# Do cats play with themselves because they have to?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 21, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245 "2009-01-21T01:51:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/1 "2009-01-21T01:51:40Z")
I have been wondering for quite some time about a behavior I see in my cats that always makes me curious. Whenever they have a toy or a crumpled up receipt or anything small and crinkled they tend to play with it by themselves for long periods of time. However in my cats and in others I have seen it appears to be a compulsive behavior for the first few minutes, to the point that I think they can’t help themselves when given a small noisy object - they must play with it. Similar to the movement of a laser toy…most cats are almost complusively thrown into attack mode or stalk mode - like its instinctive. I wonder what part of their nervous system this behavior comes from?
Does anyone else notice this?
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### Author:  [@PopeJewish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PopeJewish)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/2 "2009-01-21T02:03:12Z")
definitely. Cats will play with other cats, for sure, but a lot of their solo play is instinctive I would think. Most species of cats are solo hunters (lions being one of the only exceptions) so a lot of what they do is, instinctively, done by themselves, especially when it comes to something like “stalking” a toy (or ball of foil, as my cats freakin love. Seriously, I stopped buying cat toys a long time ago, they love shoe laces, feet under a blanket or balls of tin foil FAR more than any toy I ever bought for them)
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### Author:  [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/3 "2009-01-21T02:10:56Z")
Cats is weird. Mine want to do almost everything by themselves until they feel the need to masturbate, then they plop down in the busiest area they can find and yowl and touch themselves inappropriately. This need is magnified if I have guests who have never been to my place before.:smack:
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### Author:  [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/4 "2009-01-21T02:14:26Z")
Mine likes the plastic rings from milk jugs and any kind of perforated cardboard zip strip. Like on a frozen pizza box, where you pull the tab and tear away the long strip to open. He comes running when he hears it being pulled. I curl it up and give it a toss, he bats it around a while and then brings it to me for another throw. He plays fetch better than my dog.
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/5 "2009-01-21T03:23:12Z")
First, my proxy cat Finnigan’s site on catster. That pic is NOT photoshopped-
> **[Stella the Cat Gives Her 2016 Major League Baseball Preview - Catster](https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/stella-the-cat-gives-her-2016-major-league-baseball-preview)**
>
> March Madness is now history, so let's turn our attention to the baseball season so we can finally get some sleep.
He belongs to my Idaho friend & I occasionally help her with his vet bills so he’s the closest thing I have to a cat.
When I read the thread title, I thought “play with themselves” meant… you know.
He does that in front of his Mommy (my friend), sometimes dropping his “love doll” (a stuffed pink froggy) at her feet before he humps it. I tell her “Well, you’ve been curious about a threesome!” However, he sometimes takes it to another room to do his dirty little business. To make the story even better, the doll is kinda getting worn so we found the exact same one on eBay for him…
Now he has threeways with them. Doing one, then the other. Putting them both next to each other & doing them both.
She actually sent me pics but I’m forbidden to show them.
“Gee, what do you call that act?”
“The Aristocat!”
By all that I consider holy, this is true.
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### Author:  [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/6 "2009-01-21T03:35:08Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#):
>
> Mine likes the plastic rings from milk jugs and any kind of perforated cardboard zip strip. Like on a frozen pizza box, where you pull the tab and tear away the long strip to open. He comes running when he hears it being pulled. I curl it up and give it a toss, he bats it around a while and then brings it to me for another throw. He plays fetch better than my dog.
My cat loves milk jug rings so much that he knows the sound a full milk jug hitting the counter! He comes running and meowing before I even tear the ring off.
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### Author:  [@PopeJewish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PopeJewish)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/7 "2009-01-21T04:58:38Z")
> [@FriarTed](#):
>
> First, my proxy cat Finnigan’s site on catster. That pic is NOT photoshopped-
>
> [http://www.catster.com/cats/922131](http://www.catster.com/cats/922131)
>
> He belongs to my Idaho friend & I occasionally help her with his vet bills so he’s the closest thing I have to a cat.
>
> When I read the thread title, I thought “play with themselves” meant… you know.
>
> He does that in front of his Mommy (my friend), sometimes dropping his “love doll” (a stuffed pink froggy) at her feet before he humps it. I tell her “Well, you’ve been curious about a threesome!” However, he sometimes takes it to another room to do his dirty little business. To make the story even better, the doll is kinda getting worn so we found the exact same one on eBay for him…
>
> Now he has threeways with them. Doing one, then the other. Putting them both next to each other & doing them both.
