You can greatly influence the development of your ARISTOCAT's personality, but you must also know how they play, so you can tell whether what they are doing is playing or they are attempting something else. Keep in mind that if they are not properly socialized at this early age, it will be very difficult for them to do so later, and they will most likely become distrustful adults.
It is best to give them a toy, a ball, a mouse, or any other item that cannot be dangerous. Be very careful with threads or strings; if swallowed, they can cause serious intestinal obstructions. Playing with objects sharpens their reflexes and allows them to acquire certain skills, such as hunting. Contact with their owner also gives them confidence and security, helping them become completely happy adults.
How do cats and kittens play for fun?
According to specialists, there are four types of play that appear to be essential for their complete development. By learning about them, you will understand how cats play and can encourage these types of games whenever possible.
- The hunting leap: in this game, the kitten hides, advances while crouching, and jumps onto an imaginary prey. You will see how cats play with a leaf, a ball, their mother's tail, or any object that has caught their attention.
- Catching prey: using stuffed toys or toys they can toss. It is similar to the previous game, but includes swipes with their paws to catch the object.
- Throwing objects into the air: if they find a moving object, they toss it into the air with their paws, as if taking a fish out of the water. Then they turn around to catch it again.
- Scratching posts: they are the perfect toy for your aristocat, since scratching is a primitive need that most cats have. By providing a scratching post at home, you can prevent them from satisfying this need on your furniture or curtains.
How do you teach a cat to use a scratching post?
-Set an example for your cat: scratch the cat scratching post several times a day so that the sound is clearly audible and it is obvious where you have done it. This will help attract your cat's attention; you can even play with them until they start scratching the post on their own.
-Find the perfect spot for the scratching post: identify your cat's favorite place to sharpen its claws or the piece of furniture it loves to scratch, and place the cat scratching post right there. This way, the next time it goes to scratch that spot, its scent will be transferred to the scratching post. Your pet will gradually use the cat scratching post more and more because it will recognize its scent on it. If it is the sofa, you can also follow this advice by using something more specific, such as sofa scratching posts.
-Reward them when they scratch the scratching post
Watching how cats play is great fun and, in addition, this allows you to supervise them to make sure they do not hurt themselves and intervene if necessary.
When you are at home, you can encourage them to run, jump, or engage in any type of physical activity, which is essential for proper muscle and bone development. You can place shelves with toys at different levels so they have to jump if they want to reach them.
Your kitten surely has a well-defined personality and prefers some games over others. If you discover what attracts them most, you are guaranteed hours of fun with your little friend. Enjoy playing with them!