Sunday, March 02, 2008

My kitten loves green olives

I made a sandwich and plopped a couple of green olives on the side for garnish. I chowed down, and after, I pet my cat. She sniffed my fingers and then went crazy. Licking, rubbing, following me to the sink where I washed with soap and tried to get way from my crazy kitten.

The next day I gave him a quarter of an olive, and he ate it! Then licked and rubbed the paper towel I'd laid it on, then tore it up and rolled in the shreds. It was like catnip to him.

I googled the query and asked if this was a really weird thing, like, did I end up with another weird cat? Naw, seems it's fairly common. Same with cantaloupe.
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"I've heard of this before. Frankly, I'm not sure why some cats react to olives as though it is catnip. It must be something to do with the scent and perhaps something used in the oil to flavor/can the olives. Cats react to the volatile oil in the leaves of catnip and release the oil-scent into the air by biting, rolling on, and crushing the leaves. Perhaps the special oil in Spanish olives tickles the kitty brain in the same fashion."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am not suprised they like olives. I am shocked they like the green ones. How the heck did you get spanish olives in your italian house?
Chuck

Elizabeth Prata said...

shhh! The balsamic vinegar doesn't know they are here!

You're right, I should have introduced him to Gaeta olives first.

Christie said...

Well now I have to do an experiment with my cats. I wonder what they'll think of capers?