Cats will often have play sessions with another cat all of their lives, not just when they are kittens, as long they have another cat to play with. Cats, particularly littermates, frequently indulge in specific behaviors that if one did not know otherwise might be inaccurately called a cat fight, when in reality it is not at all. Friday: 8:00am - 6:00pm We have articles and information, pet store, free petsites, ask the vet, contests, breeds and breeders, bulletin board, dog parks, lost and found, pet cemetery and more. Three days ago I got a new kitten. New kitten and older kitten playing or fighting? An adult cat may act out in this way to put her fellow feline housemate in his place, … Cats will often engage in mock aggression, or play fighting, to meet their primal need to hunt and guard their territory, both of which are essential to the survival of a cat in the wild. Even between kittens, playtime can look a bit rough. We will do our best to accommodate your busy schedule. Cats that have lived together all their lives enjoy playing with each other a little roughly at times and will chase after one another making a lot of noise. It allows them to engage in species specific behaviors like hunting and stalking. In general, some sort of ‘cat hierarchy’ needs to be established between the cats, and when introductions are done slowly (to prevent true fights), in general the parties are able to work out their differences on their own without human intervention. 1 decade ago. If it’s two cats are playing, you want to pay attention to which one is doing most of the hissing. When it comes to adult cats, many still enjoy engaging in playtime with their companions. Cats that are more slowly integrated with one another may have a better chance of being in the same social group and enjoying the company of the others in the group, including ‘play sessions’ with them. Also I think its normal for the adult cat to put the younger on in its place, basically like teaching them. Several feline behaviorists weigh in on the signals that can help you tell the difference and provide tips on when and how to break it up. Littermates tend to have the strongest bonds, often exhibiting all of these ‘same social group’ behaviors, and with very regular frequency. As well, most of us can appreciate the enjoyment of watching two tiny kittens stalking each other on either side of a curtain or darting out from under a bed just as though they were hunting prey in the wild. Play Fights are Part of Healthy Cat Interaction. Each cat takes a turn at being on his back and pouncing on his feline friend. Method 2 Another obvious way to tell if cats are fighting or playing is the result. Even between kittens, playtime can look a bit rough. Their ears are typically forward in play, their claws may be out but they dont cause damage, and their bodies lean forward not back. There are a few general guidelines to help you when trying to evaluate whether your cats are playing or fighting: Pam Johnson-Bennett is the best-selling author of 8 books on cat behavior. One of the kittens will pounce, and then the two of them become a rolling ball of fur. In some cats, two cats may be in the same social group, but not all of these behaviors are seen, and those are seen may occur less frequently. Unfortunately, playing can sometimes escalate beyond simple ‘play’. Pets aim open-mouth inhibited bites at the legs and paws of each other, and they paw and bat each other without force to hurt. Observing Their Body Language. Sunday: Closed, Sitemap | AccessibilityWebsite by DOCTOR Multimedia. Don’t expect your cats to wrestle and tackle each other with finesse and gentleness. My cats have started to ‘play’, but I’m not if it’s playing or not, or my older cat is being a bit rough to show dominance? Few people would confuse the middle-of-the-night growling and screaming of two cats outdoors as being involved in a major cat fight. Look for reciprocity. Fax: (301) 540-2041. Listen for growling or hissing. If you're concerned that a fight is about to happen, distract the cats with a loud clap of your hands or a quick squirt of water. Aug 8, 2013 by Dr Colleen Currigan, Cat Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL. This is part of why cat playing often seems like fighting: the same skills and techniques are used for both. With mom watching over kitten play, Diane explains, “They learn how to communicate with other cats and that claws and teeth can cause pain.” How To Tell If Cats Are Playing Or Fighting Mock fighting and aggression is typical of cat behavior during play. She offers an explanation on determining whether a cat fight is just play or the real deal. Playtime is an important part of cat life. Ears forward, claws may or may not be out. It also teaches them how to communicate with other cats and, when their mother intervenes, how to … However, sometimes it can be difficult to tell whether cats are playing or fighting. She’s 8 weeks old and was born a barn kitten but was socialized and kept in and out of the house before I got her. of 3: Cat parents are often left unsure about whether the cats are just having an enthusiastic play session or a physical battle that requires intervening before one or both cats get hurt. During playtime with their littermates, they also learn important body language and communication skills. For severe, true fighting, clapping of the hands may be effective in breaking up the two cats but again, never should a human attempt to intervene as that can be very dangerous. Kittens also use playtime to learn about their developing skills and practice stalking, chasing