Cat Behavior Problems - Mean Cats

If you have a kitten, your hand probably has tiny teeth marks and numerous scratches. Aggressive play may be cute when the animal is young, but an adult animal can cause painful injuries with this behavior. How can you avoid having mean cats?

One tactic is to get two new kittens at a time rather than just one. The two will have each other to play rough pounce and chase games with rather than you having to act as a surrogate kitty. With a companion cat, your kitten will also be less likely to become bored and destructive.

Whenever kitty starts playing roughly, end playtime, and avoid eye contact with your pet. Since kittens enjoy spending time with you playing their favorite games, he or she may eventually associate the rough play with the loss of time with you.

Have plenty of interesting toys available for your kitten. Felines enjoy toys that they can chase and bat such as dangling objects or balls of yarn. When the kitten attacks your hand, offer a toy instead. Note that if your cat has your hand trapped, do not try to jerk away as this will encourage the cat to hang on tighter which will be painful for you. Instead, distract the cat, avoid eye contact, and wait for him or her to let go of you. Be sure to put up any toys involving string or yarn so that your cat does not get tangled up and possibly hurt when you are not present.

Don't use your hand as a toy. Having kitty chase your hand may be fun, but eventually, you will get bitten or scratched since the cat will treat your hand as prey. Remember that cats often kill their prey, so you don't want this destructive behavior aimed at your body.

Do not yell at or hit your kitten to discourage aggression. In fact, this behavior may make the cat even more aggressive or frightened and raise the potential for you or a family member to get hurt. Cats do not have a need to please people as do dogs, so if they associate you with unpleasantness, they will do their best to avoid you.

Even though aggressive play comes naturally to kittens, you will want to discourage this type of play when it is directed at the humans in your household. By following the tips above, you can discourage aggressive cat behavior and make sure that your kittens do not become mean cats.