Published Feb 17, 2025
Does your cat ever do anything unexpected? Charlie the cat has a unique quirk: He lifts his paws to his mouth repeatedly, as though begging or praying.
His mom initially thought her new cat was begging for food, but as the behavior continued, its cause became more mysterious.
Found in a field
As a kitten, Charlie was found in a field with his siblings. In 2020, he was adopted by his mom, who on Instagram calls him the “CEO of the squat and beg.”
He started this behavior all on his own. He sits back on his haunches, puts his paws together, and lifts them toward his face in a repetitive motion.
Soon, he was in the routine of “praying” every morning when his mom woke up. This is what made her think he was begging for food!
Then, Charlie started performing the strange behavior throughout the day, even at night (where he was caught by a camera while his mom slept).
His owners have no idea where the behavior originated or why he does it, but it sure is cute!
More praying cats?
Charlie’s unique behavior earned him an online following of over 180,000. But is it that unique?
His mom would soon connect with other cat parents who said that their cats did the same exact thing. While this behavior clearly isn’t common in cats, it seems it isn’t unheard of, either.
Why does Charlie pray?
There’s no telling exactly why Charlie or any other cat might pray or beg as he does. However, there are some potential causes.
The first is that Charlie had a difficult start to life, which can sometimes cause strange, repetitive behaviors (also known as stereotypical behaviors). In cats, you may see pacing, excessive grooming, or even stranger behaviors as in Charlie’s case.
While Charlie seems to be a healthy cat, strange behaviors can also be a sign of health problems. If your cat does something atypical, it’s important to see a vet to rule out underlying causes. This is especially important if the behavior is new or unlike your cat.
Another theory is that perhaps Charlie was initially itching his face, and his owners found it adorable. Their attention may have encouraged him to do it again and again, leading to the repetitive praying.
After all, this is the best way to train a cat–showing positive attention toward the behavior we want to see more of. It works whether you want them to stop scratching furniture, to walk on a harness, or to keep doing that begging motion that’s so cute!
Charlie’s parents could have reinforced the behavior on purpose, but it’s more likely they did so unintentionally by laughing at his antics and cooing over how cute he is.
Sometimes we never know precisely why cats behave the way they do, and we just get used to their quirky personalities. Each cat’s uniqueness is what makes watching endless hours of cat videos so fun! (Surely I’m not the only one who does that, right?)
