Meet 10-year-old Remus, a tabby with an odd obsession with fruit.
This year’s springtime saw Carly Cox’s nosy cat rummaging through the groceries more frequently than normal. It took some time, but Cox ultimately realized that Remus was intrigued by a container of strawberries.
“I asked my sister (a veterinarian) if they were OK for him to have,” Cox told The Dodo. “She said yes, and he could not have been happier when I gave them to him!”
Before falling in love with strawberries, Remus enjoyed playing with his toys and activity tunnel. But once he discovered the bright red fruit, Remus became obsessed with them.
While strawberries shouldn’t be made part of a cat’s regular diet due to their high sugar content, that doesn’t seem to be a problem for Remus.
“Remus mostly plays with and snuggles the strawberries,” Cox said. “He doesn’t really try to eat them but will rub his face all over them and toss them around like toys.”
Some people speculate that strawberries may be a distant relative of catnip, having a similar psychoactive effect in cats, despite the fact that cats cannot taste sweets and have problems perceiving the color red.
However, Remus’ infatuation with strawberries—and nothing else—and inability to get enough of them persists.
“When he gets tired, he will also sleep with the strawberries,” Cox said. “I can’t quite figure out why he likes them so much, but I’m happy to be able to bring him joy with something so simple!”
