Tug 'o war

[Alldara]

Anyone else have a cat who tries to play tug 'o war with you?

Ghost sometimes tries to take toys where he can't go and then ends up playing like a dog. We try to discourage this behaviour as I'm unsure if it's safe. If it's safe to do so, I'll let him take off with the toy but that's not always what he wants to do.

Anyone else have a cat whose done this long term?

 

[BeccaCat]

Smudge used to do this, and growl. Which I thought seemed a bit aggressive. Turns out he was reacting to the catnip. Once he got catnip free toys, he stopped.

 

[Alldara]

Smudge used to do this, and growl. Which I thought seemed a bit aggressive. Turns out he was reacting to the catnip. Once he got catnip free toys, he stopped.

Hmmm. I dont think there's catnip in Da Bee. That's the main one he does it with.

That's a very interesting reaction for Smudge to have!

 

[Tik cat's mum]

Bandit loves da bird and every time we play with it he tries to take it and put it in his toy box, or under the table, his litter box. It turns into a tug of war if I don't follow him with the rod. I've come to the conclusion that he's trying to keep his favourite toy because I put it in a drawer, can't keep it with his other toys because he will chew it up. He does this when he's getting tired and only when tired. That's my signal that I've done my job.

 

[Alldara]

Bandit loves da bird and every time we play with it he tries to take it and put it in his toy box, or under the table, his litter box. It turns into a tug of war if I don't follow him with the rod. I've come to the conclusion that he's trying to keep his favourite toy because I put it in a drawer, can't keep it with his other toys because he will chew it up. He does this when he's getting tired and only when tired. That's my signal that I've done my job.

Perhaps it is Ghost wearing down. Sometimes he likes to just lay down with the toy and I'll sit on the floor and let him sit with it...until yeah he starts trying to chew it to bits.

 

[Hellenww]

All of mine have done a version of this. If they are quick/smart enough to catch it I let them have it after a minor fight. Most take it away and leave it once they realise it's not going to move again and I have to go get the stick myself. Yoshi understood that I was making it move so dragged it back to me. Leo whose only 16mt will sit and watch while I'm flying or dragging the toy and his littermate Luna does her best parkour to catch it. If it comes near Leo he will jump and catch the "prey". Once that happens he doesn't give it up until I pull out another toy.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

Perhaps it is Ghost wearing down. Sometimes he likes to just lay down with the toy and I'll sit on the floor and let him sit with it...until yeah he starts trying to chew it to bits.

They sound similar that's the reason we have to put da bird in the drawer. Bandit will just pull it to bit's. My brigde boy Tik used to growl while playing tug of war just like a dog but I think it was the same thing fed up of chasing, tired. He would try to take toy's into a different room away from patches. He'd lay on them.

 

[cmshap]

Willy won't really try that hard... if I grab onto a toy he has in his mouth, he will resist a little bit but then ultimately let go.

However, this usually leads to more excited play. At age 10, I am trying various things to keep him active, and this is one.

If I act like I want the toy he has, and pretend to pull on it, then let it go, he takes it and runs into a corner or under the coffee table, and excitedly kills it for a little while.

 

[Meowmee]

Quinn did that when he was a baby, I have a video which was so adorable but I can’t find it at the moment. He was really strong too, I remember one of my friends commenting on that when I posted it on IG. He also used to play with a long mouse on a string toy that I had hanging over the bathroom door… he would pull it really far away from the door, and then let it snap back.

He hasn’t done it as an adult when I played with him with that type of toy. I let him pull it around if he grabs a hold of it if I’m still holding it.

 

[Caspers Human]

If your cat likes to play tug-o-war, it's okay to let him.

Our younger cat, Elliot, likes to play rough. He's still got a lot of kitten in him.
We're okay with rough play as long as he obeys when we say "Game Over," which he does. Of course, when he gives his "Game Over" signal, humans have to obey, too.

He will growl and make other noises when he plays but, mostly purring. Sometimes, when I think he's done playing, he'll reach out and tag my hand with his paw as if he's saying, "Tag! You're it!" It's so cute!

