Last issue, Dr Katrina taught us some tips on playing safely with your kitten. This time around, she continues her expert advice.
Setting up good habits when your feline is a kitten will help you have a well-behaved cat later in life. Here are more tips on establishing proper play behaviour:
Teach kittens to use a scratching post
Scratching is a natural behaviour for cats and it’s important to understand that all cats need to and will scratch something. Scratching is a way for them to mark their territory and it is also how they remove the outer sheath of their claws to expose the new sharper claw underneath.
If a cat does not have a suitable option, he or she will choose your furniture or carpet to scratch, but you can train your kitten from an early age to use a scratching post and other scratch toys instead.
Do this by encouraging your kitten to use the scratching post by playing games on and around it. Chasing toys on a stick is an easy way to encourage your kitten to stretch up on the post and start scratching. As cats like to scratch when they wake, take your kitten to the post each morning and play with them for a few minutes.
In addition to a scratching post, offer some other interactive scratch toys such as the KONG Naturals Incline scratcher. This is made from renewable resources and most kittens enjoy playing with it. But, again, it is important to encourage your pet to use the toy until he or she gets the hang of it.
Create a room with a view
Your kitten should be kept indoors for their own safety but it is important to provide an indoor environment that offers things to keep them occupied. Cats and kittens love to perch in high places and view the world from above, so I recommend you buy a cat tree with lots of platforms and place it somewhere that allows your cat to watch the outside world.
These simple things can have a huge impact on your kitten’s happiness and can help them grow into a happy, well-adjusted adult cat.
For more information, visit kongcompany.com.
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