Dear Joan – I’m writing about my pal and her five-year-old cat.He is lovable to her. He wants a lot of consideration, which she makes certain he will get. She performs with him a lot. Instead of simply strolling away, like most cats I do know do after they’ve had sufficient, he begins going after her and actually bites her legs.
No matter what she does, he doesn’t cease. I don’t know if he will get overwhelmed or too wound up. Any concepts learn how to cope with this is able to be welcome.
She has had him checked by a veterinarian.
Sonya Abrams, Walnut Creek, California
Dear Sonya: It sounds just like the cat has one thing known as play aggression, which is widespread in cats however extra pronounced in some.
Cat play includes stalking and searching behaviours, and people urges are stronger within the morning and night, instances when their historic ancestors had been out searching meals. Cats typically spend a good portion of the day snoozing in comfortable, cosy corners, however when the searching intuition kicks in, they’re stuffed with vitality.
Some cats are extra lively than others, and since you say your pal’s cat requires a lot of consideration, he probably is a kind of.
How your pal performs along with her cat makes a distinction. We ought to by no means contain our fingers within the play exercise. Cats begin to settle for them as toys and deal with them as such. We can toss toys for the cat, however utilizing toys suspended on rods or poles is the most secure choice.
As you say, most cats ultimately stroll away after they’ve had sufficient playtime, however whereas your pal is likely to be bored with it, it appears the cat will not be and is constant its play by attacking her legs.
When that occurs, she must redirect his consideration to a toy that he can play with by himself, maybe a ring that has a ball inside for him to bat round, or a mechanised mouse he might chase.
She ought to shut him down instantly when he goes after her. That means giving him one thing to play with, however in any other case ignoring him. He probably thinks her response to being attacked is simply a part of the play. If distracting or ignoring him doesn’t work, she ought to quietly go away the room.
Yelling, scolding or placing him in a time-out gained’t work as a result of he might turn out to be afraid of her, and she or he’s placing herself in danger by choosing up a very excited cat.
There is a probability that he’s additionally a bit bored the remainder of the time and is benefiting from playtime.
She ought to have a look at enriching his setting by including extra toys he can play with by himself, and cat timber and tunnels he can discover.
In time, he’ll settle for the boundaries and be taught to play properly. – Tribune News Service/The Mercury News/Joan Morris
