Not only does knowing the cues in a rabbit’s behavior help to prevent a potentially negative situation but preparing is … General rule of thumb is if your cats are fighting, you'll know. Me and my sister have kittens they are about 8-10 weeks old, 10 weeks at most so they’re about the same age. Are my cats playing or fighting? “Are my cats playing or fighting?” This is a common question asked by cat owners. Hissing isn't always an indication of a fight. Video. 10. It is important to know the cues in order to prevent injury to both rabbits. When my cats play they barely even meow at each other. Growling is rare, but hissing is fairly common when they wrestle. This article has been viewed 228,617 times. The two cats that we have had get along so well, they love to play and cuddle. I'm basically trying to figure out if these 2 can nicely co-exist. If the relationship is good and they are friendly with each other, they may play/fight especially if they are young. As long as they cuddle and sleep together, they are friends. They have sniffed noses a few times, he has swiped her a few times, all during supervised visits as my older cat seems nervous about the new addition. Active aggression (fighting) will occur if the cat feels threatened, avoidance prospects and escape are limited or absent. We use cookies to make the site easier to use. Hi y'all. Also the black and white one was kind of looking for help in the beginning. We've been following Jackson's introduction video as our general guide for about a month. Associated Applied Animal Behaviorist Katenna Jones says that sound is a good way to tell if cats are playing or fighting. However, whenever we let them in the same room they always get on top of each other. They'd never do that if they were truly feeling threatened and in a fight. Understanding the true body language of cats goes a long way toward knowing when cats are playing and when they are fighting." Overt fighting can cause injury, incapacity of hunting, and even death. They are around 1yo and 7months old. Hi, this is a video on my 1 year 2 month old cat and 7 month old cat. Vote. Saying 'hey you're playing too rough and I don't like that'. These signs are consistent with fight aggression in cats, not play aggression. I’ve got a brother and sister who wrestle but he can get aggressive if she comes near him while he’s playing with his favorite toy or sometimes food. He''s playing. One of the most common instances where pet owners can be confused about whether cats are playing or fighting is the introduction of a new cat or kitten to the home. Your cats might also "play bite" without causing injury. Worst case, I hear some yelps. Close. We brought home in the new cat last week and they are already good with each other. If your cats could speak instead, they'd be yelling "fuck off! She’s younger so of course she wanted one too, my mom got her one and she got a kitten the next day. Fighting cats avoid each other after the end of the fight. 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. 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. I think the answer to this question can be found in the relationship between the cats. When they're not wrestling/chasing each other, they sleep close to each other and switch back and forth between eating each others' food. THEY are fighting! Smokey is a 8 year old male Maine Coon who is an only cat. How to Make Cats Like Each Other. Just wondering if they are playing or fighting, we are sometimes worried the older one is bullying the younger one because the younger one (half siamese/half tabby) hisses and "barks" during this. Nothing too malicious? Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. True cat fights are lots of noise and then some mad-dash spitting and clawing. I have a 2month cat and a one year cat. 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. I figured as much, but I have never had cats before, so I really don't know much about their behavior yet. I got my kitten BEFORE my sister got hers. Are my cats playing or fighting? My wife and I got a new cat for the resident cat. In a nutshell, if these cues are not observed, if the interaction is relatively quiet (little to no growling or hissing), and if the cats seem to take turns as to who is the aggressor, then it is likely ‘play’. It can get quite rough and I discourage it. When they're not playing/rough housing, they are perfectly fine. Hiya, you might have seen my thread earlier this week about our two new rescue cats Lila and Mia. Nothing to be concerned about. It stresses me out seeing how they fight. Wow, thank you so much for that analysis! Are my cats playing or fighting? Also the tail switching and ears back. the way i'm able to tell the version in playing and combating is that in the event that they are combating, they're going to truly growl and make a fuss. I''m kind of hoping it turns completely silent soon. I'm guessing they do need more time to sort things out as well. Certain cats resort to fighting for a variety of reasons. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. He used to be a stray, and one day he got into a very nasty fight with another animal. Should I be worried? Another good rule, if they're looking around during the "fight", it isn't really a fight. Huh, okay. We took him to the vet, and my mom decided to take him in so she had him neutered. Your cats are definitely not fighting. Another good rule, if they're looking around during the "fight", it isn't really a fight. How can you tell? This will be ‘play’ because for a cat playing is fighting. You should check it out. Too far!" Thanks for your input. There are a few general guidelines to help you when trying to evaluate whether your cats are playing or fighting: Play between cats can often look a bit more aggressive than we’d expect. That’s my read. Thanks! If there's growling, it's most likely not." Trying to mend a bad relationship between cats takes time, space, and a whole lot of patience. She seems to be warming up to it. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. when they hiss... Just imagine they're rowdy Scottish men, so it's not a fighting insult, it's more of just how they are. Even between kittens, playtime can look a bit rough. To determine if they are playing or fighting, observe their body language closely. What do you do if your cats are fighting? The best answer I found was that playing is quiet and fighting is loud. Fighting or Playing? I think they’re still learning about each others’ thresholds as well. Play aggression or mock fighting is a normal part of cat behavior. If you’re concerned, look up videos of legitimate cat fights with real violence. We haven't seen them using claws nor have they injured eachother. I'm so confused :(. While playing and fighting in rabbits look very similar, they are completely different behaviors. 1 yr old) the other two are 2 years old, one is male, and the other is female. we have 3 cats, we just adopted a young male cat (approx. The first one is a Maine Coon mix named Smokey, and the other is a tabby named Twinkie. Note that the darker one (with no white) was hissing a bit at one point. There are no dumb questions, except the ones asking for medical advice which is prohibited. However, playing cats are friendly to one another. When cats play fight, there will be no injuries (unless accidental) and at they will get on with their business. Pictures, videos, articles and questions featuring and about cats. Press J to jump to the feed. Vet Info assures that yes, cats do play fight, and for good reasons! Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. Are my cats playing or fighting? They don't hiss at eachother. Look at the ears, mostly they are erect and forward. Stopping The Fight Notice in your video how often they break eye contact? I guess an important note here is that I've had Autumn for about 3 months and Winter for about half that time, so these are fairly new cats. Thanks for your input! All the cats are neutered the 3 were done when they were kittens and the stray was done about 1 month ago. I'll find them sleeping super close to each other on my bed, and they both only sleep together on my bed with me during the night (they don't sleep separately during the night). Are they generally content otherwise? Some dominance stuff, but there almost always is. The following tips can also be helpful when introducing a new cat into the household. When my older cat does this to her she doesnt meow or hiss or anything, she kicks back a little and paws at my older cat. Posted by just now. (video included)? They don't quite cuddle, just sleep close. On the other hand, if your cats never spend time with each other and always seem to get out of each other’s way, then it would be surprising that they become best playing … Once she is free though she runs off, only soon to come back and pounce on my older cat. My two play fight all the time, and then snuggle up together squished into one cat bed. Press J to jump to the feed. Have nicknamed them Patches and Stripey, for ease of reference. My wife and I got a new cat for the resident cat. I’ve never seen a real cat fight (I should probably try to find one on YouTube). How long have they been together? How does it go at feeding time? 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