Why does my cat kick me like a rabbit?

No.90% joking, 10% true defense

They say cats have three treasures: they’re delicate and easily pushed over. However, pushing a cat over can lead to very different outcomes:

A. They’ll be pushed over and allowed to be manipulated.

B. She resisted a little, but you kept rubbing her.

C. From the very beginning, I kept resisting

Is this action playful, or does it really mean they hate you?

Scenario 1: Playing with you

A 2021 literature review by Gajdoš Kmecová N et al. found that cats use as many as 12 typical play postures, and the “cat-rabbit kick” is one of them.

This doesn’t just happen between cats and toys; it often happens between cats and other cats.

So, when a cat pushes you, it might be treating you as a companion and playing with you.

Situation 2: Self-Defense and Hunting

Due to differences in the muscle and skeletal structure of their forelimbs and hindlimbs, cats’ hindlimbs are stronger and more lethal than their front limbs.

A cat’s kick is a hunting maneuver, allowing them to quickly attack their prey.

It is also a tactical self-defense action. When the abdomen is forced to be exposed, they use their hind legs to kick hard to defend themselves and stay away from dangerous objects.

Case 3: Cat’s Conditioned Reflex

Given cats’ natural defense, some cats may also react reflexively as a defensive mechanism…

Regardless of the reason, getting kicked by a cat or rabbit is bound to cause injury. Here’s what you can do:

Preventing and treating cat kicks

1.Cultivate proper interaction
From the time your cat is young, it’s important to reinforce the principle of never teasing with your hands or feet!

Not only will this not foster intimacy between you and your cat, it may also instill in your cat the impression that your hands and feet are toys, safe to play with.

2.Provide your cat with toys they can kick and chew.

Kicking and biting are part of a cat’s hunting instincts. We can’t eliminate these instincts, but we can encourage them to focus their energy and attention on the toys, rather than your hands and feet.

3.After being kicked, give the cold shoulder

During an interaction, if your cat shows any signs of kicking, it’s recommended that you stop the interaction immediately, ignore the cat, and give it a long period of cold shoulder.