!) :-)
ReplyDeletethis is hilarious. my puppy is only interested in tearing up succulents ... he will leave any other plants alone.. only succulents. ??
ReplyDeleteI am dying laughing. I have had cats all my life until a few years ago when my last one died. I have never heard of one doing this! I even had a cat named Max. Your Max is doing some weird things.
ReplyDeleteI never thought I'd hear about another nocturnal sock hunter! My first cat did this! I rescued Cirrus when she was dumped at a horse barn where I was boarding my horse. She was terrified of people but became very attached to me after I took her in. She would steal my family's socks and bring them into my room at night or sometimes during the day if the house was quiet and no one was watching. Oh the noise she would make! She would yowl and yowl with her mouth stuffed with the sock. She never took anything but socks. One proud day she even managed to catch a pair of pantyhose! She would hide from anyone visiting the house but if they stayed the night Cirrus would sneak into the guestroom and take their socks too! Cirrus was found in an old horse barn in a Chicago suburb...maybe she and Max are distant relatives with a common sock-steeling gene!
ReplyDeleteMy sister's cat does the same thing every night but not just socks, pretty much everything he can drag around so Max is not alone. Lol!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Teri, Max is hunting. Our girls hunt their catnip mice at all hours and howl and yowl to let you know they've "caught" their prey. they're very proud of themselves and usually want to leave it in bed with you. Just this morning I woke up to a gnarly orange felt "mouse". Max is one good looking guy!
ReplyDeleteWhat a cutie :) I am hosting a giveaway on my blog today. I would love for you to stop by and enter if you like what you see. Have a great week Anu
ReplyDeleteMax is a handsome guy! I haven't had a cat since childhood, so have no cat stories to report. Sadie on the other hand likes to bring us socks when she wants to play. '-)
ReplyDeleteMy cat has been gone for a long time and he never did this. Max is so gorgeous! I love all your pics of him, especially the one where he's so proud of himself. So sweet.
ReplyDeleteIt's likely that your angel is taking these items because they have your scent and it calms him in your absence. Kinda like a baby blanket or a talisman.
ReplyDeleteMy sister used to have a ginormous cat that stole entire loaves of bread and bags of snack chips and hid them under her bed. :)
Give him a snuggle from me!
xo
Andie
First things first, Max is such a pretty tabby, his eyes are gorgeous. Our cat,Smokey sock hunts only when we are not at home. He likes to bring one of the kid's stuffed animals downstairs holding it like he is the "mother" cat. All the while he does this he is making so much noise, as if he is calling his kittens!
ReplyDeleteYep....my Baby Kitty is a sock hunter...especially if he can find them already balled up to go in the drawer! But as for the noise...my Oz is the queen! Debra Oliver is right...Ozzie "hunts" during the night (the catnip toys) and proudly brings her "prey" to drop at my bedroom threshold. Long ago I had an outdoor cat who would bring me mice, moles and other little goodies and drop them on the front door mat with that same strange meow. She even brought baby woodpeckers that had fallen out of the nest...totally unharmed...that we actually managed to feed and raise to adulthood and release! Love your fur baby...and his sock addiction! Hugs...Debbie
ReplyDeleteWell, first of all, I find it pretty hysterical! lol What a character and what a funny cat. The poor thing. My daughter has an adopted cat that was abused, too. She has taken to me but is scared of anyone except me, my daughter and her oldest (the gentle) son. I feel so bad to see her cower and run when anyone comes in the house.
ReplyDeleteSo...did you switch laundry detergents or anything that would have a scent that would attract Max to becoming "the sock carrier"? xo Diana
What a sweet story. I would love a cat or a dog but no more pets for me. I think it's a gift to you and a pride thing so give max lots of love for such a good job of sorting socks
ReplyDeletehow charming! a singing sock collector. a night stocking stalker. bella has just recently become plate phobic. for 12 years she has eaten from a plate, not a bowl, and suddenly plates repel her. she cries until we handfeed her or scrape her food on the floor. :)
ReplyDeletemichele
sounds like a hunting mice thing. thank goodness it's just socks. My daughter's rescued dog proudly drops mice at her feet -- and sometimes they're not dead yet! He spent a year running the streets eating what he could find apparently, and he loves his mama so much he shares with her. You've got to love those animals who've been mistreated, they deserve so much.
ReplyDeleteYour Max is definitely a night owl. Wish you would send him to find all the lost socks that magically disappear in the dryer!
ReplyDeleteMax is beautiful! I agree with Debra; I think he's hunting. I have a rescue kitty, Abby, that is a Flame Point Siamese. The day I rescued her from her abandoned trailer she had four kittens. I bought her a toy, on the way home from the vet's office, because the vet kept the kittens to find them a home. She has carried that toy for 11 years. She yowls every time she carries her toy. Max is one lucky boy! He has the most gorgeous eyes and is a stunning tabby!
ReplyDeleteMy cat Aggie does something similar, also at night. She has a mangled ball of yarn we call "woobie" she will get it out of a basket and move it around the house, making a strange noise. So I would say normal and so cute.
ReplyDeleteAlison,
ReplyDeleteMax is so handsome. My childhood cat, Tiger, looked very much like Max. I loved reading all of the comments on this one...my first thought was that maybe he was helping with laundry. :-)
I miss our cat which passed at age 16 a year ago...it's a dog run home now.
Karen
Max is a good cat I can tell, He just wants your scent with him I guess? he looks like my male cat I rescued about a year ago, poor thing was living under a bush covered with ice & snow in my front yard.
ReplyDeleteHe likes adults however will hiss at children, my daughter thinks he's dangerous to have around the grandsons, maybe children abused him?
Max seems to be a very happy cat Oh does max go outside? Shirley my cat does NOt want to go outside
He is hunting just using his instincts.. My Remy is indoor outdoor we found him in a barn literally but he makes funny noises when he's outside hunting for poor mice! Max is adorable!
ReplyDeleteMax is such a doll! I think it is just precious that he has this new "hobby". I miss having kitties. I wonder if my Rosie would allow a cat in our house now? I think she might like a new friend...
ReplyDelete-Shelley
My son's cats did that - very eerie sounding noises! Our golden retriever Abigail used to gather socks and nuzzle and love on them. Our current rescue cat also shrinks back when I go to pet her head, but she sneaks up into our bed in the night(between us)and purrs and snuggles. Guess she feels safe there.
ReplyDeleteYour kitty is so adorable and quite the character!!! My cats used to hunt the oddest things at night too and make the most horrid sounds while doing it! LOL
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!!
~Des
LOL! I've never had a cat but love cat stories.
ReplyDeleteYour Max looks like my "Tiger" (I know very creative). We have inherited many feral cats (all of whom have various wierd habits) but none who were sock thieves...and I thought I was the crazy cat lady!!
ReplyDeleteThis is so funny! He looks just like my son's cat Mort. They are such characters, aren't they? Keep us updated on this unusual behavior, and what may come of it, or if it lasts. Love to your cat )
ReplyDeletexo Nancy
Love this story! Such a beautiful cat! Made me start my day with a smile!
ReplyDelete