Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Bringing Home Baby... Kittens that is



Whether you're a first time cat owner or a seasoned cat guru, it's hard to resist Sparta's cattitude. He's adorable. Hands down. But being bitten by a kitten, while cute, gets kind of old and painful as kitten gets bigger. So, in honor of Sparta and the Tobes Man (aka- my own "mean" kitty), here are a couple of ways to keep kitty happy and playful... only without the scars...

  • Play with your cat a little each and every day. All cats, but young ones especially, have tons of energy to expend and giving them a safe avenue to release that energy will keep your relationship strong and your furniture intact.
  • Never "wrestle" or play with your cat with your hands. This teaches them that scratching and biting people is ok. Instead, try to always keep a few toys around that you both can use (Tobes' favs include cat wands and laser pointers) and reserve hands-on contact for gentle tasks like petting or headbutting.
  • If kitty does bite or mouth you let out a high, sharp squeal and stop play or contact immediately. Eventually your kitten will learn that playing rough gets them ignored and that's no fun at all!
So here's to keeping kitty's cattitude (and your skin) intact for many years to come! Need some more advice? Check out Petfinder's Top Ten Tips for a contented kitty here.

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