Monday, January 08, 2007

Old cat that likes to lie down in the bathroom

There was supposed to be a post on MIL's cats, but it didn't work with Picasa, and I'm lazy to recall what I'd typed.

Anyway, one of MIL's cat is called Mama. She came to the house because one day over a decade ago, she chose to give birth to kittens outside MIL's home. Subsequently, she was adopted together with one of her kittens (the bratty, diva-ish one). Mama was already a few years old then, and has been a house cat for at least 14 years, as far as MIL can recall.

Now, Mama is really getting on in years and I think she may go anytime. Mama has been losing weight, and a few weeks' ago, the vet found a lump in her tummy area. Nowadays, Mama likes to lie down in the bathroom, even when the bathroom floor is wet. If we remove her from the bathroom, she will go back to lie on the wet puddles, nevermind that she gets herself wet.

MIL thinks maybe Mama has fever and is feeling hot, but when I touched Mama, she doesn't feel hot or anything. I wonder why she likes to lie down on the wet bathroom floor?

Mama the sweet lapcat

Mimi, the bratty daughter and total opposite of Mama

5 comments:

Cat said...

Oh Mama, you are an grand dame aren't you? Does the bathroom hold some special fondness/ memories?

auntie p said...

I don't think so, Cat. I'm not sure if bathing in the bathroom can be considered a fond experience for Mama. ;)

Just before bathing the cats, FIL would turn on the shower to fill the plastic tub with warm water. When the cats hear that shower noise, they will go into hiding.

Anonymous said...

When my Queen was ill from CRF, she hide in the toilet. Even when the toilet was wet and she was soaking wet underneath. I thot it might be she felt warm. But after researching, her behaviour is called hiding. When cats feel extremely ill, they will display this behaviour. My Queen has improved so she does not hide anymore. Maybe when Mama feels better, she will stop going to the bathroom.

KXBC said...

Moglee, wouldn't then they choose a more conducive place to hide? Like under the bed, sofa or in some dark corner rather than the wet toilet? *scratch head*

I remember the one and only time XX was sick, she hid in the room for a day (unlike her usual boisterous self) with her teary eye and wet nose. But she recover in a day without even seeing the vet.

auntie p said...

kxbc, I had the same thought as you initially. Then my hubby reminded me about an article I'd read long ago about this: -
When the cat feels sick, it may not know what's causing it to feel bad, but it will try to move away from "the cause" and hide, e.g. by getting away from its usual environment to a different place. This explains why sometimes nobody knows where very sick / dying cats go.