Teach Your Kitten To Play Nice

Does your kitten attack your ankles from under the bed as you walk by? Bite your hand hard enough to hurt when you play?

Kittens and young cats use play to practice their survival skills, whether they’re going to need them later or not. They’ll treat any moving object, including people and other animals, like prey; chasing, pouncing, biting and all. Kittens learn from their mother and their litter mates how to regulate their bites so that they don’t hurt, so if your cat was separated from their feline family at a young age, they may play rougher than you like.

People also often teach kittens to play rough by using their hands and feet instead of toys – forgetting that kittens grow up to be cats fast, and what was acceptable in a small kitten will be painful from a grown-up cat.

The best way to teach your kitten what’s acceptable is to encourage and reward the play you want. If your kitten stalks and attacks your feet as you walk down the hall, be ready to redirect them with a few toys in your pocket to toss for them to chase. When your cat wants to wrestle, redirect them from your hands with soft stuffed toys that they can grab onto.

Encourage your cat to chase and pounce on fishing pole-type toys or fuzzy mice on strings. If you initiate a few brief playtimes each day, your kitten will have an outlet for their energy, and they’ll know when to expect the fun. Tire your cat out before bedtime and they’ll have an easier time leaving you alone at night.