Cats & Play Aggression

Play aggression is a natural part of a kitten's development. It is a time when it learns predatory skills, such as stalking, pouncing and playful biting. This can be disconcerting to an owner who does not recognize this behavior as play, as a kitten may be docile and affectionate one moment, then abruptly begin biting and scratching. Cat owners who are patient and aware of play aggression's nature can condition their cats to direct its behavior toward appropriate targets.

  1. Age Factor

    • Kittens begin to exhibit play aggression at around four months and typically grow out of it when they are about a year old. The kittens' mother helps socialize them during their formative months, growling or swatting them gently if they bite down too hard during nursing. Kittens weaned too soon don't get the full benefit of this early conditioning and may exhibit more pronounced play aggression with new owners.

    Play Aggression Between Kittens

    • Play aggression prepares kittens to become effective predators by honing their senses and exercising their developing muscles. Kittens indicate they want to rough-house by arching their backs and tails while prancing around. Kittens constantly signal each other during their mock battles that they're engaging in play, not serious conflict. If play aggression gets out of hand, the offended kitten will growl, give their playmate a hard bite, or simply stop playing and walk away.

    Types of Play Aggression

    • Attack-retreat aggression expresses the two responses cats show a challenger. Cats exhibiting this form of play aggression will pounce, grab and attack their target, then abruptly flee. Cats engaging in predatory play stealthily creep up on their target before lunging and attacking. When two kittens engage in predatory play, the hunter's pounce typically triggers a round of attack-retreat play.

    Channeling Play Aggression

    • Kittens have an emotional need to play with their owners and nipping behavior may simply be a way of trying to get your attention. Devote at least 20 minutes a day to play with your kitten, using toys it can chase and attack. This gives the kitten an outlet for its aggression and a chance to bond with you. It's always best to raise two kittens together, but if that's not feasible, get a large, durable stuffed animal for your kitten to wrestle and vent its aggression upon.

    Disciplining Aggressive Cats

    • Never strike a kitten acting out play aggression. You risk injuring the kitten, as well as conditioning it to view you as a threat. Shouting can be startling enough to interrupt play aggression and shutting the kitten into a room by itself for half an hour is an appropriate response. Make sure there are plenty of cat toys in the room because your kitten still needs an outlet and the toys allow it to harmlessly release its aggression.