# Do cats play with themselves because they have to? **URL:** \ **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:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/21 "2009-01-21T17:09:14Z")
“because they can” isn’t a good enough answer? ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/22 "2009-01-21T17:17:30Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > 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. I sincerely hope you ask his permission before dressing the cat. My first reaction upon seeing the pic was that he must be thinking - “I only do this for catnip, otherwise piss off” 😃 If I tried to put anything on our kitty my forearms would be shredded I’m sure! And for those with their heads in the gutter - our feline overlords may not approve of our talking about this behind their back. Don’t forget, they know where we sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/23 "2009-01-21T17:51:11Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Normal predators don’t do that, they hunt when they’re hungry. Normal small predators in the wild are practically always hungry and will demonstrably kill more than they can eat if the rare opportunity unfolds. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/24 "2009-01-21T18:54:18Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > 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. I’ve read that cats have a hard-wired instinct to chase any small moving object. They are simply unable to resist it. Some predators will hunt even if they’re full, but some don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245/25 "2009-01-21T20:33:22Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > I’ve read that cats have a hard-wired instinct to chase any small moving object. They are simply unable to resist it. I’ll believe this. My cat knows when its time to go to the vet and will hide under the bed. All we have to do is drag her mouse in front of the bed, and she will come out and pounce on it. She can’t resist… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cats-play-with-themselves-because-they-have-to/482245.md?page=1)