Have Fun With Your Little Kitten

Often, owners are frightened by their playfully aggressive cats and kittens because they look quite dangerous. Every housecat has a little tiger within it. So, the instinct to hunt is strong in all cats. So, as an owner of a pet cat or kitten, it’s not possible to ignore its basic need to hunt.

Every housecat has a little tiger within it. So, the instinct to hunt is strong in all cats. Though you may have confined your little tiger within four walls and provided it with the finest foods, you can’t take the jungle out of the cat. So, as an owner of a pet cat or kitten, it’s not possible to ignore its basic need to hunt. Fortunately for you, the act of hunting is more important than the actual prey. So, you can easily substitute the live prey with an inanimate toy.

Often, owners are frightened by their playfully aggressive cats and kittens because they look quite dangerous. They are startled by the constant need of the kittens to silently ambush feet and ankles as they pass by, surprising, upsetting, and sometimes, even hurting, the victim. And in some cases, the cat owners inadvertently encourage this trait by playing with the kittens. But as the kitten grows into a cat, bigger and stronger, these playful pounces and bites can puncture the skin.

So, the solution is to direct the cat's playful but predatory energies toward toys. However, the easiest and best solution is to get another cat or kitten of the same sex and approximately the same age and activity level as a playmate. Though there will be two kittens to take care of, which means more effort and time, you’ll save your home from a lot of wear and tear. However, if it’s impossible to get another pet, then you should provide your feline with scheduled sessions of controlled aerobic exercise, i.e. play therapy.

Interactive Play Sessions
The interactive play sessions should be scheduled for the times of the day when your kitten is at its most rambunctious. Ideally there should be two or three well spaced out sessions during a days. And, the length of each session depends on how athletic the kitten is. So, each session can be between 10 and 20 minutes.

If you don’t really want to exert yourself, you can use a fishing pole-type toy that enables the pet owner to control the cat's activity level while remaining inactive. And the sessions shouldn’t stop till the cat is exhausted. While, playing, you should build up the kitten’s confidence and enthusiasm by allowing plenty of "captures". But, once the session is over, the fishing pole toys should be carefully stored out of the cat's reach, for the kitten may otherwise continue to hunt for it, long after you’ve left the room.

Solo Play Sessions
There might be times, when you’re not around, that your kitten would feel like playing. In such situations, to avoid damage to your furniture, you should leave some toys lying around. However in such circumstances, it’s important to have a variety of safe, interesting toys to keep the kitten occupied. Also, make sure that the toys don’t have any parts that can be torn off and swallowed, or long strings that your cat might get entangled in.

Also, like people, cats can get bored with the same toys. So, be sure to rotate the toys to keep the kitten interested.

Playful Attack Sessions
Playful attacks are not accompanied by any hissing and growling. And the natural human reaction to such attacks is to swat at the cat. However, physical punishment might cause your cat either to fear you or engage in even rougher play. But, if the attack can be anticipated, a blast of air from a compressed air can, a squirt from a water gun, or a sudden sound, like an alarm or a shaker is an effective deterrent. However, timing is everything. If the reaction comes a second or two after the incident, the deterrent will not be connected with the attack, in the cat's mind.

The best deterrent is one's voice. So, a loud and shrill "Eek", followed by a sharp "No!" is quite effective, with some cats. Then you should ignore the cat for the next ten minutes. However, don't lecture or scold the cat or pick it up. If possible put it in a separate room for some time. This way, the kitten will learn to inhibit its biting.

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