Daily Kitten Chat Forum User Favorites: 2bpurring

Daily Kitten Chat Forum User Favorites: 2bpurring http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Daily Kitten Chat Forum User Favorites: 2bpurring en Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:24:28 +0000 krazikat on "Cats And Play from Cassie Cattails.......01/08/09" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13178#post-315046 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:14:46 +0000 krazikat 315046@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ I used to keep a lot of toys handy for when my cat would "go crazy". She never outgrew playing. Thanks Scarver! 2bpurring on "Cats And Play from Cassie Cattails.......01/08/09" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13178#post-314645 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:24:56 +0000 2bpurring 314645@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Scarver, just a thought, but could you add tags to this post? Either play or aggression? That way this info would be easy to find when the question gets asked again. 2bpurring on "Cats And Play from Cassie Cattails.......01/08/09" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13178#post-314642 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:21:22 +0000 2bpurring 314642@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Very informative Scarver! Many new kitty parents often come to TDK with these very questions...I'll have to keep this information handy!!! scarver on "Cats And Play from Cassie Cattails.......01/08/09" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13178#post-314635 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:06:50 +0000 scarver 314635@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Cats And Play It is difficult to think about cats, so graceful and lithe, without also thinking about their playfulness. The sight of a small kitten leaping and pouncing side- ways onto a ball, her eyes round and surprised, makes us laugh. A quiet reverie of book reading is disturbed by a feline pet batting a paper clip across the room. Feline play behavior is adorable and endearing - and of course, as cat owners can attest, quite frustrating at times. As common as it is, the reasons for play behavior are not entirely understood. As with most mammalian species, play is seen most frequently in the young. Among other things, it is believed to serve as "practice" for social and predatory behaviors that will be critical later in life. Researchers have found that kittens begin to play at approximately four weeks, spending most of their time playing with each other at this young age. Wrestling with other kittens helps shape the skills needed to establish social systems with other mature cats later. By the age of seven to eight weeks, kittens transfer their attention from such social play to predatory play with inanimate objects. With all the importance that play holds in the life of a young cat, it is perhaps no surprise that inapprop- riate or excessive play is a common behavior problem. Seen most frequently in young kittens and juvenile cats, play-related aggression can be a troubling problem. Their human "prey" complain of cats pouncing on feet as they walk by, or otherwise biting, clawing and kicking while they are being handled or petted. Although there is no "vicious" intent in such kittens or cats, all of this carousing can be painful. Another risk of play- related aggression in cats is cat scratch disease, a bacterial infection resulting from cat scratches which can affect anyone with compromised immunity. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Play-Related Aggression What can be done about play-related aggression? This common problem is actually quite easy to treat and resolve. First, remember that kittens and cats need to play. By writing down the general times and patterns of your own cat's play, you should be able to predict the times or situations in which she is likely to "attack." Provide toys (homemade toys are fine!) such as feathers or cloth strips dangling from sticks, catnip-filled mice, or bells and wind-up toys. A bucket filled with crumpled paper or Ping-Pong balls is a very useful distracter, placed in areas where the kitten has previously stalked and pounced on assorted feet: as she starts to stalk, throw a ball down the stairs for her. Punishment, in the form of a water gun, may be useful if necessary, but redirection of her play-aggression will be more convincing to your cat. Because some kittens start to bite and kick playfully while they are being petted, it may help to limit the duration of petting until your kitten matures a little more. Finally, feeding the main part of your cat's daily diet at a time he otherwise might be attacking your ankles can greatly reduce the aggression. Would another kitten in the home solve the problem? Well, it might - but it might not. If you have already decided to add another cat to your home, now is the time to do it; two kittens will often keep each other physically occupied. But if the decision is based entirely on reducing your current cat's play-aggression, it may not be a good enough reason to obtain a second cat. Remember - the problem may not improve, and you might end up with two predators instead of one! ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ -- FROM THE "CAT SCRAPS" FILE: It is a common belief that cats are color blind. However, recent studies have shown that cats can see blue, green and red. **-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**