A Michael Broad Blog
Cats can play fetch too! by Michael Broad We see lots of videos on the internet of cats playing fetch so it might not surprise informed cat caregivers that around 40% of cats enjoy playing fetch to varying degrees and extents. For me, the evolutionary history of the domestic dog over up to 30,000 …
Watching a kitten play with a toy; throwing it into the air looks like they are practicing catching birds by animating a toy to pretend that it is a bird and then catching it. This apparently is a misinterpretation. The kitten is instinctively practicing something that people rarely if ever see but which is …
The infographic summarises the four different fundamental types of kitten play in instinctive preparation for adulthood in the wild. The catch here is that adult domestic cats behave like kittens as humans keep them mentally that way and therefore, they continue to play as kittens into adulthood. We expect that but it is arguably …
It might seem rather strange to state that this article is about the reason why domestic cats and kittens play because it looks obvious: to have fun, to enjoy themselves. There must be an element of fun in play but the primary reason why kittens play, it is believed, is to develop and reinforce …
There are four fundamental types of domestic cat play: Play-fighting – practice for defending against predators and subduing prey. The mouse-pounce – practice in stalking small prey animals. The bird-swat – practice in attacking escaping birds by taking flight. The fish-scoop – practice in catching fish. You’ll see them during play either between kittens …
The Telegraph journalist who reported on a study has got the headline wrong I believe: “How to tell if your cats are fighting or playing, according to scientists”. For domestic cats – most often kittens – inter-cat play (between cats) is a form of fighting. Playing with an object is a hunting substitute. Feline …
Anxiety is a massive issue with domestic cats. It is often a hidden condition because cats hide their anxiety and sometimes their caregiver is insufficiently involved with their cat to recognise it. But if a cat is hiding a lot and behaves in a fearful way, he/she will be feeling anxious. And you can …
Please tell me in a comment what you think is the best way to get your hand away from your cat who, in play, is sinking his teeth into your hand and has grabbed your hand in his paws as shown in the photos below. Sometimes they also rake your forearm with the claws …
