How To Tell If Cats Are Play Fighting

Sometimes information technology can exist hard to tell if our purrfect pets are furry friends, or tearing foes!

From playful tumbles to play-fights, our cute kitties often pretend to be enemies and mock fight. This is completely normal cat behaviour and helps our pets to bond, set boundaries and get to know each other!

But, if your kitties seem a picayune too aggressive, it may be time to check if they're playing or fighting. Equally cats with a real disagreement could cause one some other harm or stress, information technology's important to recognise the signs of a real cat-fight, and help them to go along!

TIPS TO TELL IF YOUR CATS ARE PLAYING OR FIGHTING

Watch their body linguistic communication

While our kitties can't directly tell us when they're fighting, you tin can learn a lot from their body language!

The next time your pets are scrapping, watch them closely. Cats who are just playing and 'mock' fighting will oft have their bodies positioned forward towards each other.

However, cats who are ready to fight may wait defensive, volition lean away from each other, and puff out their fur in order to look larger with their spine curved and legs raised to seem taller.

See if they're taking turns

Playful kitties are happy to share and take turns! Chasing can be a common sign of both play and fighting, so if your pets seem to be running circles around yous, sentinel to run across if i cat in particular, is e'er 'the chaser' or is always more aggressive. This could exist a sign of fighting rather than friendly play.

Wait out for biting

Sometimes a minor nibble can be a sign of playful over excitement! Only if your kitties seem to bite a lot, are causing harm - or if one cat is always the one doing the bitter, they are probably fighting. Bitter should exist minimal betwixt playful cats, then watch out for any teeth!

Heed for loud kitties!

Are your cats very vocal? Are they hissing, growling, 'screaming' and shrieking at each other? While a small amount of dissonance is to be expected from playful pets, very loud interactions are an indicator of a fight. Intimidating noises are common between disagreeing kitties, so heed out for vocal pets - specially if one true cat yelps in hurting.

Bank check for claws

While your pets may scratch and claw on their scratching post, happy cats shouldn't claw at each other. Fighting cats will frequently have their claws out, set to swipe or defend themselves - different playful kitties who more oftentimes have their claws retracted.

Look at ears and optics

Ears and optics are other key body language indicators that tin can tell yous if your cats are happy or not!

Happy, playful cats volition often take their ears forwards, upright or slightly dorsum. Still, fighting kitties may have their ears turned back, oft against their head. Aggressive kitties will often also stare at each other intensely, ready to jump into a scrap!

Bank check for injuries and stress

Playful, friendly cats shouldn't cause any injuries to each other - and adventitious injuries between hirsuite friends are rare. So if your pets are causing harm to one some other, or leaving each other shaken, nervous and tense later on interacting, you probable take fighting kitties!

WHAT TO Practise IF YOUR KITTIES ARE FIGHTING

Having unhappy cats who don't become forth tin can be tough! If you lot detect that your pets are doing more than playing, it'south important to try to break upward the scrap as soon as possible. Never physically intervene hither, as y'all or your pets may exist hurt. Instead, make a sudden loud noise such every bit a clap, or piece of work to identify a barrier betwixt disagreeing pets. Read more in our skilful Q&A on how to spot and relieve tension between your cats.

If your cats seem to be fighting a lot,try to assess why this might be, and remove whatever causes of stress or disharmonize that could be impacting them. UsingFELIWAYOPTIMUM can also help to restore harmony, and reduce tension and fighting betwixt cats. Plugged into the room where your cats spend the near time, you can create a calm, happy and peaceful kitty environment!

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