Feather aggression!

I've had to confiscate Sylvie's favourite toy, the feather on a string, because it sends Dudley crazy. As soon as he gets a hold of hit he's growling and hissing and I have a hard job getting it back from him before he chews it to pieces. He's such a cute little kitten but his reaction to this toy is quite scary! I got it out when he first arrived as an ice breaker for him and Sylvie, but Sylvie ended up looking at me as if to say 'why have you brought home a monster'!! If anyone has looked at the 'brocolli kitten' on youtube, it's a similar scenario, but with a feather....and a lot lot scarier. I've hid the toy in a cupboard in the lounge and he paws at the door growling trying to get in!! It's so odd, he has a catnip mouse which doesn't cause the same aggression.

Feather toys do seem to get the biggest reaction from my cats, but they aren't allowed to keep them as they just rip them appart, but they're not agressive. There are two ways I can think of to deal with this, one is too throw all the feather toys out and the other is to get more, as soon as he starts to growl over one toy just get another one out, if they aren't seen as being precious he might not be so possesive.

Welly was & is still exactly the same,he will grab a feather stick run growling through the house & if he can make it takes it straight out through cat flap into the run & plucks it in seconds,all the while growling as if he is a wild thing,if he doesn't make it then he lays on it & carries on growling so none of the others dare go near him.We try & keep them hid up & have only controlled playing with feathers but doesn't always work.
The worst time was at a show when the judge went along the line with a tickling stick,I heard him starting to growl & luckily hubby turned him just in time otherwise I reckon he would have caused chaos because she sure wouldn't have got it back whole,she laughed when hubby explained why he turned him away so quick but members of the public might have been upset when they saw the feathers & thought & budgie had met its fate...

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Originally Posted by jckkerrison

Welly was & is still exactly the same,he will grab a feather stick run growling through the house & if he can make it takes it straight out through cat flap into the run & plucks it in seconds,all the while growling as if he is a wild thing,if he doesn't make it then he lays on it & carries on growling so none of the others dare go near him.We try & keep them hid up & have only controlled playing with feathers but doesn't always work.
The worst time was at a show when the judge went along the line with a tickling stick,I heard him starting to growl & luckily hubby turned him just in time otherwise I reckon he would have caused chaos because she sure wouldn't have got it back whole,she laughed when hubby explained why he turned him away so quick but members of the public might have been upset when they saw the feathers & thought & budgie had met its fate...

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It's funny how the wild cat still remains in these cats! When I see Dudley with that feather I can imagine that he'd be quite a hunter if he was let out.

Freyja's favourite interactive toy (i.e. one with me on the other end) is an Aztec feather teaser and she goes absolutely bonkers for it. The only time I ever get caught with one of her claws is when that comes out and it has to be locked carefully away when we're done as it would be plucked mercilessly in seconds if she had the chance. I've actually getting another 3 or 4 of them for her Christmas stocking!

Both of ours go mad for anything with feathers and their favourite toy is this :

Cat Toy Feather Ball Squeaky with Mouse at zooplus

It's got one of those microchip bird squeaks in it and they both go absolutely crazy with it - it has to be put away at night though as it keeps us awake otherwise!!!

One of MC Elvis' favorite toys is our feather duster.

I'll try to get a pic.

It's hilarious.

He grabs it and trots around as if he actually caught one of the geese that he and Coco stare at thru the window....