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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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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." |
