Play is a beautiful and compelling thing to watch in cats. But whilst we are endeared by our feline's amusing actions, they are practising what cats do best (apart from sleeping) hunting.
These primeval instincts are to hunt, stalk prey and kill. These skills are practised and honed from virtually birth.
The ping pong ball is probably a mouse in the cats eyes. The tickle stick is a bird swooping just in range for the cat to take swipe and the fish hook action is probably anything that bows relativly close enough for a swipe.
Cats also are known for playing with their prey, cruelly taunting and watching in its semi-conscious state. Before we domesticated the cat the cats only survival was to hunt and eat its prey. This instinctice behaviour is still paramount in our fireside puss. Even if a cat has just been fed it will go outside and hunt - for the shear hell of it? Because it is still hungry? This topic is a huge area in feline psychology.
But however cruel we feel this feline behaviour is, it is the reason why we domesticated the cat in the first place, to protect our valuable grain stores from rodents.
Beware - Cats love to play with thread, string, Christmas tinsel, cellophane, dental floss and sewing thread. Whilst it is fun to watch, sometimes cats will swallow these linear objects and they cause serious problems. When ingested, they can cut into the intestines and cause obstructions. Left untreated, it can lead to peritonitis and death. Perhaps it is best for us all to have supervised play sessions with your cat when playing with these objects.
Info supplied Cat Depot, Florida, USA
The reason for your cat's behaviour maybe due to an underlying medical reason. If you are concerned about your cat, always consult your vet or a cat behaviourist for professional, qualified advice.
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