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This article was co-written by Ryan Corrigan, LVT, VTS-EVN. Ryan Corrigan is a licensed veterinary technician in California. She received her Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology from Purdue University in 2010. She has also been a Fellow of the Academy’s Veterinary Nursing Technicians since 2011.
There are 8 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 14,608 times.
Playing with each other or pretending to fight is a natural behavior of cats. However, sometimes it can be difficult to tell if the cat is playing or fighting. To determine this, you need to closely observe the cat’s body language and the nature of the fight. Cats will take turns switching places when playing. If cats fight, you can intervene by making a loud noise or placing obstacles between them.
Steps
Observe your cat’s body language
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Hear a growl or hiss. Usually cats will not make much noise when playing. If so, it’s just a meow, not a growl or hiss. [1] X Research Source
- If you hear an incessant growl or hiss, the cat is most likely fighting.
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Observe the cat’s ears. When playing with each other, cats’ ears often point forward or upright, or only slightly backward. On the other hand, if you see a cat’s ears facing back, it is more likely that they are fighting. [2] X Research Source
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Observe cat claws. Most of the time while playing, cats often retract their claws inward, sometimes cats will stretch out their claws but not for the purpose of hurting the opponent. If you see cats using their claws to attack, they are fighting. [3] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source
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Observe biting behavior. When playing, cats rarely bite and do not cause pain to the opponent. However, if you notice a cat biting and causing pain to your partner, they may not be playing, but fighting. [4] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source
- For example, if one of the cats meows in pain and hisses or growls, they are fighting.
- Often when playing, cats will take turns biting each other. If one cat is biting overwhelmingly and the other is trying to run away, they are fighting, not playing.
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Observe the cat’s body posture. When playing, the cat’s body is usually forward, conversely, if the cat is fighting, you will see the cat leaning back while using its paws to hit the opponent. [5] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source
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Observe the cat’s fur. When fighting, the cat will stand upright to make it look bigger. Therefore, if you see hair on the cat’s tail or body, or both, standing up, they are actually fighting, not playing. [6] X Research Sources
Considering the nature of the war
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Roster. When pretending to fight, cats will alternate positions, meaning that both cats will alternate positions above and below. [7] X Research Sources
- When cats chase each other, too, they will alternate chasing instead of always having only one running and one chasing.
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Observe the speed of the battle. When playing fake fighting, the cat will stop and continue many times. This allows them time to rest and swap places. In a real fight, the cat will move at a fast speed and will not stop until one of the two wins. [8] X Research Sources
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Observe the cat’s behavior after the fight. If you’re still not sure if the cat is really playing or fighting, you can observe their behavior after the fight. After a fight, both cats often avoid each other, or at least one will avoid the other. [9] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source
- If only pretending to fight, after the fight, cats will be friendly with each other and show normal behavior, they will even sleep or lie next to each other.
Stop cats from fighting
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Make loud noises. You can slam doors, clap your hands, scream, blow a whistle, or bang pots or other objects together to make a loud noise. Hopefully this noise will startle the cat and stop fighting. [10] X Research Source
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Use a barrier in the middle. Barriers are useful because they help prevent the cat from seeing the opponent. You can use seat cushions, a piece of cardboard, or other objects that can be placed between the two cats so they can’t see each other. Once the fight is over, separate the cat into two separate rooms to calm them down. [11] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source
- Slowly introduce the cats to each other so that they do not become aggressive with each other in the future.
- You should prepare a small barrier between the two cats so that they can get acquainted and interact again without being able to attack each other.
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Do not use your hands to prevent cats from fighting. If you use your hands to separate two cats that are fighting, you will be more likely to be scratched or bitten by them. One or both cats may also jump on your face. [12] X Research Source
- What’s more, one of the cats might see you and turn his anger on you, thereby changing his behavior towards you even after the fight is over.
- If you are bitten by a cat, you need to go to the hospital or medical center as soon as possible. Cat bites are susceptible to strains of pasteurella bacteria and can cause cellulitis. Early treatment is the most effective way to prevent these diseases. [13] X Research Source
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Prevent cats from fighting in the future. You need to make sure the cats don’t have to fight over each other’s stuff. Each cat needs its own litter box, food bowl, bed, sunbathing and toys in different parts of the house. In addition, spaying or neutering also helps cats fight less. [14] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source
- Treat your cat with treats or praise when they interact in a friendly manner.
Advice
- Cats that do not know or have had a hostile relationship before will easily fight.
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This article was co-written by Ryan Corrigan, LVT, VTS-EVN. Ryan Corrigan is a licensed veterinary technician in California. She received her Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology from Purdue University in 2010. She has also been a Fellow of the Academy’s Veterinary Nursing Technicians since 2011.
There are 8 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 14,608 times.
Playing with each other or pretending to fight is a natural behavior of cats. However, sometimes it can be difficult to tell if the cat is playing or fighting. To determine this, you need to closely observe the cat’s body language and the nature of the fight. Cats will take turns switching places when playing. If cats fight, you can intervene by making a loud noise or placing obstacles between them.
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