How Do I Know If Cats Are Playing Or Fighting

Signs That Evidence If My Cat Is Playing or Fighting

Mychelle Blake

Mychelle had her ain domestic dog and cat behavior consulting business for about 10 years, where she taught group and individual obedience and worked in clients' homes to help resolve behavior issues.

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Cat Behavior Consultant

Watching a pair of cats playing with each other and wrestling can be truly adorable. Withal, if you lot're not used to cat behavior, it'south possible to miss the signs that this play-fighting may be less than friendly and y'all need to arbitrate.

Signs Your Cats Are Playing or Fighting

Information technology's perfectly normal to run across cats tussling effectually your floor or chasing each other along the furniture and up a cat tree. Playtime is a healthy behavior for kittens and adult cats. Normal play beliefs can include cats wrestling with each other, chasing each other and actualization to "jump and assail" each other, all of which are natural hunting behaviors expressed for sheer enjoyment. However sometimes play tin can escalate if ane or both cats go over stimulated, or startled or you may see two cats fighting where information technology's clear they were ambitious with each other from the start.

Vocalization

Associated Applied Brute Behaviorist Katenna Jones says that sound is a good way to tell if cats are playing or fighting. "If it's quiet, it's well-nigh likely play. If there's growling, it'south most likely not." If at that place's nix other than the occasional meow or chirp, this ways your cats are probably having fun. If you hear more stressed or aggressive sounds like yowls, hissing or screaming, you definitely have a fight on your hands.

Torso Language

If you observe stiff body language with ears back, this indicates the cats are stressed and not playing. Their fur will as well be standing "straight up" rather than flat confronting their back and tail is upwards which is known as "piloerection." Their back will likewise be biconvex and their tails volition either be pressed confronting them or moving in a fast, rapid and stiff motion. Their ears will also appear flat and back against their caput and yous may run across teeth flared and claws out. The cat's pupils will also be dilated and the cats may engage in what looks like a starting contest. On the other paw, if their body language appears loose and in a normal, relaxed position, they are probable playing.

Taking Turns

Another clear sign cats are playing is that they will "take turns" beingness the lead in wrestling or chasing games. They may also separate for a few seconds and then start upward again. If yous detect during play that 1 cat is always the chaser and wrestler, this may be a sign of concern, but if the other cat seems willing to engage and so but go along an eye on them to make sure both cats are having fun. You lot know when cats are fighting considering a cat that is involved in a fight will either continue fighting to defend itself or attempt to run abroad and hide to go free of the more than ambitious cat.

Roommates?

Finally, information technology is very unlikely that ii cats that do not know each other will play with each other. Information technology's normal for cats within the aforementioned social group to savor playing merely a cat is more likely to treat a true cat new to them equally a threat and at the very least become away from it, if not engage in fighting. Even a cat make new to the household will exist treated this fashion.

Cats Playing or Fighting With Humans

The aforementioned types of behavior cues for ii cats or kittens fighting or playing tin likewise be used when information technology'southward a human and a true cat in the equation. If your true cat has loose, relaxed trunk language with fur laying normally against his trunk and he is not hissing or growling, he is likely having a good fourth dimension playing with you. On the other paw, if his body language is stiff, he is showing teeth and claws and growling and his fur is standing upwards along his back, this is a cat that is non happy with you and may become more aggressive if the situation is not addressed.

Playful Biting and Scratching

There is a type of "aggression" betwixt cats and people that is ofttimes misinterpreted by cat owners. Younger cats and kittens can have a tendency to bite when playing with their owners, or during a grooming and cuddling session. There a few reasons for this.

For some cats who missed out on early socialization with their littermates, they do not learn to moderate their bite during play and can hurt a person, or cat, without intending to.
Kittens who also are taught to play inappropriately by their owners, often unwittingly, tin can end up learning to bite during play because of their early rough housing with humans. Once more, these are cats who are not intending to injure you and accept simply learning bad play skills.
Finally, some cats will bite during play or cuddling sessions because they simply become overstimulated and will nip or scratch as a way of saying "enough!"

Handling Cat Play Bitter

If your cat is biting y'all during play, avoid punishing the cat every bit this volition merely make your cat fearful of you lot and possibly aggressive. Calmly movement the cat off by distracting them with a toy or a treat. Wand toys that move the cat farther away from your hands are perfect for this task. Advantage the cat for moving abroad from your hands with whatever he enjoys about such as treats, play or a brushing. Never pull your easily away from a true cat that is play biting equally this may overstimulate him and cause him to either bite and scratch more or bite down harder. Remember that your cat hasn't learned to play properly and it'southward your task to teach him gently what will give him rewards and which behaviors will not.

Dealing With True cat Fights

If it's clear to you that your cats are actually fighting, or a true cat is directing assailment toward you, at that place are a few important rules to follow. Safety is cardinal when dealing with ambitious cats as information technology's very easy to get clawed or bit yourself.

Supervise Interactions

If y'all have any concern at all nigh your cats fighting, always supervise their interactions and intervene earlier a fight breaks out. This is safest for all concerned and will keep the cats and you from beingness injured.

Hands Off

Never stick your easily in between or around two cats that are fighting. The speed and intensity at which they are probably moving will almost inevitably end up with your easily getting scratched and/or bitten.

Use Noise

Make a loud racket to startle the cats to break them up, such every bit knocking two pots together, clapping your hands or saying "HEY!" in a loud, sharp tone. If you anticipate that a fight might happen, keep something on mitt in your home that makes noise, like an air horn or a political party noisemaker. Some cats will startle at the sound of a compressed air can usually used to make clean computers. Whatever you choose to utilize, do not continually utilise it but brand a short, precipitous noise that is strong enough to startle them both into stopping the fight.

Split up Cats Safely

In one case the cats have separated you tin can throw a towel or blanket over i or both of them to split them up, or try to shoo one into another room or to a safe space similar up a true cat tree. You lot tin too try to place a bulwark between them such every bit a baby gate or a large sturdy couch pillow. One time the cats are separated it'southward best to continue their separation past keeping them in unlike rooms behind airtight doors so they can absurd off.

Practise Not Punish!

Dealing with fighting cats can be a very stressful and sometimes traumatic experience. It's natural to feel the need to punish them but avert using any type of punishment. Your goal is to get the cats separated every bit quickly and every bit safely as possible. Punishment will only increase their negative associations with each other, and very perchance with y'all, and that will crusade more than damage to the behavior problem in the long run.

Consider Personality

One mistake cat owners sometimes make is bringing a new cat into the household without considering the personality of the current cat. Personality and free energy level are good determinants of how successful a cat matchup volition exist, even more than than age. If your electric current cat is placid and quiet, he or she will not be happy with an agile, playful kitten who wants to play constantly and fights tin can break out over the developed's stress and irritation. On the other hand, if y'all have a senior cat that even so has lots of energy and loves to play, a kitten that will reciprocate might lead to lots of joyful play betwixt the two. Make sure you take the electric current cat's needs for a companion into account as this will atomic number 82 to less potential for fighting when a new cat enters the dwelling.

Understanding True cat Play and Fighting Behavior

If you've never seen cats play fighting before, information technology's understandable that you lot may get scared that they're "actually" fighting. Some cats can become quite enthusiastic during play fighting but every bit long every bit there's minimal noise and their body language looks normal, you can relax and relish seeing cats having fun with each other. Make certain you know the signs of aggression however and so y'all tin intervene quickly and safely if the cats truly are aggressive with you lot or each other.