We can take the cat out of the jungle, but we can't take the jungle out of the cat. There is a little tiger in every house cat, a solitary predator that needs to exercise its hunting skills on a regular basis. We may have confined this little tiger within four walls, provided it with the finest of feline foods, but we can't ignore its basic need to do that for which it was so perfectly designed--to hunt. Fortunately, it is not always necessary for the prey to be alive, but it must move. Check out our other article in this newsletter - Cats Just Want to Have Fun.

Owners are often frightened by playfully aggressive cats and kittens because they can look quite dangerous. They silently ambush feet and ankles as they pass by, surprising, upsetting, and sometimes, even hurting, the victim. In some cases the cat owners have inadvertently trained their cat to be a feline terrorist by playing with it as a kitten with their hands or feet. Now that the pet is bigger and stronger, those playful pounces and bites puncture the skin. The solution is to direct the cat's playful, predatory, energies toward toys instead of body parts.

Of course, the easiest solution, and perhaps the best, is to get another cat or kitten of approximately the same age and activity level as a playmate for your pet. Although you will now have two mouths to feed, the wear and tear on you and your home will be greatly reduced, or eliminated. If getting another pet is not possible, then it will be your responsibility to provide your fractious feline with scheduled sessions of controlled aerobic exercise, ie. play therapy.

Interactive Play

Schedule two or three (more, if necessary) interactive play sessions a day for times when your kitty is most rambunctious. (Cats love routine, so try not to deviate from these times.) Depending on how athletic Kitty is, the sessions may last between 10-20 minutes each. A fishing pole or wand-type toy enables the pet owner to be stationary while controlling the cat's activity level with a wave of the arm. (Some of the best toys for this purpose are the CatDancer, Da Bird, and the Cat Charmer.) The play sessions should not stop until the cat is exhausted, lying on his side and batting at the toy because he is too tired to chase after it.

During the session make the toy move as would prey--a little mouse or bird. Don't dangle it in the cat's face. It should hide behind objects in the house and occasionally jump into the air. Build up Kitty's confidence and enthusiasm by allowing plenty of "captures". Fishing pole and wand-type toys should be carefully stored out of the cat's reach after the play session as Kitty may continue to hunt for it long after you have left the room.

Solo Play

Inevitably, there are times when your cat may want to play when you are not available, and owners often leave toys out for their cat to amuse itself. In these cases, it is important to have a variety of safe, interesting toys to keep Kitty occupied. Be sure that the toys do not have parts that can be torn off and swallowed, or long strings that your cat might get tangled up in. The Peek a Prize Toy Box, made by SmartCat is a safe, durable toy that keeps cats mentally stimulated. Just like people, cats can get bored with the same toys, so be sure to rotate the toys available every few days to keep Kitty interested.

First of all, playful attacks are not accompanied by vocalizations--hissing and growling. A natural reaction to being grabbed or bitten, even playfully, is to swat at the cat. Don't do this! Physical punishment may cause your cat either to fear you or to engage in even rougher play. If your cat becomes afraid of you, you may face a bigger problem--that of defensive aggression. If the attack can be anticipated, a blast of air from a compressed air can, a squirt from a water gun, or the noise of an audible alarm or a shaker can (an empty soda can with pennies in it) may discourage the behavior if produced at the moment of the attack. Timing is everything. If "fired" a second or two after the incident, the deterrent will not be connected with the attack in the cat's mind and no training will take place, although the cat may be frightened and confused.

Perhaps the best deterrent is the one that is always at hand--one's voice. A loud and shrill "Eek", followed by a sharp "No!" can be very effective with some cats. The next step is to shun the cat for the next ten minutes. This means paying absolutely no attention to the cat. Don't lecture or scold the cat and don't pick it up to put it in a separate room. Any attention at this point can be reinforcing, so totally ignore the cat. This is precisely the way a kitten learns to inhibit his biting when playing with another kitten. If one becomes a little too rough, the victim will squeal and run away. The aggressor will watch his playmate run away and wonder what happened. Eventually he learns that if he wants to extend the play session (which he always wants to do), then he will have to be more gentle.

This training method works well--if you are patient and consistent.

*Article re-printed courtesy of http://catsinternational.org/