Sometimes, I worry that he doesn't want to play but he keeps coming back for more. He'll even reach out and tag you with his paw when you walk by. When he does that, I'll tag him back and say, "You're it!" If he wants to play it's "Game On!"

So, if your cat wants to play tug-o-war and he's saying "Game On!" then I say go for it.

Just make sure that both of you understand that either of you can say, "Game Over" when you're done playing and the other one has to obey.

 

[maggie101]

Maggie invited a game with a bottle capin my bathroom with the door open when she was younger
She would slide it under the door,go to the other side and do it again,back and forth for 20 minutes
I slid out the attachment at the bottom of my stove and found tons of bottle caps

 

[Alldara]

Tik cat's mum Sounds like Nobel. When I first got him he was the baby so he learned to sit on toys to hide them from others.

Meowmee oh my goodness! That's a strong boy.
Usually we follow behind him with the stick so he can take it where he wants and that's acceptable, but sometimes he's just doing everything possible to initiate tug o' war. I'm not sure if it's safe for cats teeth.

Caspers Human we have a play sound that we use. Actually all my boys still do hissing etc while playing. It's quite cute. They also do a "ffft ffft" sound at their toys (like Toulouse from Aristocats, if you've seen that movie).
I don't have a decent tug toy for him to use. I could perhaps pick up a dog one....but I'm not sure which.

 

[Alldara]

Maggie invited a game with a bottle capin my bathroom with the door open when she was younger
She would slide it under the door,go to the other side and do it again,back and forth for 20 minutes
I slid out the attachment at the bottom of my stove and found tons of bottle caps

Magnus loves that game too! he also uses paper straws which we give them to chew.

 

[maggie101]

Straws are a must have for any cat, I have always wondered. Can a cat chew apart a plastic straw?

 

[cmshap]

Straws are a must have for any cat, I have always wondered. Can a cat chew apart a plastic straw?

They can, but it depends on the cat as to whether or not they will.

I learned early on I can't give Willy plastic straws. He got into a box one day while I wasn't home, and shredded most of them into little bits. I was worried he was going to swallow them.

I don't use straws often but I have paper ones just because of my cat. Sure, I kept the plastic ones in a drawer, but it's one of those things I could easily give up just to eliminate the chance of another encounter with them.

He also shreds the heck out of anything paper, but that's fine if he does.

 

[Alldara]

Straws are a must have for any cat, I have always wondered. Can a cat chew apart a plastic straw?

Yes I would think they could bite it to bits. Not sure if they should though.
I don't give plastic ones as they might splinter or eat a bit of plastic. I figure if they eat a little food grade paper it won't hurt them. They haven't yet.

 

[Docs Mom]

Mine don't chew on them. The straws get tired from being fetched back and forth.
Ever try to throw a straw ? Hubby is much than I am.

The trouble with straws in our house is.....Theo will do anything to your full drink to get the straw out, including dumping my favorite, fountain diet coke.

Who me ?

 

[Alldara]

Mine don't chew on them. The straws get tired from being fetched back and forth.
Ever try to throw a straw ? Hubby is much than I am.

The trouble with straws in our house is.....Theo will do anything to your full drink to get the straw out, including dumping my favorite, fountain diet coke.View attachment 456795

Who me ?

The paper ones are heavier but don't go far either.

Oh my goodness. That was like my childhood cat and a very specific candy wrapper. She loved the damned things and would chew the candy out (leaving it on the floor) if we left them out.

 

[cmshap]

Oh my goodness. That was like my childhood cat and a very specific candy wrapper. She loved the damned things and would chew the candy out (leaving it on the floor) if we left them out.

I've got a better one.

This was an old friend's cat from many years ago... he had an obsession with those plastic collar stays that go in dress shirt collars.

The cat loved them so much, he would chew holes in the dress shirt collars in order to pull them out.

 

[April Andy]

Hi,
My cat sometimes plays tug o war, I just let him play and do whatever he wants.