Fabulous felines | PETS
http://www.petsmagazine.com.au 41
to chase and pounce,” she says. “It may seem
like a great game, but the kitten will learn to
see your hand as prey and grab hold and start
scratching and clawing. This hurts,” she says.
Celia also cautions against young children
playing with hard sticks or other items to
encourage pouncing behaviour, because they
may accidently harm or hit the cat. “If this
happens, the cat or kitten may become scared of
children, and display aggressive behaviour, such
as hissing, scratching or growling,” she says.
The key message is to encourage pouncing
cat behaviour, to mimic their natural behaviour
in the wild by using suitable toys — not human
body parts.AGRO POUNCE OR PLAYFUL POUNCE?
Pouncing can be harmless, but cats can also
pounce because they’re feeling agitated,
angry, frightened, excited or overstimulated.
Celia says a playful pounce has no
accompanied biting or scratching, and
claws are retracted so they can’t scratch. An
aggressive pounce is often accompanied by
behaviours like clawing and hissing.TOO MANY POUNCING PUSSY CATS
In multi-cat households, pouncing can be a
problem. Celia says often it’s the case when
a younger cat pounces on an older one. “For
example, an older cat might be using a litter
tray, the younger one pounces, and the older
cat is startled and no longer wants to use the
litter tray, because it equates using the litter
tray with scary things happening,” she says.WHEN IS POUNCING
PROBLEM BEHAVIOUR?
If your cat is pouncing more often than they
normally do, or they seem overly aggressive
and biting and scratching accompanies their
behaviour, it’s a good idea to pop into your vet
for advice. If you adopt an older cat that hasn’t
been properly socialised as a kitten, they
may display aggressive fear-based pouncing
behaviours as an adult cat. Your vet will rule
out any medical issues, and can offer some tips
on how to modify the pouncing behaviour.can be a sign of fear. Animal behaviourist Celia
Ann Richards says most of all, pouncing is an
innate hunting instinct — it’s all part of the
cat’s nature as a predator.DOING WHAT COMES NATURALLY
In the wild, big cats stealthily and slowly
approach their prey then pounce, or launch
themselves at their intended prey. You don’t
need to worry that your cat is sizing you up
to be a tasty snack though! “Cats and kittens
pounce on their human family to practise
their hunting skills,” says Celia. If you watch a
few kittens playing together, you’ll also notice
pouncing is something they do to each other
— for fun. They’ll romp and run, tumbling over
each other, and sometimes they’ll pounce.
“It’s important for your cat to express
themselves, to practise these skills just as
they would in the wild,” adds Celia. It should
be encouraged through play with various cat
toys, which motivate the cat to pounce, jump
up and stretch in the air. There are cat teaser
toys that mimic a bird in flight, or you can
use table tennis balls or even scrunched up
paper. Cats are athletic animals — sure, they
like to find a sunny spot to sleep in, but they
also enjoy being active too. It’s essential
to encourage this for their physical and
emotional wellbeing.
“It’s important that cats have enough exercise
which mimics what they’d do in the wild to stop
unwanted behaviour problems,” says Celia. “If a
cat is not allowed to act out its natural traits, it
may become bored and unhappy.”A PLAYFUL POUNCE
What do you do when your cat pounces on
you? You probably chase them around the
house, pick them up and give them a cuddle
and some attention. Your cat is pretty clever.
They’ve learned that pouncing on you equates
to snuggle time.
Celia says it’s not uncommon for pet owners
to encourage pouncing behaviour with
kittens — but it’s not always a good idea.
“It can be problematic, especially if children
(and adults) wiggle their fingers for a kittenPLF071_pg040-041_Pounce Problems.indd 41PLF071_pg040-041_Pounce Problems.indd 41 22/08/2017 10:54:16 AM22/08/2017 10:54:16 AM