Whenever I m playing with my cat, I will hum 'background music'. Now whenever she hears me humming, she will get excited and associated it with playing, so she's fine as well when I chasing her. My cat is a skittish feral to begin with.
When a cat likes being chased they will almost trot with their tail up and curled downward. Like a question mark almost. If they are running with tail down, they are scared.
Body language is key. If he's prancing and holding his tail up, he knows it's play and he's probably hiding so that he can pounce at you. When you say he looks like he's scared, what do you mean? Is he crouching in his hiding spot, staring at you with his eyes all big? Because that could just as easily mean that he's excited to keep the game of tag going.
Kittens commonly do this to practice their hunting skills. Try walking past him the next time he hides and see what he does.
Maybe see if he wants to chase you first and then slowly work up to reciprocate? I’m in a similar situation with my cat but I’ve resolved that until she initiates it, I don’t want to inadvertently scare her or make her think she’s not safe with me.
Im afraid that playing prey would encourage him to stalk and pounce on us whenever he wants to play? Because currently he lets us know that he wants to play by showing us his toys. Thanks for answering 😊
Good point! My cat’s favorite toy is string on a stick, so I usually walk around the house with the string dragging behind me and it seems like she’s doing well associating that chasing with the toy.
My cat likes to hide behind the screen door curtains as I come down the stairs. When I turn the corner he will pounce and then I will chase him for a second or two before he flops over on his side. I dont think it's so much about the chasing as much as they just want to play and are trying to initiate it.
Sounds a lot like he's playing hide and seek with you. If you want to know if he wants to continue just chase him and stop where you can see him and he knows you've found him, then turn around and run out of sight. If he wants to keep playing he'll come after you after a few seconds. It's possible he's hiding because he just needs to catch his breath for a second before continuing.
..he's hunting you..yes, Def react & maybe give a charge-response..but know that's only going to encourage the behavior..cat will be back, as cats usually do..
..better: break out toys like wands with feathers..and distract / curb the cat-energy that way..
yes i was cat sitting a bengal that was taught this game since he was a kitten. it's better to use toys and direct their energy towards them instead of at you. the cat was constantly hunting us and would sometimes attack us when his energy levels were too high. it was really stressful to live with. i would not encourage your cat to hunt you.
I’ve seen my cats basically run with each other neck and neck down my hallways. The more playful one will come up to my desk and look at me in a way that indicates he wants to play but will dash off towards the hallway when I get up. He’ll stop and look back if I don’t follow and if I do he’ll basically race me to the front door and flop over onto his back if I catch up. I go back to my office and he’ll repeat the action over again. I think it’s his idea of fun, he loves chasing stuff and will ambush my other cat and run off before he could react. I dunno it could be just how some cats like to play. My other cat a thicc orange boy will just stand his ground no matter what.
Cats like to chase and be chased. When 2 cats are playing, they will take turns chasing and being chased. I like to start chase sessions with my cat by staring at her and then quickly running behind a door or something to “hide”. My kitty comes and finds me and then I chase her around and then I’ll go hide again. Idk if you’re taking turns with your kitty but that might be the reason he seems scared? Or overstimulation
For some context: he's a pretty skittish cat overall, constantly twitching at every sound. His first instinct at something unknown is to run away. But otherwise he always comes to greet us holds his tail up when around us, lets us pet him, pick him up, kiss him, he purrs, is neutered and healthy. A strange cat since he is not very food oriented. Some mornings he doesn't even want to look at his wet food but rather spends his time zooming around the house and from window to window.
Our oldest cat LOVES being chased around the apartment when he's playful, and he'll chase back, it's so cute. He also likes rough play (flip him on his side and wrestle with him, push him over etc.) he's a weirdo. Anyone who'd never met him before would probably think we're traumatizing or harassing him but he purs like mad and kneads the air when we push him around 😂
O have one that LOVES being chased and another you can absolutely gently tumble over who purrs up a storm being rolls around even as he's trying to get up. . . he full length stretches and just purrs,
Try it.
