Kitty Obsessed with the mirror?
 

My oldest cat, Mildred, (6 y/o) has started obsessively staring at herself in the mirror, she never did this before.. is this normal? Should I be worried at all? It's litterally for hours!! She just sits there and moves her head around and then comes up for some pets and then is straight back to the mirror..:confused:

Is your cat playing and running around the house at all?

VERY interesting thread.

I have read/seen somewhere that 'higher' level animals like dolphins can tell that they are looking at themselves when they are looking in a mirror, but other animals can't.

I've never really bought this at a 100% level....

But anyway.....BD, asks a fabulous question

[QUOTE]Is your cat playing and running around the house at all?[/QUOTE]

I interpret this question as, has your cat stopped acting like a cat?
Has the cat stopped grooming or playing for instance in favour of looking in the mirror.

If so, then this for me might be a problem and I'd simply cover the mirror or turn it around.

But if not....this might just present additional stimulation for a cat, which might not be a bad thing at all.

VERY curious to hear what other members think of this.

As puppies Nikki and Lupa loved to look at themselves in the mirrors. Now they seem more spooked by it when they see themselves in a mirror (we have one hanging in the garage so I think they figure it's another dog). Reflective windows are interesting when we walk past the schools also... I don't get the impression they recognize themselves.

I have to agree I don't think the kitty is in trouble so long as she's still playing and interactive at other times.

She has always been a very timid cat-- she usually only plays when your not looking, but she has been playing with a couple of her toys, and since bringing home the baby kitten she has been playing with the kitten alot, they chase each other and snuggle and everything-- other than the sudden obsession with the mirror her behaviour hasn't really changed.

It's strange, because the mirror has been placed there for a couple years and she's never bothered with it until now, and she honestly spends hours staring at it.

You should try removing the mirror and see if your cat still sit in the came spot for hours . If it does it could be a sign that something is wrong . I heard of dogs doing this when they're sick One dog had vertigo and started to walk around in circles and stay in on spot for a long time. He was give meds and got better. You could just have a very vain kitty.