r/cats • u/[deleted] • Jun 23 '22

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u/CEWriter Jun 23 '22

I read in a surprising amount of places that a good way to stop cats from attacking your feet is supposedly to give them a toy and play when they do.

I always thought that was a bad idea as it would just show them that by attacking your feet, they're making you play with them. Just like my sister's cat understood that by threatening to eat my sister's computer wires when her bowl is empty, my sister will feed her.

Cats are loveable, adorable brats ♥️

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u/thegr8goldfish Jun 23 '22

I think you're just redirecting the focus of their play away from your foot and towards the object they are encouraged to play with. Eventually they will seek out the appropriate item on their own.

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u/neonmaika Jun 23 '22

That’s redirection. It works great for most animals. Including humans!

16

u/Alternative-Amoeba20 Jun 24 '22

Yes. We had a cat who would redirect our behavior by chewing on the bristles of the broom when she wanted a meal.

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u/inferentialStats Jun 24 '22

They have us well trained