>
> She actually sent me pics but I’m forbidden to show them.
>
> “Gee, what do you call that act?”
>
> “The Aristocat!”
>
> By all that I consider holy, this is true.
hil-fuckin-larious 😃
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### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/8 "2009-01-21T06:08:57Z")
> [@FriarTed](#):
>
> he’s the closest thing I have to a cat.
Judging by the photo, he _is_ a cat. But you’re right, you don’t quite _have_ him.
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### Author:  [@Pixilated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixilated)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/9 "2009-01-21T08:25:56Z")
Our cats mostly play by themselves.
Bella will steal any paper towel/napkin she can and tear them to shreds.
Spartacus will play with one of those track-ball things & his catnip mouse.
Merry… well yesterday was very interesting. She likes straws for some odd reason. I’ve seen here going for mine at times but I always catch her and stop her from biting it. Yesterday, I decided to watch and see what she does and the little bugger pulled it out of the cup and ran off with it, I found her playing with it in the next room. _sighs_ I’m surrounded by weird cats.
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### Author:  [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/10 "2009-01-21T08:32:31Z")
We had a cat many years ago who ‘played’ with himself alright. Laying on his back with his back legs spreadeagled, he’d get a marvellous little kitty erection, and using his paws would pat his little pink/white penis back and forth like a game of tennis.
Explaining it to the kids was another thing altogether…
😛
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### Author:  [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/11 "2009-01-21T08:35:54Z")
> [@Pixilated](#):
>
> I’m surrounded by **weird cats**.
This is grammatically incorrect. You should watch your use of redundancies. 🙂
ETA: **kambuckta** , what exactly do they feed Australian cats? Must be something in the water…
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### Author:  [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/12 "2009-01-21T09:09:35Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#):
>
> ETA: **kambuckta** , what exactly do they feed Australian cats? Must be something in the water…
Not enough bromide perhaps?
🙂
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### Author:  [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/13 "2009-01-21T11:13:49Z")
Mine’s another cat that loves milk jug rings. And I do think it’s instinctive as my cat is always hiding the damn things.
I’m constantly finding the damn rings in between the sofa cushoins and my laundy basket.
Oh and don’t even get me started on trying to put new bedsheet covers on. This is a five minute process that takes me a good fifteen minutes!
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/14 "2009-01-21T11:22:53Z")
> [@kambuckta](#):
>
> We had a cat many years ago who ‘played’ with himself alright. Laying on his back with his back legs spreadeagled, he’d get a marvellous little kitty erection, and using his paws would pat his little pink/white penis back and forth like a game of tennis.
>
> Explaining it to the kids was another thing altogether…
>
> 😛
Finn has not figured that out yet. _whew_ If he learned manual skills, my friend be more enslaved than she already is by him.
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### Author:  [@Contrary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrary)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/15 "2009-01-21T11:30:56Z")
But **SHAKES** , you have no idea of the monsters that lurk under the covers. If your kitty didn’t wrangle the sheets (which is what my Wally does), you might be in mortal danger.
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### Author:  [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/16 "2009-01-21T12:51:56Z")
Cats have an almost pathological need to hunt. I suppose it could have been bred into them over the years, to make them better mousers, but it’s practically unnatural. Cats will stuff themselves at a food bowl, and dart away to try and catch a mouse, squirrel or bird, knowing full well they’re not going to eat it. Normal predators don’t do that, they hunt when they’re hungry.
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### Author:  [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/17 "2009-01-21T15:16:32Z")
Well, I know why I play with MYself…
Joe
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### Author:  [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/18 "2009-01-21T15:23:25Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#):
>
> Well, I know why I play with MYself…
>
> Joe
Because you can? 🙂
And **FriarTed** , that picture of your cat is priceless.
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### Author:  [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/19 "2009-01-21T15:54:32Z")
My cat, Eccles, has a thing for cardboard egg containers, those that hold 6 eggs.
He’ll make sweet luuurve to one for hours before he gets fed up, or exhausted
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/20 "2009-01-21T16:05:59Z")
> [@Omegaman](#):
>
> Because you can? 🙂
>
> And **FriarTed** , that picture of your cat is priceless.
Thank you. I’ll have to put up the less-dignified pictures of him in the ladybug and hotdog costumes. He does NOT hold his head up proudly in those.
My friend owes me pics of him in the Halloween costumes I bought him. Also, I need to send her his Santa costume.
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