My cat 'prays'

by Marian
(Fremont, CA USA)

Simone

Simone

I have been owned by cats for 25 years now. My newest addition, Simone, began doing this strange motion about 2 months ago at age 7 months.


She will be looking at something, maybe it's a box, maybe it's an object, maybe food -- it varies -- and she'll sit up, put her two front paws together, and wave them in a "I bless thee" like motion.


Watch on YouTube

I Googled 'cat praying' and found that I am not alone; there were at least 10 cats I saw who were doing the same thing, and it is never for one particular reason. This morning she was playing with the pull cord on my kitchen blinds and then stopped, 'prayed', and then resumed playing. She has also looked out the screen door and done this:


Watch on YouTube

... and she's famous for doing this to boxes. She even prayed to a flat envelope one day and a stack of newspapers yesterday.

Ideas??? It is adorable but we always wonder what is going through her little head.

-Marian and her crazy kitty

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starstarstarstarstar 		my cat too he prays to what's inside the oven
by: Anonymous

My cat is summoning satan I think
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starstarstarstarstar 		Saying her prayers
by: Nala Mama

My cat does this too! A friend said he thinks she's trying to catch my aura. I could see it, cats see more than most humans. Now I'm laying in bed googling cats & aura's lol.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Begging cat
by: Anonymous

I have cats my whole life, never did I see the begging / praying.
But my boyfriend has a cat who is 12 years now and he says she did I from when she was a kitten.

I don't always know why she does it, most of the time when she wants something, if I'm cooking and cutting chicken, she stands beside me and does the begging motion, or when she wants to lay with me on my desk and want me to lift her up she bets. But sometimes I find her just looking at a wall or something and begging.

So sometimes I have no idea and other times it's pretty clear why she does it, but it is just really cute!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		My Siamese prays too
by: Crazy cat lady or so I thought

All my life I have owned Siamese cats I am 50 and never have I seen a cat that looks like he is praying, until I got my cat Chance last April he will be a year in Jan, several times a day we catch him doing the same thing that the cat in this video is doing and I thought I was crazy, he does it at the oddest times but i do not think it's a neurological problem, I do wonder if he senses things in our house though, our daughter died here 17 years ago and I feel he senses her, I really can't explain it I have had at least 7 Siameses since she passed and none have ever displayed this behavior, I want to video him but he does it at random things so it's hard to get that video but I do believe he thinks he is praying or trying to do something to the air lol. Thanks for making me feel I am not crazy.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Praying on her back
by: Anonymous

We just got a 6 yr old rescue who makes the praying motion while she's laying on her back. She doesn't seem to do it for any particular reason. But it's really cute and I've even started mimicking her and she continues praying while she watches me. Kitties never fail to surprise us and amuse!
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starstarstarstarstar 		Sheeba Prays
by: Anonymous

So Sheeba is 6yrs old and she has always prayed. tonight was the first night in 2 years she has actually slept in our room.I've seem her pray and looking like she's watching something. Now keep an opened mind here.Sheeba slept with me tonight, Sheeba was acting like my protector. Sheeba was praying and watching closely kind like she was telling something or someone to keep moving. The say cats can see spirit/ghostd.She had that look as if to say I dare you, once she'd stop then she'd rub up against me. Another is if you cat pays attention to one part of your body, like licking your hair line or kneeds your throat stomach etc, get checked out. Sheeba kneeds my throat because i have thyroid issues and when i found out i had a tumor after it was removed she stopoed laying at the top of my head and licking my hair line just another possible reason.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Treats!
by: Kurt (Admin)

Help in Arizona,

That sounds very cute. I would break out the treats for her! :)
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starstarstarstarstar 		Help in Arizona!!!ยก
by: Anonymous

I just adopted an 8 yr old cat from the welfare and since the day I brought her home she also prays!!!! If the door bell rings, if my cell phone rings, if the garage door opens or closes, if I turn the washer or dryer on she prays!!!!! What can I do for her besides laugh????
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starstarstarstarstar 		They know what they are doing
by: Amanda

