Cat - Play and Investigative Behaviours

How does play develop in kittens?

Play is an important component of kitten development, and proper play and exercise should be encouraged.

Young kittens play using chasing and pouncing behaviours that seem to have their origin in predation. Predatory play is an integral part of feline play behaviour and early learning, and this play in a kitten is often aggressive and intense. Kittens begin social play as early as 5 weeks and continue at a high level until about 12-14 weeks. Object play develops at 7-8 weeks when kittens develop the eye-paw co-ordination needed to deal with small moving objects. Full development of locomotion (coordination/movement) occurs between 10-12 weeks and as a kitten becomes more co-ordinated play may become more intense.

Kittens are attracted to moving objects and will chase and stalk them.

What is the best way to play with my kitten?

Kittens use multiple objects as prey items when they play. This play behaviour consists of stalking, pouncing, jumping, biting and clawing. Small objects that can easily be moved with paws and grasped in the mouth or between the feet are often preferred. However it is important to avoid objects that are so small that they could be swallowed and cause an intestinal blockage. Some kittens like to play with objects like string or wool but this can cause severe intestinal problems, which can be fatal, if eaten and should only be used under supervision.

Avoid playing with your hands as you interact with your kitten. Your moving hand can become an appealing play object and attempts at correction could aggravate the situation. Although young kittens may not inflict damage, as they get older and continue to use human flesh for play, serious injuries can result.

Fishing rod type toys and long wands with prey type toys (feather toys, catnip mice) on the end can be used to encourage play without contact with your body. Young kittens will often fetch small fleece toys, or bat them across the floor.

Why is my cat always getting into mischief?

Another important part of the normal development of young animals is the need for exploration and investigation of new objects and new environments, however these behaviours can lead to damage to your home as well as injury to your kitten. Preventing these problems is quite simple; you need to accept your cat’s needs to play and investigate and provide suitable opportunities and outlets for him to perform these behaviours safely.

How can I prevent damage when I am not available to supervise?

When your cat cannot be supervised leave him in a cat-proof area, with water, soft comfortable bedding and a litter tray for elimination. Although a large indoor pen may be an acceptable form of confinement for short departures, most cats can be confined in one or two rooms that have been effectively cat-proofed. This allows your cat some freedom while preventing damage and injuries. Child locks and secure containers can be used to keep your cat out of cupboards or dustbins. Any of your possessions or household objects that might be clawed, pounced on, explored, or knocked flying, should be kept out of your cat’s reach. Remember that with their excellent ability to jump and climb, damage prevention measures may be needed far above floor level.

If you do not wish your kitten to enter a particular area or perform a particular behaviour you need to provide alternatives which are more attractive and more rewarding. It is also very important to ensure that your cat has access to appropriate outlets to meet his species-specific needs. Therefore you will need to provide a post for scratching, some ledges or shelves for climbing and perching, and a few play toys that can be swatted, batted, or chased. Cat toys on springs and those that are hung from doors or play centres can be attractive to kittens but it is important to make sure that they are safe to use and that the cords or springs cannot get entangled around your kitten’s body, especially his neck. For this reason suspended toys are probably best limited to times when there is direct human supervision.

Ping-Pong balls and catnip mice are often fun for cats to chase and attack. Cat play centres can be purchased or constructed to provide areas for perching and scratching in a relatively small compact area. Some cats like to explore new objects, so a few empty boxes or paper bags (never plastic) will keep some cats entertained until you have time to play. Sometimes the best solution is to get two sibling kittens at the same time so that they can amuse each other, however the introduction of a second cat later on may not be so successful since cats do not have good behavioural capacity to interact with strangers. If this approach is going to be tried it is sensible to get a new kitten as soon as possible, while the first kitten is very young and ensure that the new arrival is young, sociable and playful. However, even then it is important to treat the newcomer as a totally independent feline and provide him with essential resources, such as food, water, resting places and latrines that ensure that his arrival does not impact at all on the core territory of the resident. See handout on Multi-cat households.

Although some people think of confinement and cat-proofing as unnecessary or cruel, they are precautionary measures to keep the cat safe and prevent damage to the household when the owners are not available to supervise. Common owner complaints such as chewing on plants, scratching, climbing or playing in inappropriate locations are just a few of the potential problems that can best be prevented with a little planning and forethought. Then, when a family member is home and available to supervise, your cat should be given more freedom to explore and become accustomed to those areas of the home where problems might otherwise occur. During these times of supervision, investigation can be directed into safe channels so that your cat learns what is rewarding and acceptable behaviour. Over time less confinement may be necessary.

What problems are associated with play?

There are a number of behaviour problems that arise out of over-exuberant and inappropriate play. Some examples are cats that rambunctiously tear around the household, those that swat at or pounce on the owners (sometimes escalating into bites and injuries), and those that grasp, nip, bite or swat at the owners throughout the night.

How can over-exuberant play and play related attacks toward people be prevented?

Before any attempts at stopping or interrupting the behaviour are attempted, it is vital to provide sufficient opportunities and outlets for appropriate feline play. Choose play toys and activities that are appealing to your cat and which cater for natural instincts. Remember that feline play sessions can be intense and short lived and be prepared to incorporate short but frequent play sessions into your day. Another way to encourage longer play sessions is to alternate toys and games during the session as interest in play may be rekindled if the game changes.

Removing all attention from cats who become over-exuberant and using distraction tactics to encourage play away from human body parts can then be implemented to reduce play related attacks. See handout on Inappropriate play for more information.)

Should I punish over-exuberant play and play attacks toward people?

Physical punishment should be avoided. Remember that over-exuberant play is associated with high arousal and any intervention which increases arousal is therefore best avoided. In addition it is well recognised that pain can cause aggression and if you hit your cat you may increase aggressive behaviour as well as cause problems of fear and owner avoidance. In addition owners that attempt to correct playful aggression with physical contact may inadvertently reward the behaviour.