Kittens are little bundles of energy that are experiencing everything for the first time. Naturally, kittens are obsessed with playing and may want to enjoy playtime for hours on end.
Whether your goal is to tire your kitten out or just to watch them have some fun, playing with your kitten can be rewarding and enjoyable. Of course, playtime can also lead to accidents, or if done incorrectly it could create a rift between you and your kitten. Done correctly and playtime can help you and your kitten connect and grow together.
This article explores the best ways to play with a kitten, things to avoid, and other playtime tips.
Do Kittens Like When You Play with Them?
Kittens love playtime, and they love it even more when you play with them. Despite what new kitten owners may think, cats are incredibly social creatures. Playtime isn’t just a chance for them to have fun, but a chance for you to bond with your kitten.
Playtime also helps a kitten grow and develop. When playing with a toy, kittens can develop their coordination, get quality exercise, and help you grow together. Playing is also a perfect activity to do if your cat is bored.
Keep in mind that, while kittens can be perfectly content playing by themselves, kittens like it when you play with them. Playing with a kitten helps them develop their social skills, something they may be lacking on their own. If you don’t have time to play with a kitten, perhaps you should get a second cat to help your kitten socialize.
While every kitten is different, playing with them is a social activity that helps you bond for life. It can be a lot of fun for you and your kitten, too!
How Long Do You Need to Play with a Kitten?
Because kittens are growing and full of energy, they may need more playtime than an adult cat. In general, aim to play with your kitten for at least half an hour each day. If they still have energy, they’ll find a way to get it out!
Also, because kittens are babies just learning how things work, they may get tuckered out really quickly into playtime and need to stop for a nap. Let your kitten nap, but know that you should play with them some more later in the day when they’re ready for you.
If you’re worried about whether or not you’re playing with your kitten enough, don’t. Kittens are going to seek your attention when they want it, so just be open to responding. Playing with kittens is a lot of fun for people, so as long as you’re willing to put some time aside for your new cat, you’ll be playing with them long enough to meet their needs.
How to Play with a Kitten: Best Tips to Follow
If you’re about to get a kitten or just brought a kitten home, here are some of the best tips to follow when playing with a kitten to avoid injuries while maximizing fun.
- Find an open area to play in. Your kitten is going to be a lot more focused on whatever toy it’s chasing than its surroundings. Avoid any trips or collisions by finding or creating an open area where you kitten and run and jump without worry.
- Get options. Beyond toys, kittens love running, climbing, pouncing…pretty much everything a cat likes! Incorporating cat trees, scratching posts, scratchers, or cat tunnels can make playtime even better.
- Make playtime a habit. The more you play with your kitten, the better — especially if you can set aside a specific time each day for playing. Cats create their own routines, so setting aside time for playing when you get home from work or after dinner lets your kitten get prepared for some fun.
- Pick toys for kittens. As cute as some cat toys are, your kitten might not be ready for them. For example, kittens don’t normally react to catnip, and some cat toys could actually hurt your kitten. Specifically choose toys made for kittens to get the most out of playtime.
- Finish playtime on a positive note. Giving your kitten some treats after playtime puts a bow on the entire experience, and it can help you bond even faster.
During playtime, remember to watch your kitten to see how it’s doing. It may not know its limits and could push through an injury to keep playing. You can also start to figure out what types of toys and playtime your kitten likes most.
Should You Let Kittens Play with Your Hands?
With all the cute videos of kittens and cats playing with their owner’s hands, you might be tempted to let your kitten play with your hands. However, there are downsides to letting your kitten play with your hands.
Kittens that play with your hands could develop aggressive behaviors. They can start to associate your hands with toys, leading to a lot more scratches and bites — even when you haven’t done anything to deserve them!
That being said, many cat owners have played with their cats using their hands and haven’t experienced any bad responses. A lot of issues that can come up with letting kittens play with your hands depend on the kitten and how you raise them.
Ultimately, it’s your decision on whether you let your kitten play with your hands. Just be aware of the downsides and stop using your hands during playtime if your kitten starts to develop bad behaviors.
Can You Play Rough with a Kitten?
As tough as they act, kittens are small and fragile and you should not play rough with them. Aside from the risk of injury, playing rough with a kitten could scare or even traumatize them, leading to long term negative consequences.
Encourage kittens to play rough with toys, particularly soft ones that won’t hurt them. Fish toys that move, cat wands, or stuffed animals are all good options.
If your kitten is dying for some roughhousing, then you should strongly consider getting a second kitten for them to play with. Besides, two is better than one!
Best Kitten Toys to Play With
Being a kitten must be great because there are so many fun toys to choose from! We’ve covered our picks for best cat toys for kittens in a separate article, but we’ll break down some of the options here:
- Cat tunnels. These can be combined with pretty much every other kitten toy. Because cat tunnels are collapsible, you can easily store them once playtime is over.
- Cat wands. Wands come with different attachments, so you can find out which attachment your kitten loves best.
- Automatic cat toys. The future is now! Robotic cat toys can be fun for kittens, especially if you’re gone for long stretches during the day.
FAQs for How to Play with a Kitten
Kittens love to run around, pounce, attack toys…pretty much everything a cat likes! Your kitten could enjoy one activity more than another, so try different toys and play styles to see what you kitten likes best.
Avoiding playtime can make your kitten bored and frustrated, potentially leading to attention seeking behavior. Unfortunately most attention seeking behavior is bad, ranging from scratching couches to peeing outside their litter box.
Kittens can be left alone for around 4-6 hours during the day, during which they’ll probably be napping. However, kittens should not be left alone for too long.
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