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Kittens that like to Play rough, what you can do.
By: Alfred
Once you accept that Aggressive Play Behavior is typical
behavior that your kitten will eventually outgrow, you are
far better prepared to tackle the problem without anger and
resentment. Here are some simple things that you can do to
diffuse your kittens aggression:
Avoid the little Furball:
This strategy is effective to diffuse a kitten's play
aggression towards you. How you do this is by learning your
cat's cues. Watch your kitten for signals that will announce
that it is about to attack. For instance, twitching tail,
flashing eyes, and laid back ears. This will most likely
mean that your kitten is about to begin aggressive play, and
if you are petting it you should let it down immediately to
avoid getting bitten or scratched.
To avoid your kitten while walking through your house wear
protective material and keep an eye out. Wear thick socks
and house shoes. In order to discourage this behavior when
you are trying to leave the house you can have a squirt gun
handy. Getting sprayed with water will usually quickly
diffuse the kitten's aggressive play.
Provide a Diversion:
The best diversion in the world for your kitten is another
kitten, although for a while you may think that your
peaceful house has now become a monkey house. You will find
that the kittens will usually play with each other instead
of trying to engage you in their play. They will also learn
better by playing together and learning to protect
themselves from each other.
If another kitten is out of the question, then good toys
will distract your kitten some of the time. The famous
string with a thing on the end will distract for a while,
but the almighty laser pointer is one of the best
cat toys
in the world. Be careful not to shine the pointer directly
into the kittens eyes, though, it can be dangerous. Just
train the laser light on the floor and let the kitten chase
it as you move it around the room. Play with your kitten for
twenty minutes at a time and this will release a lot of the
kitten's pent up energy.
Do this immediately when you see the telltale signs that
your kitten is going into the aggressive play mode and you
may avoid a lot of household damage. Remember that your
kitten will outgrow this phase of its development. Don't
give up your kitten because you believe this type of play is
really a psychological problem. Your kitten is being a
kitten and expecting it to act like an adult cat isn't
feasible.
It is important that you learn your kitten's cues. This will
allow you to enjoy rather than becoming a victim of your
cat's playing and aggression and will increase the bond
between you and your pet.
Allowing your cat to use you as a plaything may even let
your cat think that you aren't the dominant in the
relationship, which can cause a whole host of other problems
later on down the road. Roughhousing and scratching and
biting can also transfer zoonotic diseases between you and
your kitten. It also can cause severe problems in the young
or older humans who have thinner skin and weak immune
systems.
Training your cat is a part of having a pet cat. In order to
stop this type of behavior, do what it takes to teach your
cat and steer it toward proper outlets for its aggression
and play. This way you won't have to run the gauntlet every
day while walking through your house or to have a squirt gun
at the ready when trying to relax. Enjoy your kitten; it
will only be a kitten for a short time.
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