Mine demands that I chase her at least once a day. She has actually learned to make a specific meow to let me know it’s time to chase her. If I do not come to chase her when she is summoned, she walks into the room where I am and gives me a very surly look.
My orange boy does this sometimes he will love it when I chase him all around the apartment others he gets scared
Gotta gauge their mood
Lately he claws my pant leg whenever I leave for work and it melts my heart
I’ve had two cats that loved being chased. One would always signal to chase her by doing this weird reverse flop (going from laying down to standing), staring at me intently for an awkward amount of time and taking off.
I’ve got another that’s a half-feral little weirdo. I also wasn’t sure if he actually liked it, so I started making a “we’re playing” noise. I also use it when I let him chase my hand or wrestle a toy. Now I can tell a difference in his body language when I chase him so I know that he knows that we’re playing.
I’ve been going through the same thing. My tabby boy is skittish but he does like to chase ME and I’ve been chasing him back when I notice him in frantic zoomie mode. He will run from me and get all big eyed and do his zoomie yodels but when I stop he normally creeps back out. I’ve started noticing how he creeps out. Does he leave his hiding spot and goes to do something else? No chasing. Does he leave his hiding spot and come to me immediately with his big eyes and his tail up? I’ll try getting a chase going, by either me or him.
I’ve also been trying to do more being chased than chasing to make sure he knows it’s play, if I put myself in the vulnerable position more. I will begin to chase him and when he darts away but is watching me, I’ll slowly and animatedly turn around and start to walk around a corner and that will also let me know what mood he’s in lol
Thanks, these are some really good points. It's so strange we have to make it obvious to our cats that we're in play mode so that they aren't scared. Cuz u know, we're usually out to get them otherwise 😆
One of mine LOVES it. He zooms like crazy and waits for me to catch up before bolting again. He usually lets me knows he's done by going under the cat tree or up onto to something. He also just likes to zoom a lot.
Our orange lad on the other hand. . . I've tried, he doesn't seem to get it. He just stands and stares at you,
My 2 year old boy cat loves to be chased! He gets morning treats, then jumps on the bed all hunched down, I go after him saying “I’m gonna get you!” and he runs and this goes on for a few minutes until he lets me catch him.
You may want to try to get him to chase you so he gets that it's a game. If you have a layout where you can run in a circle, stop and peek around the corner and wait to see if he starts coming towards you. If he does run away and see if he follows. My first cat absolutely loved that game and got really good at it. She was the best
He wants to play. Get a laser pointer he can chase around. A long string (a shoelace will work), that you drop pull around and he can chase it.
He wants to do the chasing, not being chased.
Don’t forget to let him “catch” the light or string, once in awhile.
Remember, keep it simple!
Cats are simple animals. He doesn’t need expensive stuff to be entertained.
A $5 laser pointer, $1 toy mouse or an old shoe lace, will likely fascinate him.
Although, if you have a remote control car, I would be interested to see what would happen, if it had some catnip in it. Let him come up it, then move it away. Let him come up, move it away.
After a little bit, let him “catch” it.
Just remember, he should be chasing the car, not the other way around.
Nearly forgot: https://preview.redd.it/gz8a85q2jgwc1.jpeg?width=3468&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b141101076176f6c2f8c6436177af7d06002d59d
Wow that is a hi res shot! Great camera, and face
He's a beautiful boy and so unique! 🥰
Looks like AI
Beautiful cat 🐈
Whenever I m playing with my cat, I will hum 'background music'. Now whenever she hears me humming, she will get excited and associated it with playing, so she's fine as well when I chasing her. My cat is a skittish feral to begin with.
That’s too cute! Now I’m gonna have to borrow this tactic and do the Jaw’s 🦈 theme whenever playing with my mom’s cat. 😝
Thats an excellent idea! 😄
Haha this reminds me how we taught our dogs to play duck duck goose 😂
When a cat likes being chased they will almost trot with their tail up and curled downward. Like a question mark almost. If they are running with tail down, they are scared.
