This is my response to the above video on Reddit.com on the website:
I see the funny side and I see a good relationship albeit an unusual one. I just wonder if he is training his cat to be difficult. All these human actions indirectly train the cat to respond in a certain way. And his actions are a little confusing: both kind and friendly and also aggressive. Confusing for the cat. This may interfere in the relationship in some unforeseen ways in different areas of interaction. And I think he behaves like this with his cat in order to make an interesting video for social media. If I am correct, this is not a good reason to be this aggressive. He is having fun. Fine but he should ask if it may cause feline behavioural problems
What would your response be? I summary, I don’t think that it is wise for a cat caretaker to behave like this with their cat. It is too aggressive and there may be some long-term cat behaviour issues to deal with because, as I mention, what he is doing is a form of cat training. He is training-in a response.
He risks getting hurt actually – bitten or scratched. Not clever that.
It is interesting and fun so one does not want to be critical and one does not want to be too much of a purist and think of only one way to interact with a cat.
The underlying MO when interacting with cats is to be gentle, calm, not loud, friendly and reassuring. What he is doing does not fit that MO.
Yes, he clearly has a good relationship and I think he loves his cat. His cat accepts his behaviour. But you can see the cat’s response. There is an element of play-aggression there.
At one stage the cat makes that a howl/growl which is normally a preamble to a possible fight. The cat is being wound up.
In some respects, this is like kittens play-fighting and in that way, it is okay but as I said on Reddit, there may be some unforeseen consequences in the cat’s behaviour going forward in the long-term.
If a cat caregiver is aggressive towards their cat in any way it will provoke aggression in the cat. The cat may associate the human as someone who can be aggressive which may undermine the relationship. It may not but it may😉.
What do you think?
