Play Aggression in Kittens

By HollywoodPet.net | Sun, 15 Jul 2007

Play aggression in kittens can lead to aggressive behavior in cats. Kittens will many times play attack their owner, especially if the kitten was raised independently without siblings or parent interaction.

Everyone has seen the a silly little kitten get on their hind legs and play attack their owner. It is particularly cute to see a tiny kitten do this. This type of play agression can lead to other types of aggression in later years if your kitten has missed the socializing process. Kittens that are raised without parents or brothers and sisters can miss out on socializing with littermates. Littermates actually can teach your kitten what is good play behaviour and what is appropriate play behaviour.

The term aggression sounds extreme but play aggression among kittens is very common. Watching for the play aggression if it continues when the cat gets older is the trick. If left unchecked, play aggression in cats can escalate into bad and unwanted behaviour.

Using your hands during play can actually teach your kitten that it is okay to play attack you. This is not the message a kitten needs to be given. Use toys like string and pole toys each day on a regular basis to burn off your kittens excess energy. Also, try to redirect your kitten towards treats or food toys to direct the attention away from you. Constantly using your hands to play with the kitten can teach your kitten or cat that you are the toy. This can become a much bigger problem as your cat gets older.

In extreme cases of cats acting out too much play aggression, keep a small spray bottle of water handy. A little spray of water is all it takes for a cat to get the message. One small spray just before your cat is about to play attack should be enough to redirect any cat without doing any harm. Watch your cat's body language for any upcoming play attacks. This is an effective method that can stop most occurences. Giving your cat attention in a slow relaxed way can do a lot towards calming your cat down too. Sometimes if you exude peace you get peace in return.

Play attacking by kittens is cute but it can lead to a more mature cat that plays too rough with people. Curbing these seemingly harmless behaviours will help a lot in having a cat that is loving and well-behaved. A few simple things to watch for is all it takes to help you and your cat be happy for a long time.