It may seem counter intuitive for cats to wish to play so rough, but it’s really yet another curious felidae instinct. Nicholas Dodman, clinical and professor behaviorist at Tufts University College of Veterinary Medicine, says: Kittens are adorable, but if they’re about four months old, a dark side generally emerges – a side that entails apparently diabolical aggression. Dodman says, As upsetting since the attacks could be, play aggression is a standard part of kittens growth. Play behavior, such as aggression, is clinic for a kitten’s future function as a grownup. It’s a practice for the ultimate chase and capture prey drive.
It is absolutely nothing to do with needing to hurt you or its playmates. Dodman has found that cats possess two common kinds of play aggression. The first is the Attack retreat behaviour and the other is Predatory play, that’s, hunting, pursuing, and mock attack behavior. The attack retreat behaviour involves two behaviors! One of attack and one of retreat. Kittens need to learn how to cope with both scenarios and will practice these behaviours in the form of play. If you ever see young kittens play, you might find them prancing by every other then jumping on another, rolling around wrestling fashion with tooth bared and claws out, just for one to run off together with the other in rapid pursuit.
They will roll and prance a little more, then reverse roles and continue going. Kittens will practice these advancements and retreats over and over, gaining precious hunting skills that would serve them in their predatory roles in the wild. Predatory play aggression involves classic behaviour that you may even recognize from your very own cat’s play. Kittens will crouch, creep, hide, up and Stalk their Prey.