Playing aggression cat

Playing aggression is the most occurring kind of aggression which is expressed by cats towards people. All kittens and young cats must play. Playing behavior is normal behavior which enables the young animal to develop his motorial and cognitive skills. It also offers the opportunity to socialize with other people/cats. Playing consists of “fake” aggression: the cat chases, hunts, kicks, scratches, hits and bites. But not with the intention to kill.

Cats play in two different ways: The social game, and playing alone. Problems arise if the cat turns to people in his game. Despite of the cat’s “playing” intentions, people might get wounded seriously. Scratching and biting wounds can be painful and can infect fast. Sometimes it is hard to determine if the cat is playing or if he really expresses aggressive behavior. There are 3 characteristics which cats really show when they are playing
 
• The “playing face”: The cat’s mouth is half-open.

•  The sideways “attack”, or the sideways jump (often with a bent back)
•  Cats are usually quiet during the game: They don’t growl and blow, like with an aggressive confrontation. 

•  If your cat is younger than one year old, and he is the only pet in the house (or if the other pets don’t want to play with the cat) there is a huge chance that the cat will show playing aggression towards you.

What can you do?
•  Make sure you have a varied offer of toys, so that you will find out what your cat prefers. In general cats like little toys which they can hit, like balls and fake mice. They also like toys which move , sot that they can hunt, chase and follow a “prey”.
•  If your cat loves to sit below things and attacks your ankles if your walk past, or if you grab the stairs when you climb or descend the stairs, take toys with you which you throw in front of you in order to encourage your cat to chase the toys instead of you.
•  At least play 2x10 minutes a day (or longer) with your cat, use his favorite toys for this. Plan this playing time on hours that your cat normally behaves playfully (unless this is at 4 am in the morning of course…)
•  Regularly provide your cat with new toys, and/or create them yourselves (use boxes for example)
•  Let your cat (if possible and desired) play outside regularly. Or consider screening off an outside space or room for your cat with twigs, shelves, tunnels etc. In a more complex surroundings with (if outside) a chance to hunt insects and leaves, the cat will certainly be able to lose his energy.

What you shouldn’t do:
•  Don’t encourage your cat to play with your hands, feet or other parts of the body. This may be cute if the cat is little, it will become painful and dangerous if the cat grows older.
•  Don’t buy toys which encourage your cat to play with your hands, like gloves with attaching balls. The cat is not able to see the difference between wearing and not wearing gloves.
•  Don’t give your cat a “time-out” if he has played with you too wild. This might be very suitable for kids, but the cat will only get frustrated and the next time he will play with you he will behave even wilder.
• You may never run away from your cat, hit your cat or try to block off a passage with your foot so that the cat cannot enter it. These actions might make the cat wilder or might turn his playfully behavior in aggression.
•  Don’t punish your cat if he plays too wild with you. A punishment can cause the opposite effect and can also cause aggression. He might also get scared of your hands due to hitting and become standoffish. Should your cat, despite of your good intentions, be very persistent in playing with you, although you don’t have time on that particular moment, or you have already played with him, you can discourage him by fully ignoring him.

Other methods like a plantspray filled with water and whistles will stop the cat on that particular moment, but these methods won’t probably discourage the cat to chase you in the future. A loud noise might work, but we don’t advise this. Some cats get so scared that they will seldom leave their hiding place.