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From: marauder@fluke.UUCP (Bill Landsborough)
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: cat bite
Message-ID: <1167@vax2.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 20-Mar-86 10:37:59 EST
Article-I.D.: vax2.1167
Posted: Thu Mar 20 10:37:59 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Mar-86 11:17:44 EST
References: <2030@uwmacc.UUCP> <36@s3sun.ARPA>
Distribution: na
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA
Lines: 25
Keywords: Cat play = dominance tests

When cats play like that they are inviting a "mock fight" where noone
gets hurt.  It starts out to be just play but then the fighting
competitiveness comes into the battle and they start to get rougher.
They continue to get rougher and rougher until the submissive one
quits or one gets hurt.  The "winner's" ego is bolstered and that
animal further asserts his dominance.

You see this type of play on any wild kingdom show with young animals.
And you will see it in any pet which is growing up and finding its
place in the animal society.

When I play like this with my dogs or cats, sometimes I win and
sometimes I let them win.  It helps their self image of their fighting
ability and yet it keeps the cockey ones in their place.  If you win
all of the time, they soon will not want to play anymore with you
because of it.  They need to go into battle thinking that sometimes
they will come out the victor.

				Bill Landsborough
 
----

"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not 
arrogant or rude... Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things."   1 Corinthians 13:4-7