I have had cats my entire life and only just a few months ago when this beautiful young stray Mia Mishua came into our lives did I see this for the first time. When she first did it I swear I was seeing things. I was refilling her Friskies wobble toy with the string cheese and some treats when I open the package of string cheese (cat approved of course) she started doing the praying motion or begging motion, which I think it is. After that day she would do it everyday while I was filling her wobble toy. I have seen her do it when she wants me to open the window or the door but never for no reason she always wants something!
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starstarstarstarstar 		Mystery
by: Anita

I have a 7 year old cat but she has never done that. None of the other cats I've had in the past either. Since 3 weeks I have a kitten now too, he's 12 weeks now and he was doing this to his sister from another mother. One moment he was trying to get her to play with him by playfully "attacking" her and the next moment he sat up and did the "begging/praying" thing!
I've been searching the Internet for explanations but nobody seems to know why cats do this. I guess it's one of life's mysteries!
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starstarstarstarstar 		Our main coon does this too
by: Crystal

Omg is it so cute. Our kitty budda has been praying and begging wishing lol since he was a few months old also. My daughters been visting her aunt and he prays at her bed he misses her i know it
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starstarstarstarstar 		Is my cat a prayer?!?
by: Anonymous

My cat has stood on his back legs and "prayed" only a few times. However, for a while he regularly slept on his back with front paws in a praying position. Makes me wonder if he's a prayer or not. Maybe a non-demonstrative prayer. He is pretty spoiled in the attention department.
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starstarstarstarstar 		prey
by: Anonymous

my kitten does this he gets on his 2 back legs and sits up properly and preys its so cute and funny but i fault it was odd as he doesnt do it for anything he sits at back doors and does it like hes waving good bye and any other time hes doing it in middle my front room we have 3 videos and its most cutest thing ever
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starstarstarstarstar 		Beggy Paws
by: Anonymous

After fifty years of cats I have a guy who does this also. So startling when you see it the first time. It started out as my sons' cat and they call it 'beggy paws'.

He'll do it to go out, and to refill the food dish when you can see the bottom. And to open the cupboard door where he likes to sleep sometimes. Just anytime he wants something.

Isn't it great that you can live to be 60 and there are still things you've never seen before.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Me too
by: LeBenz

Diego does that too. Especially before dinner and before bed. I always figured he was seeing ghosts.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Mine too!
by: Anonymous

My kitten does the same thing! I've never seen it before, either. I wonder what she's thinking!
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starstarstarstarstar 		My cat 'prays' too!
by: Diane

I have an 18-month-old long-hair cat who does this too. The first time, it was too a brand new (to her) Amazon box (& she loves boxes). This morning, it was to the newly cleaned water fountain. My guess is that this motion is connected to the similar one used by my cat & her sister to "cover" food & poo. They've taught my older cat to "cover" her unfinished meals too.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Praying cat
by: Rashida

That is too precious. My heart leaps for joy when I saw this video... just awesome.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Praying cat
by: butterflyannie

I have been around cats all of my life and have never seen this before. It's really Special.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Simone continues her arm pumping/praying
by: Anonymous

She still does it. She will do this if she wants me to pet her - she'll stand up, face me and start pumping her arms. She does this when begging for treats. But sometimes she will be just sitting, then will stand up and 'go.'
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starstarstarstarstar 		Unbelievable
by: Donna McKeen

I have never seen a cat do that before either and I have had cats and kittens all my life... it is very cute though and very sweet. Too bad we aren't a cat so we know what is going through their minds...
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starstarstarstarstar 		Cat prays
by: Anonymous

I have never seen this before, but my guess is that it is a neurological condition and not at all voluntary.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Two pawed motion
by: Elic

I had a cat who would do that funny motion sometimes on the wall or any upright object (but generally a wall).
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starstarstarstarstar 		Finally
by: Erika

My cat does the same thing, if he wants something he'll "pray." He's such a weird cat. He only sleeps on his back. He takes naps in the tub and his litter box.

Every morning I find his cat toys or dead bugs in his water bowl and when I'm holding his treats he'll do the begging/praying thing and if I don't give in he'll climb all over me and literally knock it out of my hands! I've never seen a cat like him but I'm sure glad he's in my life!
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starstarstarstarstar 		What a Crazy Kitty!
by: Kurt (Cat Lovers Only Admin)

I'm totally fascinated. I've never seen a cat do that before, and I have no idea why she would do that. Maybe she secretly aspires to be a temple cat.

-Kurt

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