Prevent Rough Play in Your
Kitten
When he was young, your kitten’s mother and litter mates taught him to inhibit
his bite during play and to play gently with others. However, these lessons must continue
when your kitten enters his new home and begins to play with his human family. Here are a
few tips for preventing rough play or play aggression in your cat:
- NEVER use your hands or feet to entice your kitten to play. Kittens
react very strongly to movement and so it may be tempting to allow your kitten to chase your
feet or hands. However, when you do this you send a message that your hands and feet are
toys, and your kitten will react by stalking, pouncing and biting you!
- If your kitten or cat does bite or nip during play, redirect his play
immediately to a toy and away from your hands. Always have more than one toy ready during
play so that your kitten never has the opportunity to direct his play towards your
hands.
- Some kittens persist in playing too roughly or nipping, even when toys are
provided. If this occurs, immediately stop the play by walking away and leaving the room.
Wait until your kitten becomes calm before offering to play again.
Although quickly squirting the cat with water from a squirt bottle can be used as
an aversive experience to stop rough play, this approach should only be used as a last
resort. Cats quickly learn that you are the source of the spray and there is a risk that
your kitten will become fearful of you rather than associate the water with his rough
play.
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