Sometimes your cat will engage in some really weird behaviors. Thus, it has a habit of carrying their toys in their mouth to their bowl of water or food and dropping them there. Either it creates a small flood, or their toy is good to go in the washing machine. In any case, you can’t understand why it acts like this… We’ll explain everything to you!
1. Get them to safety
If your cat really cares about their toys, it may want to put them in a safe place to make sure they don’t get stolen. And therefore to be able to play with it again later. However, their food space, where their bowls are, is often in the center of their territory and therefore constitutes a secure place. This behavior is in all respects similar to that of wild cats which bring their prey to a hidden place so as not to attract other predators.
However, it can also be a reflex due to a cat’s maternal instinct. Indeed, mothers have a habit of bringing their kittens back to the family nest. So your furry friend may see their scattered toys as stray kittens.
2. Ditch them
There is also another reason, much simpler and more obvious, which can explain why your cat regularly puts its toys in its bowls. Since it considers them precious items, it may like to walk around the house with them.
But, when it is thirsty or hungry, it is forced to knock them out of their mouth. Indeed, it cannot drink or eat and hold them at the same time. Thus, it only drops their toys when it is in front of their bowls.
3. Drown them
Some feline behaviorists claim that some cats can equate their toys with living prey and attempt to drown them by dropping them into their water bowl. It would therefore be a hunting technique.
But your cat may also be trying to teach you how to hunt through this behavior. Indeed, it knows that you regularly go to their bowl and therefore places prey there to show you how to do it.
