Ragdoll and RagaMuffin Breeders Club Middle-Earth, NCHK member

Time out - out of the game! Is it punishment, is it cruel to banish a cat from the room for a while if it is too excited ? Jackson Galaxy tries to answer this question in his video.

Time Out for Cat - Effective or Cruel? - YouTube

If we have two or more cats that differ in their energy management - for example, because one is older than the other, or one is more playful and more "mischievous", minor and major fights can occur. 
However, if the aggression is playful, and the cats are not growling, hissing or snapping at each other, hair is not flying, there is no panic urine marking and the cats are not hiding from each other, it is not difficult to help. We just have to start thinking a bit like a cat. It doesn't necessarily mean having a mouse and potato salad for Sunday lunch...

So how do we help cats? First of all, we should observe our cats and watch their energy management, when they are at their energetic peak in terms of behaviour (see our favourite stress triangle by Dr. Šusta). When we see a cat literally ready to go wild - eating the fur on its back, tickling the tip of its tail, tearing at its ears - we should get it going nicely by playing with a smoker, a shaker, or just a piece of paper folded into an accordion and tied to a string.

This wilder game should last with a few second breaks until we see that the cat is "just playing out of duty" - just like the sledging children in Jarek Nohavica's song Ladovská zima :-). Then it's time to serve breakfast, lunch or dinner - by then the bowls should be DONE....

Also, clicker training is very helpful - when we catch the moment just before the more active cat tries to jump on the back of the more passive brother or friend. At that moment, we get the attention of the more active cat, thus getting it to focus and calm down. Only a focused and calm cat will enjoy the treats it receives for its clicker behavior.

And if we don't have a clicker ? We can use a click with the mouth - it can be a sharp flick - or we can make a kissing sound. So we send air kisses to the cat for behaving in such a way as to keep the peace in our household. As a reward, we can give a heart-shaped treat - and not just on Valentine's Day .... 

And if all this still fails and our tiger flies through the air in the apartment in a burst of too much energy ? Time out won't harm him if we give it to the cat in such a way that it is not a punishment, but a redirection of behaviour. The kitty gets time in another room with toys and puzzles - no beautiful breakable souvenirs on an unprotected shelf - he will calm down and maybe even sleep a little.

And how do we help the cat who represents the cat in the game ? By giving her more confidence when playing together and allowing her to experience success - like hunting for a cuddly mouse. If the cat catches it on its own, bites it - but doesn't eat it - it will immediately feel better. And instead of the plush mouse batting, we can offer her a little treat in the form of a heart again, so that we have our love perfect :-).