Cat Psychology

I play a game with my cat whereby I push him with a rolled up magazine, a pringles tin, or something similar to make him attack it. He reacts in the following ways:

1) He pounce on, and grapples my forearm while bitting it.

2) He tries to trap the offending weapon by grappling it and using his body weight to pin it down.

He may try to strike the weapon with his paw if he cannot grapple it, but if I slow down the pace I push him at, he will definetelty go for my forearm or try to trap the weapon.

Please explain why felines employ said tactics.

Cats are my naturally predators.

Domestic cats don't, normally, have a mother to teach them survival and hunting, so they learn from their "owner".

Some of their behavior is built in... instinct. They learn and express their predatory nature through these games.

Even in the wild playing is a form of learning survival and predatory behavior.

Actually, we humans aren't much different.

when cats act that way with pounding or their way to defend their space. it like watching a lion or leopard that would defend themselves or prone to attack.

with cats, most housecats, they know different when to play or not play. I am not sure, when housecats attack or defend themselves, they know why they do it. it like more instincts than they are try to be rational about it.

I think housecats act on instincts, they are born not to kill like loins or leopards. you can't put a cat in a jungle, except to survival the wild.

I ask my cat.
All he said was "milk".
so I got him some milk and ask again.
all he said again was "milk".

True, we too are predators. In fact, we are wolves in sheep's clothing. I don't deny it.

Now, I brought this topic up with my mother and she's told me that our cat goes for my forearm because he thinks if he goes straight to the source, he'll stop me moving the magazine or weapon.

Yet, if my cat destroys my weapon, I won't have anything to use against him. So, what's the reasoning behind my cat pouncing on my forearm to halt my offensive?

because you are bigger than your cat. to cat your cat think your arm is going to hit him or her. the cat's past has previous beaten by previously owner.

or, the cat's naturally instincts kick in, when he or she see your forearm.

maybe cats has tunnel visions or visual impair that can't tell the different from your arm or weapon. because of the length of your arm?

I think your mom is on to something.

It is true that if the cat destroys the weapon you don't have the weapon, but if the cat destroys you (in this case your arm) your weapon becomes useless.

The meerkat destroys the scorpions singer 1st, then eats the scorpion.

In the military you take out the gun emplacement 1st, then attack the hill (or fort or whatever).

The animal is play fighting. If it wanted to I could do some serious damage to you.

Cats seem to know how to be cats.

Very true. Cats believe grappling and trapping are the best methods of fighting, not unlike Jujitsu or MMA fighters.

The cat family is domestic & sociable. Person attention & comfort level comes to mind. A pet cat playing with other cats early on do the same as you are experiencing with yours. Cats get rougher when laying on their side fending the other cat off.If the pet owner is sitting thus focused on reading the news paper--- a cat might want to be petted and sit down exactly where the owner is reading but soon to fall asleep.I guess if a toy or an object can reduce the cats' vision to a focus so your wrist/arm is an extension of focus in with the object. A cat might use more energy if fighting with aggressive other cat. Instant action speed causes the same output of the other. And too, a cat that's had enough with the pet owner or cat on cat possibly-- and cat will stop and smell, and they love their owner so it's tired and wants affection.