Cat owners’ relationships with their cats run the gamut from “Fine, I’ll reluctantly feed you and clean your litter box” to “You are my favorite living creature on Earth, and I would die for you nine times over.” But even those of us who adore our kitties might playfully annoy them sometimes, not to be mean, but because cats are fun to mess around with.  People have been sharing videos of “rage baiting” their cats, a tongue-in-cheek term for intentionally annoying them in some way. For instance, a cat owner might pet a cat where it just cleaned itself, gently but repeatedly poke it, put it down really, really slowly, or whatever this is: @halokyte have an old draft because idk what else to post today and I didnt schedule enough lol #cat #truckingcat #blackcat #bopit #ragebaitmypet ♬ BOP IT BETCH – BradyinSeattle Obviously, actually enraging a cat is neither kind nor wise. But where is the line between playful interaction and actual torment? Some cats inexplicably enjoy the most random things, after all. So when does banter turn into bullying, and what are the signs that you’ve taken it too far with your feline friend? Julia Specht, cat behavior consultant and founder of Park Slope Paws, tells Upworthy that a cat owner’s intent matters a lot less than the impact. “I think every human can remember a time when someone was good-naturedly teasing them, but it made them feel afraid or angry or alone,” she said. “Cats can’t know what your intention is; they’re not capable of that tertiary-level thought. All they know is that you’re doing something unpleasant that they don’t like.” @peanutchutneyy It’s the eye twitch for me #gingercatsoftiktok #gingergirlcat #gingergirlcatsofinstagram #peanutthegingercat ♬ QKThr – Aphex Twin Often, cats will walk away if you do something they don’t like. But not always. Specht advises paying attention to a cat’s body language to determine whether it is stressed. “Are their ears back? Is their tail swishing? If so, they’re not happy. Maybe they’re not lashing out at you, but you’re not helping your relationship,” Specht said. “If they do lash out (by biting or swatting), hide from you, or avoid you, then you’re doing some serious damage to your relationship.”  Cats can get overstimulated, even from fun play, but especially from things we might do to “rage bait” them. PetMD writes that a sudden change in demeanor can signify overstimulation and is a sign to stop what you’re doing. So what can you do to entertain both yourself and your cat in a way that doesn’t cause it stress? “Fortunately for us humans, cats have incredible comedic timing,” said Specht. “There are all kinds of things you can do with your cat that will be both hilarious for you and enjoyable for them. Think about ways you can play with them, or give them fun enrichment activities like boxes or tissue paper. (Have you ever seen a cat attack a sheet of bubble wrap? I highly recommend it.) These activities also help make your relationship with your cat better in the long run.” Other ideas for playing with your cat in ways that are both fun and engaging include toys on poles that you can drag around for it to chase, giving it catnip, or buying or building puzzle toys or structures that hide treats, like the ones featured in this video from Cats Protection: Cats provide plenty of humor simply by being cats and doing cat-friendly things. As Specht tells Upworthy, “You don’t have to annoy your cat to get them to do something funny. They’ll do that on their own, if you give them the opportunity to.” The post When does ‘rage baiting’ your cat cross the line from playful fun to torment? Experts weigh in. appeared first on Upworthy.