Cat psychologists generally do not recommend playing with cats in the "evil" hand, as this can lead to negative consequences both for the hand and for the relationship between the cat and the owner.
Only a small percentage of cats can respond normally (in the context of play) to a hand with splayed fingers without causing serious bites or scratches to the owner.
Why this happens – we suggest we figure it out together.
The first reason why our smaller brothers react so sharply to a hand with splayed fingers is that when sorting out a relationship, cats use threatening gestures, including raising a paw.
A paw with claws extended is the last threat before a fight. The cat probably perceives a raised human hand as a threat and attacks it in response, extending its claws.
However, there is another explanation. In nature, many creatures, when faced with danger, try to visually increase in size.
For example, a cat turns sideways and raises the fur on the back of its neck, a frilled lizard raises its collar, an owl spreads its wings, and so on. The larger the creature appears, the more frightening it is to the enemy.
This transformation causes cats to experience a fit of poorly controlled aggression in response to the perceived threat.
That is why we can conclude that the game “evil” hand is the most dangerous of all the games that can be offered to a cat.
It evokes strong emotions and a stormy reaction even in the laziest cats, but has many "buts". It is much better to choose other games, safe and calm.
Earlier we talked about whether cats can smile.