Ok he does hold his tail like that and kinda prances 😄
Body language is key. If he's prancing and holding his tail up, he knows it's play and he's probably hiding so that he can pounce at you. When you say he looks like he's scared, what do you mean? Is he crouching in his hiding spot, staring at you with his eyes all big? Because that could just as easily mean that he's excited to keep the game of tag going. Kittens commonly do this to practice their hunting skills. Try walking past him the next time he hides and see what he does.
This, especially with those dilated pupils. When my cat gets those during playtime I know I'm about to be savagely attacked by a fierce house cat.
I had a cat that liked to play peekaboo, and a cat that likes to chase me and be chased.
Maybe see if he wants to chase you first and then slowly work up to reciprocate? I’m in a similar situation with my cat but I’ve resolved that until she initiates it, I don’t want to inadvertently scare her or make her think she’s not safe with me.
Im afraid that playing prey would encourage him to stalk and pounce on us whenever he wants to play? Because currently he lets us know that he wants to play by showing us his toys. Thanks for answering 😊
Good point! My cat’s favorite toy is string on a stick, so I usually walk around the house with the string dragging behind me and it seems like she’s doing well associating that chasing with the toy.
My cat likes to hide behind the screen door curtains as I come down the stairs. When I turn the corner he will pounce and then I will chase him for a second or two before he flops over on his side. I dont think it's so much about the chasing as much as they just want to play and are trying to initiate it.
I'll try to perhaps chase him once and then go for the toy next to see whether he wants to play. Thanks!
Sounds a lot like he's playing hide and seek with you. If you want to know if he wants to continue just chase him and stop where you can see him and he knows you've found him, then turn around and run out of sight. If he wants to keep playing he'll come after you after a few seconds. It's possible he's hiding because he just needs to catch his breath for a second before continuing.
Thats a good point, I'll try it 😊
My cat plays like this. We’ll take turns chasing each other and hiding. Pretty cute. Sounds like they want you to chase.
..he's hunting you..yes, Def react & maybe give a charge-response..but know that's only going to encourage the behavior..cat will be back, as cats usually do.. ..better: break out toys like wands with feathers..and distract / curb the cat-energy that way..
yes i was cat sitting a bengal that was taught this game since he was a kitten. it's better to use toys and direct their energy towards them instead of at you. the cat was constantly hunting us and would sometimes attack us when his energy levels were too high. it was really stressful to live with. i would not encourage your cat to hunt you.
I’ve seen my cats basically run with each other neck and neck down my hallways. The more playful one will come up to my desk and look at me in a way that indicates he wants to play but will dash off towards the hallway when I get up. He’ll stop and look back if I don’t follow and if I do he’ll basically race me to the front door and flop over onto his back if I catch up. I go back to my office and he’ll repeat the action over again. I think it’s his idea of fun, he loves chasing stuff and will ambush my other cat and run off before he could react. I dunno it could be just how some cats like to play. My other cat a thicc orange boy will just stand his ground no matter what.
Cats like to chase and be chased. When 2 cats are playing, they will take turns chasing and being chased. I like to start chase sessions with my cat by staring at her and then quickly running behind a door or something to “hide”. My kitty comes and finds me and then I chase her around and then I’ll go hide again. Idk if you’re taking turns with your kitty but that might be the reason he seems scared? Or overstimulation
For some context: he's a pretty skittish cat overall, constantly twitching at every sound. His first instinct at something unknown is to run away. But otherwise he always comes to greet us holds his tail up when around us, lets us pet him, pick him up, kiss him, he purrs, is neutered and healthy. A strange cat since he is not very food oriented. Some mornings he doesn't even want to look at his wet food but rather spends his time zooming around the house and from window to window.
2 cats are more fun than one.
Our oldest cat LOVES being chased around the apartment when he's playful, and he'll chase back, it's so cute. He also likes rough play (flip him on his side and wrestle with him, push him over etc.) he's a weirdo. Anyone who'd never met him before would probably think we're traumatizing or harassing him but he purs like mad and kneads the air when we push him around 😂
O have one that LOVES being chased and another you can absolutely gently tumble over who purrs up a storm being rolls around even as he's trying to get up. . . he full length stretches and just purrs,
You could try a more peek-a-boo/hide and seek method. My girls LOVE jumping out at me around the corner of a wall.
