Kittens are naturally very active and playful. Normal cat play includes chasing, climbing, exploring and pouncing. Kittens especially enjoy chasing anything that moves (including feet!) and climbing or jumping onto just about anything in your home that provides a challenge! Because kittens have nails that can scratch and sharp teeth that can bite, your new kitten must learn how to play gently with you and your family members and to direct his play behaviors toward appropriate toys, rather than your hands or furniture. Here are a few tips for teaching your kitten how to play gently:

Provide daily play periods for your kitten. Kittens have a lot of energy, but also need time to rest and sleep during the day. Establish a routine with your kitten that includes two or three play sessions a day. This will teach your kitten to expect her play at certain times and will help to prevent boredom-induced behavior problems.
Select a variety of stimulating toys for your kitten. Cats enjoy small toys that they can pounce upon and bat around, as well as interactive toys that you can manipulate during play periods. Some cats also enjoy soft plush toys that are large enough to “wrestle” with. (If your cat likes this type of play, you will see her grab the toy with her front feet, roll onto her back, and kick at the toy with her back feet).
Cats are stimulated by novelty. Offer a variety of types of toys to your cat and rotate them weekly to maintain her interest. Keep a few “special toys” put away, and present them to your cat only during interactive play sessions. This will help to keep her play with you interesting and fun!
When playing with your cat, always use toys to entice her to chase, pounce, and jump. Throwing a toy for your cat is a great way for her to chase and exercise, and some cats learn to bring the toy back to be thrown again! Other toys that can be used during play include bendable poles with toys or feathers on the end and toys on strings that can be dragged along the floor or dangled from the air.

Helpful Tip!

Preventing 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.