Sometimes is hard to tell if cats are playing of fighting, but there are signs that will help you to tell the difference. This video goes over some of those signs.
Thank you for clarifying the signs of a real fight. Although my male cat is a bully as he usually chases her after. My much smaller female almost always starts the fight by circling him and jumping on him. Bad kitties 😮❤😊
Thanks for the clarification, didn't know that about showing the belly being a sign of trust instead of submission, that's so cute! I just got a kitten 2 weeks ago and I thought that it was playing what they were doing but just wanted to be 100% sure so they wouldn't get hurt because they just started doing it a few days ago. I was pretty certain they weren't though given the fact that the older male grooms the new little girl and they sleep next to each other and everything already.
I love how you used your own footage of your own cats with expert editing to demonstrate the various points you so deftly elucidate. Thank you for this excellent content.
We have 7 cats & want as many as possible to coexist. Back in the day, indoor / outdoor cats adapted well. But mixing all age ferals & tames is beyond my experience. Knowing when things are too far & how & how to facilitate harmony would be wonderful!
Thank you! I was JUST wondering this. I ended up getting a kitten back in July and I wondered if she and my senior cat were playing or not. I am SO happy that now I know it's play mixed in with some annoyance. Purr-fect timing of this video!
Thanks very much for this info. I will have to slow myself down a bit before I decide one of my kids is being aggressive. It’s easy to tell when the two boys are playing, but it appears to be real when they decide to chase their much smaller sister. They are litter mates who grew up together and they were fine for five years. They are now 7. Looking forward to learning more about bullying. Thank you for another great video!😸
Great info. Thank you. I’m relieved to hear you’ll be doing a bullying video soon. We’re seeing some of that now that our rescue kittens have attained full growth. They (brother/sister) sometimes bully our older female rescue kitty who usually runs away and hides under the bed. We’re concerned. I think it’s the younger female trying to take the Alpha role, but it’s only a guess.
Thanks for your comment, Cyn. It is really hard to tell what is happening. Sometimes I wish we all had a cat behaviorist on call to help interpret these problems and suggest solutions.
We have four cats. (All rescues.) One of our cats (the only male and he is neutered) loves to play chase. (He was found in a parking lot when he was four weeks old, so he never learned all of his cat manners before losing his mom.) Two of the other cats will play chase with him. We know it's a game because he will start chasing one, and then she turns it around and chases him, and back and forth they go. One of our cats is part Siamese, which means she's very vocal. She was the runt of the litter, but is the absolute boss of the other cats. When they play chase, it's a game and then it's not. She will hiss at him, and he will back off suddenly and act confused. Like "I thought we were playing and now you're mad? What happened?" There are other times when one cat is bullying another. When that happens, we walk by them and that breaks up the energy and they forget about the bullying. The one cat that doesn't like playing chase with our boy does love to play fight with him though. 🐈🐈⬛
Really great information. Thanks for taking the time to observe, analyze and comment. Would love hearing more about your introduction to cats and what drives you to make all these videos about our feline friends. Thanks, D
Just got a kitten, 8 weeks old and my older cat, 7 years old, walked around with a puffed up tail for days. I couldn’t tell if they were fighting or playing and usually they chase each other afterwards, so I wasn’t sure. They are getting along for the most part, but my big guy still hisses at her when she gets too close and he’s trying to sleep. (But will lay down next to her when she’s sleep) Great video!!!
I was worried my cats were fighting so this video put my mind at ease however they do chase each other back and forth? One chases and they turn around and the other chases. Is this playing or something more serious? I really like the video thank you
So my cats gallop around the house after each other. They take turns with who is chasing but you said chasing was a sign of bullying. Does them taking turns chasing mean it is play or is it something I should discourage? They seem to enjoy it like zoomies times two but just wanted to check.
Chasing can be a sign of bullying, but it can also be play. If they are changing roles between chasing and being chased, they are playing. If they confront each other and then one consistently chases the other, it could be bullying.
I have 3 kittens, 9 weeks old, same litter when the play/ fight the bite each other and make a cry /mew sound.. I can't tell if its real or play.. They chase each other then ponce and tackle. Not sure if i should separate them or let the continue
Let them continue. Kittens are still learning boundaries and are being socialized by each other. If one acts too rough, the others stop playing, and kittens love to play. If one of them starts showing signs of bullying like hiding, not eating when the others are around or refusing to play at all, then you need to step in.