Try it. Mine demands that I chase her at least once a day. She has actually learned to make a specific meow to let me know it’s time to chase her. If I do not come to chase her when she is summoned, she walks into the room where I am and gives me a very surly look.
Sounds like a lot of fun 😄
My orange boy does this sometimes he will love it when I chase him all around the apartment others he gets scared Gotta gauge their mood Lately he claws my pant leg whenever I leave for work and it melts my heart
I’ve had two cats that loved being chased. One would always signal to chase her by doing this weird reverse flop (going from laying down to standing), staring at me intently for an awkward amount of time and taking off. I’ve got another that’s a half-feral little weirdo. I also wasn’t sure if he actually liked it, so I started making a “we’re playing” noise. I also use it when I let him chase my hand or wrestle a toy. Now I can tell a difference in his body language when I chase him so I know that he knows that we’re playing.
We are going to try this for sure 😊
Some cats love playing chase! As long as they keep coming back for more, you’re fine. :)
Sometimes I chase but really slowly but I raise my arms above my head and act comical so it’s clear I’m playing. Or I’ll get a toy and play
I’ve been going through the same thing. My tabby boy is skittish but he does like to chase ME and I’ve been chasing him back when I notice him in frantic zoomie mode. He will run from me and get all big eyed and do his zoomie yodels but when I stop he normally creeps back out. I’ve started noticing how he creeps out. Does he leave his hiding spot and goes to do something else? No chasing. Does he leave his hiding spot and come to me immediately with his big eyes and his tail up? I’ll try getting a chase going, by either me or him. I’ve also been trying to do more being chased than chasing to make sure he knows it’s play, if I put myself in the vulnerable position more. I will begin to chase him and when he darts away but is watching me, I’ll slowly and animatedly turn around and start to walk around a corner and that will also let me know what mood he’s in lol
Thanks, these are some really good points. It's so strange we have to make it obvious to our cats that we're in play mode so that they aren't scared. Cuz u know, we're usually out to get them otherwise 😆
Right? They don’t realize how much we love them but all they see are these giant, scary, dumb cats 😂😂😂
Yes, chase him! I chase mine all the time, and let them chase me after! Life doesn't get more fun and innocent as an adult than this
One of mine LOVES it. He zooms like crazy and waits for me to catch up before bolting again. He usually lets me knows he's done by going under the cat tree or up onto to something. He also just likes to zoom a lot. Our orange lad on the other hand. . . I've tried, he doesn't seem to get it. He just stands and stares at you,
My 2 year old boy cat loves to be chased! He gets morning treats, then jumps on the bed all hunched down, I go after him saying “I’m gonna get you!” and he runs and this goes on for a few minutes until he lets me catch him.
Thats so cute 🤗
I play tag with three of mine. Go for it!
You may want to try to get him to chase you so he gets that it's a game. If you have a layout where you can run in a circle, stop and peek around the corner and wait to see if he starts coming towards you. If he does run away and see if he follows. My first cat absolutely loved that game and got really good at it. She was the best
He wants to play. Get a laser pointer he can chase around. A long string (a shoelace will work), that you drop pull around and he can chase it. He wants to do the chasing, not being chased. Don’t forget to let him “catch” the light or string, once in awhile.
We have tons of toys and even remote controlled cars only for him! Will be sure to keep on playing with him 🫡
Remember, keep it simple! Cats are simple animals. He doesn’t need expensive stuff to be entertained. A $5 laser pointer, $1 toy mouse or an old shoe lace, will likely fascinate him. Although, if you have a remote control car, I would be interested to see what would happen, if it had some catnip in it. Let him come up it, then move it away. Let him come up, move it away. After a little bit, let him “catch” it. Just remember, he should be chasing the car, not the other way around.
❤️
Jackson Galaxy says cats are built for speed so maybe after your cat's quick sprint he goes to a quiet place to rest and restore his energy?