and pouncing. Will they ever be friends. Cats execute ambush attacks, roll around, sometimes even test just how hard they can bite. Male cats are especially aggressive and these cats keep fighting. While they may want to fight, don't allow your cat to do anything more than hiss and swat at the kitten. Bonded cats will often swipe at each other and have a bit of a hissy fit, but these bouts are never really anything to … The kitten jumps on the cat and then bites its ear and other body parts and the cat dont actully bites that much she kinda like cuddles and tries to get rid of her,then the kitten again jumps on her and bites her,the cat kinda like punches the kitten with her paw,is it play fighting or fighting? I've been introducing them to each other - I didn't expect them to be great friends because Billie is really territorial with other cats on the street and she's been alone for so long, but I can't tell if they're playing or fighting! Although more detailed information about integrating cats into a household is beyond the scope of this blog article, it is worth mentioning the importance of slow integration of new cats into a home where another cat or cats resides. These are actually play sessions. messages@acatclinic.us14200 Clopper Road, Boyds, MD 20841Phone: (301) 540-7770, New clients onlyNot valid on behavioral consultLimit one per customer (cannot be combined with other offers), Posted on: August 12th, 2013 by Dr. Dale Rubenstein. Under socialization, dominance, and hormonal aggression play key roles in how feral cats within colonies interact with one another. Rough play: Sometimes cats can be playing and it can get rough. Cats often target the backs of necks or fall on one side to bunny-kick the other pet. Is my cat playing or fighting - pets.ca is Canada's source for info on pets including dogs cats birds and more. The pair will stop and start a lot, much like wrestlers moving on a mat to get into position. Play is fun, it is good exercise, it allows cats to be cats, and it should not be discouraged! Once the claws come out, then it’s business time, and somebody’s going to come out bleeding. I recently spotted my cats, Murphy and Zeki, playfully wrestling in a hallway, so I recorded them. Cats will happily play-fight with both big and small dogs and each other, but they only use teeth, and rarely bite hard enough to draw blood. Your cat may need to act out their aggression by picking fights with their brothers and sisters or by causing a fight with a strange cat. Hi all, I posted about a week and a half ago about my adult cat (Leo, 5) and kitten Pepper (10 weeks). Play fighting is therefore considered to be a way of relieving boredom and letting out excess energy. Cats that are engaged in a real fight will have their hair standing on end. It’s something that benefits cats, starting in kittenhood and extending all the way through the geriatric years. Thank you! But what about everything in between kitten play and a major cat fight? Kittens learn a lot about proper social behavior by rough playing. Few people would confuse the middle-of-the-night growling and screaming of two cats outdoors as being involved in a major cat fight. Playing or Fighting? If you live with more than one cat, hopefully, they have a good relationship and spend time playing together. When cats play, rather, they do bite, and it may look aggressive, but those bites do not cause harm to the other cat in any way and do not lead to injury. If a kitten does get too rough with another -- which is indeed possible -- … So we've got an 8 year old cat, Billie, and I recently got a ten week old kitten, Violet. In these situations, cat owners, if observant, may notice other body language clues as well, such as flattened ears, claws extended, piloerection (back of the spine elevated with fur ‘fluffed up’), firm, swift tail swatting (‘mad cat tail’), or confrontational stares (as if the cats are having a ‘stare off’). As mentioned before, play aggression tends to occur more often with singleton kittens, young cats or ones played with too roughly by humans. When you see your two cats on the floor chasing each other and batting with their paws, it can be easy to confuse the good-natured playing, or roughhousing, with actual fighting. Play is practice for fighting, like a self-defense class for cats. As kittens, cats learn from interactions with their littermates. Even when it is not necessarily perceived as problematic, it is quite common to hear cat owners casually comment that ‘my cats fight all the time.’ But are they really ‘fighting’ or are they simply ‘just playing’? Thursday: 8:00am - 6:00pm Don’t expect your cats to wrestle and … Playing entails stalking and sneaking up, pouncing, swatting with claws retracted. Recognising When Your Cats are Play Fighting. Cats who normally have a hostile relationship or cats who are unfamiliar with each other won’t typically engage in play together. Examining the Nature of the Fight. After the “fight”, it’s fairly easy to tell - if your dog is bleeding, then they were fighting. Things have really improved but I was hoping t They change roles frequently. Cats who play fight do not move at a fast pace. Monday: 8:00am - 7:00pm How about in your household? Saturday: 9:00am - 1:00pm In this video I talk about cats playing and how to tell the difference between a cat fight and two cats playing, which can look very similar! If cats have been fighting, they will remain tense, may get injured and will want to evade each other as much as possible to stop another fight from happening. 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