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Questions tagged [play]

Play between pets and pets and their owners. Solutions to encourage healthy play time for pets, what is normal and how to curb destructive play habits.

Play between pets and pets and their owners. Solutions to encourage healthy play time for pets, what is normal and how to curb destructive play habits.

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Who should win at tug of war?

I love playing tug of war with my dog. This is partially because he didn't show interest in toys at all early on, and getting him to actually pay attention to a tug rope was a long and often unrewarding process. Thankfully, he is now always excited…
Steve D
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Does purring tire cats?

Hope it doesn't sound like a silly question. Context: My cat is not the most affectionate cat in the world. But sometimes she comes to search for love and to play. When I pet her, obviously, she likes it and starts purring. She is the loudest cat…
raulmd13
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Why do cats enjoy playing in cardboard boxes?

Whenever I bring a box home, or I get a package in the mail, both of my cats immediately have to inspect it thoroughly. As soon as it's empty, they'll be playing games with it: jumping in and out, guarding it from the other, etc. If I toss a toy…
Spidercat
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How much exercise should a young cat be getting?

I have 2 young cats (1.5 years and 8 months). How much activity should they be getting during the day? They seem to be most active in the early morning and then settle down for the majority of the day for naps which I assume is normal for a cat.…
Dennis Graves
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How can I tell when it's time to stop playing?

I have a Border Collie that fetches things like it's his job. If he brings me something to throw and I don't do so promptly, he will start to get pushy and let me know that I need to stop being lazy and throw the toy. I worry, especially when it's…
JohnB
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How much dominance is normal in 2 cats at play?

I have 2 cats; one is young (8 months) and the other is 1.5 years old. During play, the older cat always takes the role of the chaser and the younger cat always runs away. I had read somewhere that during play, cats should switch off who is chasing…
Dennis Graves
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How can you tell if neck biting between dogs is too rough?

We have two dogs. One is a 4 year old male and the other is a new dog we adopted over a week ago who is a 2 year old female. They are both the same breed (Alaskan husky) and roughly the same size. So far, the dogs are getting along fairly well. …
Sabien
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My cat will only play with silicone earplugs, which is concerning. How do I fix that?

My 3 year old neutered female cat has gone mental on playing with silicone earplugs. They are small, chewy, yellow things you put in your ears to block out noise. My cat thinks they are THE BEST THING EVER. If I have one in my hand, she meows, jumps…
Discipol
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How should I respond when my cat wants to wrestle?

Sometimes when I am petting my 3-year-old cat she will roll over on her back and stretch out. At this point, if I bring my hand near she will try to grab it with her claws or mouth. I think she is just being playful, but my hand is not the ideal…
augurar
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Why would a cat ask to play all the time and how to satisfy her?

I have a quite energetic, 1.5 year old female cat, who used to live outside until 6 months old. We get along nicely, and I try to have play sessions with her 2-3 times a day for at least 5 minutes - it's usually two 5-minute and two 10-minute…
surfmadpig
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How do I get one cat to realize the other is trying to play, and not fight?

I just moved in to a new place with my girlfriend, and we moved our cats in together. They both like to occasionally play, whether with us or with toys. The bigger, older cat really likes to play with other cats, but when he pounces on or chases the…
Mustard
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Teaching a dog to play fetch

I have a six month old Rhodesian Ridgeback who I have not been able to cultivate an interest in playing fetch. I take him outside and he is more interested in walking around and chewing on sticks than he is on playing any type of game. If I throw…
EEP
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How do I get my dachshund to be interested in toys?

I have a dachshund who will not actively play with toys. She will, very rarely, pick up a bone or a chew toy (mostly a bone). She has a myriad of toys available to her, ranging from small, fluffy, squeeky toys, to large rubber rings, a coupled…
JoshDM
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How can I encourage multiple cats to bond and play together?

Often two or even all three of my cats will want to play at the same time but they usually come to me for the fun and games. I try to start them off getting them excited but ultimately it boils down to only one ever really getting the attention at a…
Status3543
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How to prevent my cat from deconstructing cat fountain?

Since vet stated that it might be better for them to prevent dehydration I bought a cat fountain for my girls (Catit Flower Fontain). However they seem obsessed with deconstructing it into basic parts (remove lid by tooth etc.) which, well, makes it…
Maja Piechotka
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