Today Spooks was full of devilment (just how I like it) but this may have been mistaken & labelled a ‘naughty’ by some. Truth is, there’s no such thing as a naughty cat!
When Spooks was rescued, he was only 5 weeks old. Somehow, he’d become separated from his mother & siblings; discovered outside, all alone, in the city of Birmingham mid-December!
As you may know, kittens should never leave their mothers until they are at least 8 weeks old. There are numerous reasons for this & kittens who are separated too soon will often suffer later in life (as well as at the time).
One reason for this is the development of the kitten’s social skills. When playing alongside their mother & siblings, kittens will learn from experience when ‘enough is enough’. They will experience the feelings of play when it goes too far & hurts & what constitutes ‘acceptable play’.
Alongside the other emotional challenges that these precious kittens will suffer, many go on to be labelled as ‘naughty’.
What owners start off thinking is ‘cute’ or ‘funny’ in kittens will very quickly become out of control & painful as the kitten grows into an adult cat!
Back to Spooks!
Spooks is 3 years old now & remains incredibly playful (& bitey!) He enjoys human company & thrives on interactive play. Therefore, despite having access to outdoors he demands a lot of attention indoors too.
The devilment as I call it, or signs that he is looking for a good interactive play session often manifest in the following ways:
- Looking for & nibbling things he shouldn’t (like a loaf of bread or a packet of crumpets!)
- Attempting to play with his housemates (who never want to play at the same time!)
- Misinterpreting things that I am doing as play… (like last week when I was performing a Covid test, & he assumed the bit where you put the stick in the little tube was a game – & I was dive bombed!)
- Diving into a sheet that I am folding or a big towel that I am using
- Biting my ankles, arms or inappropriately jumping ‘at’ me!
Fortunately, I don’t have small children in my house, but you can probably imagine the chaos this this could cause!
There are lots of cats like Spooks who need to be properly understood. They need owners who can cope with their behaviour & learn how to manage it. I should add that Spooks is also super snuggly & exceptionally affectionate (once he has been worn out!)
An emerging problem in the UK is kitten ‘sales’ with some deliberately allowing kittens to leave their mothers too soon. Owners who are unaware of this, then experience these behaviours & can’t cope or aren’t willing to continue sharing their home.
You’ve got it! These cats then end up homeless or in shelters & find it very hard to find a new home.
Back to Spooks!
Today we’ve played inside & in the garden. He loves it if I run & hide… seconds later he runs to me & I have to chase him! (we have to do this at least 3 times!)
Today we finished off by playing with a long twig… I ran around the garden, dragging it along on the floor & he chased. We concluded with a bit of ‘on the spot’ play where he could catch & ‘kill’ the twig (so that he wasn’t left feeling frustrated)
He is now purrfectly content & having a nap while I reflect on how much I love him!
In summary, cats are never naughty. Feline behaviour is fascinating & understanding your cat is the most rewarding achievement.
Check out the Happy Cat Blog for more articles like this!