All cat owners would know how playful cats can get. Even if you don’t play with them, they will self-entertain by tearing out your toilet roll, pulling out tissues from your tissue boxes, knocking things off your table, you name it. Kittens like human babies, learn through play. If they learn the wrong stuff, they would grow up doing the wrong things. Bet you had also done things to encourage bad behaviour during play before. This is completely normal. Who can resist the cute look on their faces when they grab on to your hands and start nibbling on them? What’s more, when those nibbles feel like mini massages, how is it possible not to praise them right!? But, if you keep encouraging this bad behaviour, very soon you would realise that you are grooming these tiny babies to grow up to become crazy biting monsters!

For Ah Mao, I realised too late that boundaries have to be set early in her life. She was my first cat so we were having so much fun exploring everyday. It didn’t strike me that everything I did had an impact on her behaviour growing up. We played rough. I let her nibble on my hands and she used them as her toys. Just like human babies, she learnt many things through play.

So how do you play with a kitten so that they do not grow up to become monsters? The answer is simple. Do not use any part of your body as their toy. You have to teach them to “attack” objects instead of you. For instance, instead of drumming your fingers left and right for them to pounce on, you can swing a piece of string left and right, they’ll get equally crazy over it. The most important thing to take note is that if your kitty bites you in the midst of playing, end the game immediately. Use a stern, deep voice to say “No”, and tap its nose lightly as you say that. After a few times, it should learn not to bite during play. Cats find voices that are deeper in tone threatening and are more trusting of high pitched voices. That is why when they do something right, you should use a higher tone to praise them and a deeper tone to correct them if they made a mistake.

If your house is littered with cat toys, there’s a good chance that 80% of them is a waste of money because either your cat only played with them once or completely didn’t touch them before. The good thing about cats is that you don’t have to spend a tonne of money to make them happy. A piece of string, a ball or a scrap of paper can keep them busy for hours. Ah Mao’s favourite toy was created using a back scratcher and a lot of raffia strings taped to the front of it. My dad was the one who perfected the toy. He tied a knot at the end of each string and taped it, giving it more weight so that she can grab on to it more easily. She went totally nuts over it and it lasted a lifetime unlike the thin, flimsy elastic sticks that you buy in pet shops which usually break under the cat’s weight. So, there is really no need to spend so much money on buying them toys. Although cats look very high class, very often, they prefer cheap things. For e.g. I once spent $12 on a cat toy for Ah Mao but in the end, she preferred the raffia string. So, you don’t have to feel guilty if you are unable to afford commercial toys. Make your own. Your kitty will be just as happy! But if you have some spare cash and would like to splurge on your kitty, then why not? I have bought a couple of interactive toys such as a remote control mouse and a flapping fish. Both the cats love the mouse. I bought the fish after Ah Mao passed on so she didn’t get to play with it. She would have loved it since she loved to play rough. Ning is scared of the fish just as I expected. She is too gentle and timid. Luckily it didn’t cost that much.

One thing to note is that play is vital for all cats as it helps keep them healthy and happy. It is also a good form of exercise for them, especially those that live indoors. Regular play can help keep your cat active and maintain a healthy weight. For senior cats, play time will help them move more and slow down the loss of muscles; it only took 5 months of sedentary lifestyle for Ning to lose 300g. Most importantly, playing is the best way to help you bond with, reduce stress in your cat and you too!

Love,
TG