Play together and stay together

Your kitten needs to play in order to develop his natural instincts. Join in his games and you’ll form a bond that will last a lifetime.

It’s mostly the kitten’s mother job to stimulate his behavioural development but, as surrogate mother, your role is important too. So make time to play with him. To start with, buy him a few toys, like a furry mouse and a ball, anything he can play with without hurting himself (and nothing that can be easily swallowed). Alternatively, improvise. Something as simple as a paper ball can provide endless hours of fun. Another good idea is to hang something on a length of wool and keep moving it as he tries to catch it. Just ensure that he can’t chew or swallow the wool when you have finished playing.

Some kittens enjoy hiding, just to catch you out when you least expect it. This is perfectly natural but don’t encourage it. It can get very tiresome once he has grown up so ignore him if he does it and he will soon cease to find it fun.

He’s just looking for a little stimulation

Kittens live out their natural instincts through interactive play. It also helps them tone their muscles and improves their circulation. In fact, it’s very good for them all round.

Kittens will always follow their hunting instinct and have a natural need to roam about. Even if he loves the routine and safety of his home and territory, his senses will still need to be stimulated. Otherwise, he can become stressed out and aggressive and can even attack you. If you think this is going to happen when you go to play with him, divert his aggression onto a toy. And never offer your hand as an alternative.

Bring out the hunter in him, not the fighter

Interactive play is the best way to reduce aggression. Anything that helps him to hunt and to scratch is excellent. Attach a paper ball to a thread and drag it round the room and over furniture. Or, for a special treat, conceal some catmint in a favourite toy. He’ll definitely want to hunt that one down.

Your kitten can learn a lot from playing with you. By creating different situations, you can let him know when certain behaviour has gone too far and, if he’s just arrived in your home and feeling timid, it’s a great way to get him used to his new environment.