Let the games begin!
 

Our veranda Mooch our resident stray's home. He not only eats many
meals a day and sleeps in his chair or his Moochhouse, he loves to
play games. His favourite is "GrabTheHand". I sit in a chair and pet
his back, always when he's facing away from me. Suddenly he'll wheel
and leap at my hand, but I nearly always pull it away in time because
he has to turn around to nail me. Occasionally he'll win and I get
nicked by a claw, his wins are infrequent. Here he is, persuading me
to play GrabTheHand.

http://twitpic.com/zd0zg

Let the games begin!
 

"Bobcat" wrote in message
...
Our veranda Mooch our resident stray's home. He not only eats many
meals a day and sleeps in his chair or his Moochhouse, he loves to
play games. His favourite is "GrabTheHand". I sit in a chair and pet
his back, always when he's facing away from me. Suddenly he'll wheel
and leap at my hand, but I nearly always pull it away in time because
he has to turn around to nail me. Occasionally he'll win and I get
nicked by a claw, his wins are infrequent. Here he is, persuading me
to play GrabTheHand.

http://twitpic.com/zd0zg


You may enjoy it, but that's not a good idea. Someday, someone who is not
aware of your "game" may get nailed and seriously injured. And it will be
Mooch that will be blamed, and could even be reported if he causes injuries.
This is the same reason why people should not play with kittens by tickling
their tummies and letting the kitties grab at their hands. It later becomes
painful and possibly even dangerous, and the cat has no way of knowing why
it is suddenly "wrong."

MaryL

Let the games begin!
 

"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote:
"Bobcat" wrote in message
...
Our veranda Mooch our resident stray's home. He not only eats many
meals a day and sleeps in his chair or his Moochhouse, he loves to
play games. His favourite is "GrabTheHand". I sit in a chair and pet
his back, always when he's facing away from me. Suddenly he'll wheel
and leap at my hand, but I nearly always pull it away in time because
he has to turn around to nail me. Occasionally he'll win and I get
nicked by a claw, his wins are infrequent. Here he is, persuading me
to play GrabTheHand.

http://twitpic.com/zd0zg

You may enjoy it, but that's not a good idea. Someday, someone who is not
aware of your "game" may get nailed and seriously injured. And it will be
Mooch that will be blamed, and could even be reported if he causes injuries.
This is the same reason why people should not play with kittens by tickling
their tummies and letting the kitties grab at their hands. It later becomes
painful and possibly even dangerous, and the cat has no way of knowing why
it is suddenly "wrong."

But he's currently a feral cat that's being very slowly socialized. I
think the benefit of the bond the game is allowing them to form, in
the long term, greatly outweighs the risk that the shy Mooch may be
blamed for playing too roughly with another person.

They can also eventually be taught to play gently. I play the tummy
tickle game with Buster, and he's the gentlest bunny-kicker you can
imagine - he feels like you're being massaged with the softest leather
gloves.

Let the games begin!
 

"Takayuki" wrote in message
...
"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote:
"Bobcat" wrote in message
...
Our veranda Mooch our resident stray's home. He not only eats many
meals a day and sleeps in his chair or his Moochhouse, he loves to
play games. His favourite is "GrabTheHand". I sit in a chair and pet
his back, always when he's facing away from me. Suddenly he'll wheel
and leap at my hand, but I nearly always pull it away in time because
he has to turn around to nail me. Occasionally he'll win and I get
nicked by a claw, his wins are infrequent. Here he is, persuading me
to play GrabTheHand.

http://twitpic.com/zd0zg

You may enjoy it, but that's not a good idea. Someday, someone who is not
aware of your "game" may get nailed and seriously injured. And it will be
Mooch that will be blamed, and could even be reported if he causes
injuries.
This is the same reason why people should not play with kittens by
tickling
their tummies and letting the kitties grab at their hands. It later
becomes
painful and possibly even dangerous, and the cat has no way of knowing why
it is suddenly "wrong."

