causes of rough play in cats

Pet Training Article

• Causes of Rough Play in Cats

If you have a cat that plays rough, chances are that your cat is getting some type of reward for this type of behavior. This reward can be in the form of attention from you, interaction with other members in the household, attention from other pets, and even dominance over pets.

Cats often pick up behavioral cues from people within the household, and while we don’t mean too teach our animals bad behavior, we often do. Using hands and feet to play with a cat, or allowing a member of the household to play roughly with a cat, will only encourage this type of behavior.

People are not the only ones that can teach pets bad behavior, other pets in a household can also cause rough play habits to develop. If a dog or older cat allows a kitten to play rough with them, the kitten will grow into a rough playing cat. Fortunately this type of behavior can be discouraged if animals are separated when they begin to play too rough.

In many instances rough play gives a cat a reward of dominance. This type of play will eventually cease to be a game, and rough play will instead be used as a way of maintaining control or dominance over other pets and even people. In some instances this type of behavior can result in ‘attack cats’ that have severe behavioral problems.

Cats are naturally very playful creatures, and they should be encouraged to play as often as they want to. However rough play, where the cat bites or scratches other people or animals, should be firmly discouraged in order to prevent future behavioral problems.