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Play-motivated aggressive behaviors
are common in young, active cats less than two years of age, and in cats
that live in one-cat households. When cats play they incorporate a variety
of behaviors into their play, such as exploratory, investigative and predatory
behaviors. Play provides young cats with opportunities to practice skills
they would normally need for survival. Kittens like to explore new areas
and investigate anything that moves, and may bat at, pounce on and bite
objects that resemble prey.
Kittens learn how to inhibit their bite from their littermates
and their mother. A kitten that is separated from her family too early
may play more roughly than a kitten that has had more valuable family
time. In addition, if humans play with a young kitten using their hands
and/or feet instead of toys, the kitten is liable to learn that rough
play with people is okay. In most cases, it’s possible to teach your kitten
or young adult cat that rough play isn’t acceptable behavior.
Encourage Acceptable Behavior
Redirect your kitten’s aggressive behavior onto acceptable objects
like toys (see our handout: "Cat Toys and How To
Use Them"). Drag a toy along the floor to encourage your kitten to
pounce on it, or throw a toy away from your kitten to give her even more
exercise chasing the toy down. Some kittens will even bring the toy back
to be thrown again! Another good toy is one that your kitten can wrestle
with, like a soft stuffed toy that’s about the size of your kitten, so
she can grab it with both front feet, bite it, and kick it with her back
feet. This is one of the ways kittens play with each other, especially
when they’re young. It’s also one of the ways they try to play with human
feet and hands, so it’s important to provide this type of alternative
play target. Encourage play with a "wrestling toy" by rubbing it against
your kitten’s belly when she wants to play roughly - be sure to get your
hand out of the way as soon as she accepts the toy.
Since kittens need a lot of playtime, try to set up three
or four consistent times during the day to initiate play with your kitten.
This will help her understand that she doesn’t have to be the one
to initiate play by pouncing on you.
Discourage Unacceptable Behavior
You need to set the rules for your kitten’s behavior, and every person
your cat comes in contact with should reinforce these rules. Your kitten
can’t be expected to learn that it’s okay to play rough with Dad, but
not with the baby.
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Use aversives to discourage your kitten from nipping.
You can either use a squirt bottle filled with water and a small amount
of vinegar or a can of pressurized air to squirt your kitten with
when she becomes too rough. To use this technique effectively, you’ll
always need to have the spray bottle or can handy. You can either
place one in each room, or carry one with you as you move around the
house. In some cases, you may want to apply taste aversives to your
hands. If you have sensitive skin you may want to wear gloves and
put the aversive on the gloves. The possible disadvantage to this
method is that your kitten may learn that "hands with gloves taste
bad and those without gloves don’t." For more information on aversives,
see our handout: "Aversives for Cats." Remember that aversives
will work only if you offer your kitten acceptable alternatives.
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Redirect the behavior after using the aversive.
After you startle your kitten with the aversive, IMMEDIATELY offer
her a toy to wrestle with or to chase. This will encourage her to
direct her rough play onto a toy instead of a person. We recommend
that you keep a stash of toys hidden in each room specifically for
this purpose.
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Withdraw attention when your kitten starts to play
too roughly. If the distraction and redirection techniques don’t
seem to be working, the most drastic thing you can do to discourage
your cat from her rough play is to withdraw all attention when she
starts playing too roughly. She wants to play with you, so eventually
she’ll figure out how far she can go if you keep this limit consistent.
The best way to withdraw your attention is to walk away to another
room, and close the door long enough for her to calm down. If you
pick her up to put her in another room, then you’re rewarding her
by touching her. You should be the one to leave the room.
PLEASE NOTE: None of these methods will be very effective
unless you also give your kitten acceptable outlets for her energy, by
playing with her regularly using appropriate toys.
What Not To Do
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Attempts to tap, flick or hit your kitten for rough
play are almost guaranteed to backfire. Your kitten could become afraid
of your hands, or she could interpret those flicks as playful moves
by you and play even more roughly as a result.
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Picking up your kitten to put her into a "timeout"
could reinforce her behavior because she probably enjoys the physical
contact of being picked up. By the time you get her to the timeout
room and close the door, she has probably already forgotten what she
did to be put in that situation.
Aggression
Kittens can bite or scratch through the skin. In these cases it’s
best to seek help from a behavior specialist to work with your kitten’s
behavior. Be sure to keep your kitten confined until you can get professional
help. Also, be sure to thoroughly clean all bites and scratches and consult
your physician, as cat scratches and bites can easily become infected
(see our handouts: "When the Behavior Helpline Can’t Help" and
"Understanding Cat Aggression Towards People."
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