But he's currently a feral cat that's being very slowly socialized. I
think the benefit of the bond the game is allowing them to form, in
the long term, greatly outweighs the risk that the shy Mooch may be
blamed for playing too roughly with another person.



Ahh. I missed that. Thanks!

MaryL

Let the games begin!
 

"Bobcat" wrote in message
...
Our veranda Mooch our resident stray's home. He not only eats many
meals a day and sleeps in his chair or his Moochhouse, he loves to
play games. His favourite is "GrabTheHand". I sit in a chair and
pet
his back, always when he's facing away from me. Suddenly he'll
wheel
and leap at my hand, but I nearly always pull it away in time
because
he has to turn around to nail me. Occasionally he'll win and I get
nicked by a claw, his wins are infrequent. Here he is, persuading
me
to play GrabTheHand.

http://twitpic.com/zd0zg

Ah yes. The joys of playing with a cat that you didn't get to train
to some degree of gentleness as a kitten.

I know Jake will not hurt me. Molly, eh. You takes your chances.

Jo

Let the games begin!
 

On Jan 23, 2:04*pm, "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER

You may enjoy it, but that's not a good idea. *Someday, someone who is not
aware of your "game" may get nailed and seriously injured. *And it will be
Mooch that will be blamed, and could even be reported if he causes
injuries.
This is the same reason why people should not play with kittens by
tickling
their tummies and letting the kitties grab at their hands. *It later
becomes
painful and possibly even dangerous, and the cat has no way of knowing why
it is suddenly "wrong."

But he's currently a feral cat that's being very slowly socialized. *I
think the benefit of the bond the game is allowing them to form, in
the long term, greatly outweighs the risk that the shy Mooch may be
blamed for playing too roughly with another person.

Ahh. *I missed that. *Thanks!
MaryL

Besides, there's no danger he'll claw another person and be punished,
because I'm the only one he'll allow to touch him - and it's taken
almost five years of patience to gain his trust. My Special Person is
the only other human who can get near him when she feeds him, and even
then he backs away from her while she's putting down the bowls. Like
most strays, Mooch is very cautious, and that's a good thing. It's why
he's survived as long as he has.

Let the games begin!
 

"Bobcat" wrote in message
...
On Jan 23, 2:04 pm, "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER

You may enjoy it, but that's not a good idea. Someday, someone who is
not
aware of your "game" may get nailed and seriously injured. And it will
be
Mooch that will be blamed, and could even be reported if he causes
injuries.
This is the same reason why people should not play with kittens by
tickling
their tummies and letting the kitties grab at their hands. It later
becomes
painful and possibly even dangerous, and the cat has no way of knowing
why
it is suddenly "wrong."

But he's currently a feral cat that's being very slowly socialized. I
think the benefit of the bond the game is allowing them to form, in
the long term, greatly outweighs the risk that the shy Mooch may be
blamed for playing too roughly with another person.

Ahh. I missed that. Thanks!
MaryL

Besides, there's no danger he'll claw another person and be punished,
because I'm the only one he'll allow to touch him - and it's taken
almost five years of patience to gain his trust. My Special Person is
the only other human who can get near him when she feeds him, and even
then he backs away from her while she's putting down the bowls. Like
most strays, Mooch is very cautious, and that's a good thing. It's why
he's survived as long as he has.

- - - - - - - -

Yes, I didn't realize what type of cat Mooch is. I do a lot of jumping
around on the NGs, so I had missed that.

MaryL

Let the games begin!
 

Bobcat wrote:
Our veranda Mooch our resident stray's home. He not only eats many
meals a day and sleeps in his chair or his Moochhouse, he loves to
play games. His favourite is "GrabTheHand". I sit in a chair and pet
his back, always when he's facing away from me. Suddenly he'll wheel
and leap at my hand, but I nearly always pull it away in time because
he has to turn around to nail me. Occasionally he'll win and I get
nicked by a claw, his wins are infrequent. Here he is, persuading me
to play GrabTheHand.

http://twitpic.com/zd0zg


Mooch is a handsome boy! MLB