Playing With Your Foster
Did you know that there is a right way and a wrong way to play with your foster cat or kitten? The way we interact with our fosters can have a huge impact on how well they settle in to a new home. Little things like redirecting rough play in kittens, never using your hands to play with any cat or kitten, and other simple changes in our behavior cat dramatically improve your fosters success in their forever homes.
A few simple guidelines:
Never use your hands to play
a little kitten grabbing or biting your hands gently is adorable and doesn't hurt much, but kittens that get used to playing like this, grow up into cats that like to play like this. Make sure everyone in your family know to discourage and redirect this type of play
Do not allow kittens to climb your pants, or encourage them to chase your feet
just like playing with your hands, these types of behaviors are cute in kittens, but not so much in adult cats. Best to stop them before they become habits
Have a variety of toys available so your foster can find their favorite
not all cats are drawn to the same toys, so having lots of variety in size, material, shape, etc can help your foster find their favorites.
you don't need to spend a fortune. While there are a lot of commercially available toys, you can also make your own!
Additional Resources
Cat Toys and How to Use Them by Dumb Friends League
Playing With Your Cat by Dumb Friends League
Play Therapy by Jackson Galaxy
Interactive Cat Play by Mikel Delgado
Playing With Your Cat by Chirrups and Chatter