No, Teddy isn’t another feline addition to the household.
Instead, Teddy belongs to the feline member of the household.
Back when John and Newt first became roomies, the pet sitters brought Newt this little teddy bear. She loves him. It’s the funniest thing because he’s almost as big as she is, but she drags him all around the house and leaves him places…
like, on the stairs…
or near her food dish…
in the room above the garage…
even under my desk!
When the dogs first arrived, they would periodically pick up Teddy, but they quickly learned that he was off limits! Cats only!
Two funny things about Teddy: First, we never see her move him from place to place. She does it overnight or when we’re out running errands. Teddy is under my desk; I go to the store; Teddy is in her cat tree. The next morning, Teddy is not in the cat tree anymore. We find him later, tucked safely underneath the futon.
Second, Newt talks to Teddy. She’ll walk over to him, and just start going on and on, “Mow, mow, MOWWW, mowmowh!”
I have no idea what’s going on in her cat brain. Is Teddy her BFF? Her ally against the dogs? Or is he more like a security blanket? Or her kill? Is this normal cat behavior or extra silly Newt behavior?
I know some of you guys know cats really well. What do you think Newt’s thinking with Teddy? Or, is it like Emmett has always thought: She’s a total weirdo?
tango-toller says
02•08•14 at 11:29 amWithout Teddy, things would be a little bit less meaningful in life. Teddy is important.
Maggie says
02•08•14 at 11:56 amHa! I love it. 🙂
Erik N. says
02•08•14 at 11:34 amI’ve never seen behavior like this from any cat I’ve ever had the honor of being staff for! From what you’re describing though it sounds like Teddy might be a surrogate kitten!
Two things make me think this:
1)Moving him when no one is around; you’ve got to keep your kittens safe.
2) the yowling she makes at him; similar to noises mama cats make when looking for their babies.
I doubt she actually thinks he’s a kitten, but he punches enough mental buttons for her to treat him like one.
Maggie says
02•08•14 at 11:58 amThat’s really interesting, Erik. She’s basically playing pretend! That’s funny and a fascinating theory. I’m going to keep an eye on her interactions with Teddy and will report back!
Elizabeth Lakamp says
02•08•14 at 1:44 pmThis idea makes complete sense Erik!
Maggie, You know how they say you need to at least let an animal have a litter before you get the fixed? I’m wondering if Newt ever got to have one….
LOVE the story by the way!
Diane says
02•08•14 at 4:10 pmI haven’t laughed like that in a while. Thanks for that Maggie! We haven’t had cats in a while so I was able to live vicariously through Newt. I love how they all have their thing.
Pamela | Something Wagging This Way Comes says
02•08•14 at 7:29 pmI’m not sure what’s going on. But I think it’s adorable. Don’t you have a cat cam around the house so you could spy on Newt when she’s carrying Teddy around?
Rebekah says
02•08•14 at 7:40 pmThis is hilarious, and very sweet somehow. I find it fascinating that you have never seen Teddy being moved.
Jan K says
02•09•14 at 7:45 amThat is so sweet! Our cat Katie used to steal my beanie babies and transport them around the house. We always thought it was the dogs until the day we caught her in the act!
margaret says
02•09•14 at 11:12 amI first saw this behavior in a calico I rescued that was outdoors in the winter & kept finding her way into my garage for shelter. I took her (Shellie) in (already had 2 cats & a dog) & nursed her back to health (had frostbite & an eye infection). I had her for many years & she would walk down the hall carrying a sock or something small, yowling loudly repeatedly every day (I felt guilty that maybe she had had a litter & was missing her babies when I took her in). But now many years later I have two other cats one of which is also a calico (Piper). Piper exhibits the same behavior of yowling loudly (I have had her all her life since she was a kitten and she is spayed & has never had a litter) for no apparent reason (though she doesn’t usually carry anything). Sara & the other cats I have had meow but never yowl. It is really strange.
Elizabeth K says
02•09•14 at 4:20 pmNewt is a hoot! :-))) The chatting is definitely social behavior, but I couldn’t tell you whether it’s directed toward Teddy or toward the humans who are witnessing her. My cat Maddox walks around the house chatting to himself sometimes, but I’ve learned that when he does this, he really wants me to stop what I’m doing and pick him up.
My other cat Bertie had a “pet” goose that he carried around with him everywhere. It was precious and funny until he started dropping Goosy into his water bowl when he’d get a drink and then pluck him out, only to drop him sopping wet into the kibble while he ate. It was gross (the toy and the kibble). Sadly for Bertie, Goosy had to “fly” (into the garbage). 🙂 WHO KNOWS what gets into these cats’ heads! I LOVE it!
Laura says
02•10•14 at 2:40 pmThat is adorable. Our latest barn kitty adoption, is a pitiful thing. She’s slightly crossed eyed, has one tooth sticking out on the bottom and is missing a bunch of others and only has 1/2 a tail. The tail she does have has no nerves and she can’t move it. Her obsession is Q-tips and squishy, thick pony tail holders, she carries them around, licks them to they are gross and “talks” to them and then leaves them for us to find.