But that didn't stop this determined little fluff from attempting to get his paws on the ball. A hilarious cat video posted on Instagram shows the kitten chasing the ball as it flies around the inside of the screen.
Meanwhile, his older cat brother watches from a few metres away. He gazes back at the pair's paw-rents with a look that seems to say, "What's this guy doing? Are you going to tell him, or should I?"
He really wanted that ball
But nobody does; they just leave this crazy little guy to it!
More than 300k people liked the post, and thousands left comments. And people were seriously impressed by this kitten's athleticism and agility.
"Guy was a goalkeeper in his past life," posted one fan. "He saved the ball 7 times in his clip. The real goalie only got it once."
"Put the guy in coach," another person posted. "He's ready for his shot!"
But one person had some advice for the cat's owner, which might be worth paying attention to...
"This is funny now when he's still a kitten, but what happens in a year when he's big enough to push the TV over? A funny pet video will become a major fail clip," they advised.
Cats are naturally curious and playful creatures, and chasing balls can be a stimulating and entertaining activity for them. In other words, they're having fun, which is super important for a kitty.
Cats have a strong predatory instinct. The ball mimics the movements of prey, and cats are instinctively driven to stalk, chase, and pounce on it.
Gross gifts
It's one of the reasons why they think bringing a dead mouse or bird home is something to be proud of. They have no idea how annoying or gross it is for their humans.
Hunting collars or collars with bells are the best tools to prevent your cat from coming home with an unwanted gift. Ensuring your kitty gets lots of exercise and playtime will also stop them from bringing prey into the house.
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