Are these cats fighting or playing?

vince

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The big thing is, is it episodic? Do they stop periodically, typically giving the other a chance to be the aggressor? Your cats are doing everything right, despite the appearance that the orange one is at a decided advantage.
 
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Kellynorrrris

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The big thing is, is it episodic? Do they stop periodically, typically giving the other a chance to be the aggressor? Your cats are doing everything right, despite the appearance that the orange one is at a decided advantage.
It is always the orange cat “on top”, although the young one will get brave and deliver the first swat or pounce occasionally. But I think bc of his size, orange cat always ends up being in the more dominant position. The young cat often falls to his side or back and kicks his feet out to grab orange cat.
 

MoonstoneWolf

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How are they after? My cats get into real fight stance, make real fight sounds and tear each other up but 2 minutes later are laying there groom each other, sharing food with each other and sleeping together. Treasure is always the aggressor in play but he and Sopdet still are best of friends.
 
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Kellynorrrris

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How are they after? My cats get into real fight stance, make real fight sounds and tear each other up but 2 minutes later are laying there groom each other, sharing food with each other and sleeping together.
We are definitely not there with these two. I’ve had the black cat only two weeks so I’m not sure how long those friendly behaviors would take to come about. Positives so far I can highlight are that they like to sniff each other and boop noses, sleep on/share the same windowsill, share litter (despite there being 3 boxes 🤦🏼‍♀️), and just generally laze around nearby each other on the floor throughout the day. And they seem to come back for more of this rough housing. They normally just groom themselves or plop down for a nap after a good session of this.
They don’t share food because I meal feed them separately due to different diets. Haven’t caught them sleeping together..yet. Definitely not grooming each other at this point either.
 

pearl99

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I think they are totally playing too. Noise is part of it.
My Mooshoo will even fuzz up her tail when she's playing with her toys, she rassles them and has hissed at them too! Orange looks to be really into the play and all jazzed up and fuzzing his tail from that. Two of mine will pin ears back in play also. I read a comment in some thread on here the other day that said something like "ears pinned in play- they are getting their ears out of the way from the play swipes."
The fact that Black kitty doesn't run away is telling that it is play. In the corner video when Orange went to the left Black kitty totally had a chance to scram out of there but didn't at all.
And when Orange kitty walked away in the third video, Black kitty just relaxes and grooms her leg. And looks around.
I think likely too Orange is so big and Black small that they automatically do those positions. And Black on her side has 5 weapons ready- 4 paws with claws and teeth! It's a very effective position. Not automatically submissive.
And also I think Black kitty's yelp is from big old Orange on her belly- "ouch!" Like when kids are playing wrestle- "hey too far!" No damage done.
It's hard to listen to the sounds and see all the aggressive signs- but that's how cats are with play. It's really fun to watch them once you get used to it!
 
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Kellynorrrris

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I think they are totally playing too. Noise is part of it.
My Mooshoo will even fuzz up her tail when she's playing with her toys, she rassles them and has hissed at them too! Orange looks to be really into the play and all jazzed up and fuzzing his tail from that. Two of mine will pin ears back in play also. I read a comment in some thread on here the other day that said something like "ears pinned in play- they are getting their ears out of the way from the play swipes."
The fact that Black kitty doesn't run away is telling that it is play. In the corner video when Orange went to the left Black kitty totally had a chance to scram out of there but didn't at all.
And when Orange kitty walked away in the third video, Black kitty just relaxes and grooms her leg. And looks around.
I think likely too Orange is so big and Black small that they automatically do those positions. And Black on her side has 5 weapons ready- 4 paws with claws and teeth! It's a very effective position. Not automatically submissive.
And also I think Black kitty's yelp is from big old Orange on her belly- "ouch!" Like when kids are playing wrestle- "hey too far!" No damage done.
It's hard to listen to the sounds and see all the aggressive signs- but that's how cats are with play. It's really fun to watch them once you get used to it!
Thank you for watching and for your insight! Now to have 6 people confirm this is play, I have a different perspective while watching them do this. I still cringe and am getting used to it- but I totally see now how they are buddies, brothers, and just rough housing as brothers do. They’re also learning each other’s boundaries with the playing and respecting those boundaries better. Like one user commented, they’re different, both clearly in size 😂 and age/energy level so they are just figuring out how to play together without going overboard, I see that now. They’ve been getting more and more close, sleeping on the couch together and staring down birds at the door together. They’re totally bonding and I love it. As other users have said nobody is holding a grudge and they keep coming back for more, and are increasingly doing friendly things in between the rough play. I feel so much better about it. Thank you!
 

danteshuman

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I agree with everyone else! It is play & the orange kitty is being extremely polite about it. Jackie & Nick look like they are almost fighting when they play. What I have noticed is one cat taps the other. Then that other cat taps back ......, then the wrestling begins! Also ussually the younger kitten/teenage cat is bugging the older one but that doesn’t seem mind at all. I think they will remain close friends for life.
Fight beginning sequence (Nick is the black panther & Jackie grey & white):
DE9591B9-80EF-408C-BA9E-F2B95C62DC81.jpeg F73DCB80-FC14-4B98-BC09-77C2CDEC7AB9.jpeg F73DCB80-FC14-4B98-BC09-77C2CDEC7AB9.jpeg 203AEF4C-9379-4A32-97C1-E14C2A2F4F79.jpeg

the brothers play fighting almost in my lap:
9D5D8B69-CD6B-41C1-912E-A731E5D404EB.jpeg
the boys hanging out together. They will sleep together & groom each other.
F324A15E-1262-4164-9D5C-31436EED8A7F.jpeg
D8553CF3-24A2-4363-80E4-E099FA310D16.jpeg
 

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pearl99

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Thank you for watching and for your insight! Now to have 6 people confirm this is play, I have a different perspective while watching them do this. I still cringe and am getting used to it- but I totally see now how they are buddies, brothers, and just rough housing as brothers do. They’re also learning each other’s boundaries with the playing and respecting those boundaries better. Like one user commented, they’re different, both clearly in size 😂 and age/energy level so they are just figuring out how to play together without going overboard, I see that now. They’ve been getting more and more close, sleeping on the couch together and staring down birds at the door together. They’re totally bonding and I love it. As other users have said nobody is holding a grudge and they keep coming back for more, and are increasingly doing friendly things in between the rough play. I feel so much better about it. Thank you!
When I hear my cats playing rough and the sounds, it reminds me of scary movies and the way cats are portrayed and all the sounds, and as a kid scary halloween cats portrayed, and their sounds and body postures are frightening looking! I think it's ingrained in us humans, and the cats are like "whaaaa.....what's YOUR problem? We're having fun!" :flail:
 

everariana

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I agree with everyone else, it’s 100% play. My cats are siblings and they fight even more rough than this sometimes, it’s pretty hilarious lol! When I first adopted them, I was concerned at first because the brother was bigger than the sister and would sometimes over power her. There was a lot of meows and yelling from both of them as they gradually learned what was crossing the boundary and becoming too rough. But after a while they learned how to play rough without being TOO rough, and they almost never meow or yelp anymore. And now the sister knows how to hold her own and is never over powered anymore!
 
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