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| Sunday, 6 February 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Cats at play
If you have ever watched kittens at play, you would have noticed their postures and movements. In the belly-up position, a kitten lies on its back and makes treading movements with its back legs and pawing motions with its front legs. Usually, another kitten stands over it, in the stand-up position. It may playfully bite the lying kitten or paw at it. When playing, kittens frequently change roles, from stand-up to belly-up, then to stand-up again and so on. They may also lie on their sides, pawing and treading at one another. In the face-off position, one kitten sitting near another hunches its body forward and looks intently toward the other. It will also flick its tail back and forth and lift a paw in the direction of the other kitten. Sometimes, both kittens will face-off simultaneously. Kittens also lift both front paws off the ground and rear up into a vertical stance, striking out with their front paws. They make horizontal leaps, which begin when a kitten turns its side toward another kitten, arch its back and leaps off the ground. This pattern is similar to the side-step, in which a kitten arches its back, curls its tail upward, and then walks sideways toward or around another kitten. In its pounce pattern, a kitten crouches with its head low, its back legs tucked under its body and its tail straight out behind. Its tail may flick back and forth. It wriggles its hindquarters from side to side, then dashes forward. Most play sequences begin with a pounce or a side-step. The pounce is the most common "let's play" signal. In the middle of a play sequence, kittens are usually in a belly-up or stand-up position. Play usually ends with a chase. Face-offs and chases are almost never used to begin play. However, as kittens grow older, their play patterns change and they want to play less and less. Although kittens play less as they grow older, adult cats continue to be somewhat playful. Mothers play with their young and adults may play during courtship. Older cats also continue to play with objects and with their prey. People often get upset when they see a cat playing with a live mouse, letting it go, catching it, releasing it, only to pursue it again. Adult cats sometimes need to have its prey as a playmate. They may not have opportunities to play with others of their kind, or may be too fearful to play with the adult cats that are around. |
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As children, we all love to play and we really enjoy our play time.
This goes for our pets as well. You will all agree that it is hard to
imagine anything more playful than a kitten.
