Fresh Start Pet Coaching

Bonnie and Clyde

Kittens are, in my opinion, one of the most playful animals on earth. A few months ago I fostered a couple of kittens for Austin Pets Alive! and I was reminded just how much trouble and fun a kitten can be. Not only do kittens have a very high play drive, but the get into everything and can climb just about any vertical or horizontal surface.

So, why get two kittens instead of one?

For the very simple reason that if you have two kittens, they can play with each other.

Play related aggression (biting, scratching, and attacking during play) is very common in kittens. In fact, this predatory behavior is a normal part of play behavior in kittens. The problem begins when this behavior is directed at you (your hands, feet, etc) rather than at a toy or another kitten.

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I was watching a rerun of Friends the other day and in this episode Rachel brings home a hairless cat. It turns out though that she paid something like $1000 for a cat that she can’t even touch. She ends up carrying it around with oven mitts on so that she can avoid being scratched.

The next day, I ended up working with a couple of cats that were complete opposites of each other. One, similar to Rachel’s cat on Friends, was untouchable, even by her owner. The other was sweet and cuddly even in an unfamiliar environment with new people.

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