I'm convinced that every cat has a Weird Game that it likes; your duty as the cat's owner is to discover what its favourite Weird Game is.
One of the most common question types this blog gets is some flavor of asking if Weird Games are okay. The people writing in are always very concerned for their pet’s safety and welfare (which I applaud) and often looking for an explanation of the behavior (which I have zero ability to give). This speaks to how common it is for cats - and other pets - to enjoy Weird Games.
This video is a great example of the best way to tell if a Weird Game is a thing your animal actually likes: let them initiate! The cat is being carried in a weird way when the video starts, but then immediately runs back to the designated “game spot” and asks for it to happen again. If you’re not sure if an animal likes an interaction - be it petting or a Weird Game - just stop, and see if they actively re-engage. If yes, you’re good to go!
Obviously, physical safety is an aspect of Weird Games too. The cat in this video apparently likes being carried upside down, which could injure it if it happened too much. But what we see is that their person supports the cat very securely, moves slowly, doesn’t go very far, puts the cat down on a soft and easy to reach surface, and doesn’t let the Game go on for too long. The cat also isn’t being held tightly and could clearly get free / ask to be put down if it became uncomfortable or wanted to be done. That seems like a good way to make that Weird Game safe to me (vets, please feel free to correct me here). If you’re worried about if a Weird Game is safe, ask your vet! You’ll make their day and get some useful information.
