Cat Play, Dog Play, Interesting Observations

[fureverywhere]

Sophie is out with my son on a walk so it's just Callie. He's way easygoing with other critters. Even the rats, you can hold one up to his nose and no prey drive, just hum this smells interesting but sharper teeth than me...I'm taking a nap. But it was cute when Stumpy and Ninja came inside. He greeted them at the door and without Sophie jumping like a nut he just sat and watched them walk in.

Then he did a play bow to Ninja. For dog people you know the play bow is an invitation. Ninja looked at him like he was insignificant...crazy dog. It's too bad dog and cat language is so different. Foot is almost the size of a mid-size pup if they could figure it out. The dogs play together like football linebackers, I guess the cat's are just puzzled. And why don't the dogs understand catnip ya know?

 

[SifuPhil]

I've always viewed "house" dogs (not hunters) as enjoying rough-house play, whereas cats are more into quiet stalking. Dogs will play when YOU want to play; cats, only if they're in the mood.

And dogs do the jumping up and down with each other thing a lot, at all ages, whereas cats seem to stop or at least cut back on doing it after kitten-hood.

One cat I had was a lover - he'd curl up around any fuzzy critters he found, including mice, birds and bugs. Another cat would rip them to tiny pieces and go nom-nom on them.

Just some observations I've made when owning multiple critters ...

 

[QuickSilver]

My dogs and cats do manage to play together some.. but the cats lose interest way sooner than the dogs. I've seen the cats letting the dogs groom them.. particularly their ears and backsides... On only a very rare occasion have I seen a cat reciprocate... and then only the ears... never the other..

 

[fureverywhere]

Something I wish I could find at a yard sale or somewhere is an old playpen. Remember the wooden ones usually big and square? I'd put it in our basement with catnip toys. Then the cats could wander down and play in peace. It would also keep toys from rolling under the furnace. When they try to play upstairs the dogs chase the toys and carry them away. It's not the catnip, they just like to retrieve.

 

[oakapple]

We had one cat that hunted every minute it was outside, and it dragged all sorts through the cat flap when it came back in!The other cat was lazy and liked to sleep outside in the sunshine, often with birds pecking about on the lawn just inches away from the cat, who took no notice of them at all, we called it a friend of nature!

 

[Butterfly]

My last two dogs liked to play a game I called "whose mouth is bigger?" where they'd get right up in each other's faces and open their mouths as far as they could and make strange noises. Nobody ever tried to bite or anything like that. I never understood the point of that game, but they played it a LOT.

 

[SeaBreeze]

Our new puppy is starting to play quite a bit with our cat, he chases the cat and the cat turns around and chases him. But they don't chase too far or go crazy. The cat can just bluff charge and the pup will go scampering. Life is good with furkids in the house.

 

[fureverywhere]

Poor Callie, he still hasn't learned that nose to cat butt. Yes it smells amazing but healing claw marks to his nose...even under his eye...c'mon man you have to learn...

 

[SifuPhil]

My last two dogs liked to play a game I called "whose mouth is bigger?" where they'd get right up in each other's faces and open their mouths as far as they could and make strange noises. Nobody ever tried to bite or anything like that. I never understood the point of that game, but they played it a LOT.

They probably think the same thing when viewing human politicians ...

 

[QuickSilver]

Poor Callie, he still hasn't learned that nose to cat butt. Yes it smells amazing but healing claw marks to his nose...even under his eye...c'mon man you have to learn...

For reasons beyond human comprehension.... dogs love the south end of a cat....OR, I may add.. what comes out of it.. which is why..my litter boxes are tucked away behind a baby gate..