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Should play fight with 6 month old cat or will it encourage it to bite children?

Mark in EssexMark in Essex Posts: 3,836
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in Pets #1
Hello there,

I always use to play fight with our old cat a few years ago before he died a few years ago, but we have just got a 6 month old cat and was wondering if play fighting with it will encourage it to bite/scratch our 6 year old children or do they get to know who they can play with.

I'm talking mucking about with my hand so they gently nip and grip with her claws (only gently).

I'm guessing the Play fighting is a good thing that they usually do with their brothers and sisters?

Cheers Mark.

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    stud u likestud u like Posts: 42,100
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    #2
    A cute little kitten should learn to play responsibly. Play fighting with hands and feet quickly turns into a very painful experience when the kitten becomes a cat.

    Yes it does teach hunting skills. However it isn't a good idea to use hands or feet. A bit of wool or worsted is better. As long as the kitten is properly supervised as they can choke on it.
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    ShrikeShrike Posts: 16,609
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    #3
    I agree with Stud - its very easy to fall into the habit of letting the cat see hands as 'prey' and they will end up scratching/biting. The trouble is cat skin is thicker than ours and they have a protective coat of fur that we don't. So puss doesn't realise it hurts!
    Best toys are those on a length of string that they can stalk and catch or scrunched up balls of paper. Both will keep the cat well away from the human!
    I tend to leave toys scattered all over the house so there's always one handy for when Brooke decides its playtime:)
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    TWSTWS Posts: 9,307
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    #4
    you shouldn't play fight with any animal there is a big difference between play fighting and constructive play.

    Use cat toys as they are intended teaching any animal to attack parts of a person is never wise.
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    kattkatt Posts: 10,086
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    play, yes but dont use fingers, hands, toes..............

    will hurt lots when kitten becomes an adult!
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    Mark in EssexMark in Essex Posts: 3,836
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    #6
    Ok - thanks for that.

    My old cat seemed to know the difference between play and biting as he never bit/scratched any other time, but he was a soppy male cat (got him at about 2 years old), but guessing all cats could turn out different so will just continue using the toys.
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