The cat that we have at home can sometimes have a behavior that will surprise us a lot. It is possible that one day we find, for example, socks in a room where they should not be, or that the key ring has disappeared.
The "culprit" is none other than our furry. Our beloved and pampered feline. That's when we wonder why does my cat steal my clothes. And, most importantly, what measures must be taken so that it does not do it again?
A matter of instinct ...
A cat who goes outside and who also feels very close to his family is more than likely one day to start bringing him "gifts" in the form of dead prey. But this behavior is also seen in that feline that lives inside the house, without going out, with the only difference that instead of dead animals, its victims are objects, be they small pieces of clothing or shiny things.
Why does he do this? For boredom? No. Not this. A cat that has this behavior does not have to be bored or frustrated. He simply does it because it is his instinct. In nature, the wild cat hunts its prey and takes it to a more protected place. Inside the house he picks up things and, since he cannot eat them, he "collects" them.
... and smell
Everything we have at home carries our scent; not in vain, have we ever touched them. If we talk about clothes, regardless of whether it is the clothing, the furniture and / or the bed, cats will be very attracted to that smell, since it is ours, that of his family. Keep in mind that body odor is very important to them. In fact, it is for this reason that they rub against us, to mix theirs with ours.
In moments of absolute calm, the furry will enjoy 'kneading' the clothes, especially if we have worn them that day.
My cat steals a stuffed animal, why?
Cats, in general, tend to like to play a lot. And there are others who, in addition, are fond of a stuffed animal. It does not matter if it belongs to your child or another furry that lives at home: if that toy becomes the favorite of the furry, it will 'take over' it whenever it can.
Why is this happening? The truth, I could not tell you. It is the same as when a child enjoys having a certain toy with him. Why happens? It is not known. It may have been given to you by someone special, who reminds you of something especially good, or that is the toy you prefer to have fun.
The cat is sometimes like a child in this sense. If during his youth we have played with him with a stuffed animal that later we had to throw away, it may be the case that they had become so fond that, seeing that we have bought another equal or similar for his partner or for our son, he wants to have it for him.
Of course, you will not feel like a thief, but of course, yes it may be necessary to take some measures. What kind of measures? For example the following:
- Buy another identical or similar stuffed animal for that other cat or person who has been left without.
- Make sure that both parties spend more or less the same time with the stuffed animal, or better yet, that they play together.
- Put the stuffed animal away when it's time to sleep, and when you have to be absent.
My cat steals from the neighbors
Cats that go outside can steal, especially clothes, from neighbors. It is a behavior that they do not like, and that depending on how those neighbors are can bring us problems. To avoid this, the ideal is not to let them leave the house, as there are many dangers out there.
How to prevent him from stealing?
The only way to avoid this is by keeping the objects in a safe place, especially if you have taken to picking up key rings or the like. Another option is ... to do nothing, but be careful, I would only advise opting for this if what you take are small pieces of clothing, such as gloves.
My cat Sasha has become a sock thief. I could have them better kept, but the truth is that it is not something that I give much importance to. Of course I have relatives who think I'm pampering her too much ... In any case, the sweet look she puts on with her socks in her mouth makes me want to kiss her. 🙂
Cats are very mischievous animals by nature. They love to steal things, although they don't see it as stealing. To avoid them and avoid problems, it will be very interesting and advisable to keep hidden everything that they usually take. I hope what you have read here has been useful to you.
I really need my cat to stop stealing clothes from my neighbor :(, my neighbors are not treatable people and I am afraid that they want to poison or harm her, Please help me
Hello Belen.
In that situation, I recommend not letting it go out. At home she plays a lot with her, so she will not want to go out 😉
Cheer up.
Help me, my cat is 2 and a half years old and for a few months she started stealing from my neighbors all night (socks, gloves, blouses and shorts) since she brings all the clothes she sleeps all afternoon.
Every morning that I wake up there is a path of clothes, I am afraid that they are going to poison it and I have no way of being locked up ... What can I do?
Hello Araceli.
As we say in the article, the fact Steal stuff is quite common in cats.
To prevent your cat from stealing from your neighbors, you can do several things:
-Play a lot with her during the day (without taking hours of sleep). A tired cat will have less desire to move from home.
-Give him treats for cats from time to time, or cans of wet food. In this way, the reasons why you want to leave will be reduced.
And talk to the neighbors. This is the trickiest part, but this is a behavior that will take a while to eliminate, so be patient.
Greetings.