Please decipher! Is this play? Or not quite?

[pinkman]

Hi all.

Now, I don't think Lox and Bagel dislike each other. For sure they are still adjusting to each other (Lox moreso). I wanted to ask for those who have multiple cats - Are the actions shown here play? Or something else?



They both take turns being the instigator. Sometimes one will hang out under the couch for a while, and then the next day the other cat will. I'm thinking what these videos show is that they are just still figuring things out. 

In case for those who are curious. Lox is the tortie - she is a 3 year old spayed girl, and the pointed-longhair is Bagel, who just turned six months old who has been neutered for a month now. Also  Bagel would try to attempt to groom Lox before, but Lox will always tell him no. 

I'd appreciate if someone can cue in regarding their behavior - if this is a successful integration so far.

Thanks.

 

[bluebird gal]

Pinkman .. I am still learning this too having just added a 4mo male kitten to our 17mo male cat household. 

Your videos look like play to me, and I'll be interested to hear others' response too.    Since these two boys are now playing hard at our house, I'm still deciphering whether the sounds I'm hearing are still friendly.  They play rough!  

Beautiful cats you have also

 

 

[ondine]

Yeah, they're playing.  If they get a little rough, you can clap and hiss at them.  This usually tells them they needs to cool it.  Sometimes they get wound up and don't know how to decelerate.

Beautiful kitties!

BTW - I was a little jealous watching that video.  My cats, all rescues, have never played together.  Made me miss that!

 

[ladybutter]

Omg! We're in the same boat!

I watched your videos and it looks exactly like mine. But I think mine is more rough  

I'm also wondering if they're just playing or not. They're still separated most of the time, we just do supervised meetups with them. Half an hour every day.

I also want to  know what others think about  my cats. It's only been 1 and a half weeks since we got our Russian Blue kitten home, they're not hissing or growling just fighting.

Here's a link to my video too, can anyone give an insight?

 

 

[skeletor]

I agree with Ondine! (As always)

My boys "Play" like this too. If there's no sound and no ears back or hissing it's usually play. Sometimes my kitten fusses when my big boy plays with him but he's never actually sounded hurt. I do sometimes break it up if they're being too rough or if one of them is done and the other persists.

 

[lamiatron]

this is PLAY PLAY PLAY

please dont fret. 

my kittens play like that too. and sometimes there is hissing, and one of my cats will howl and meow.

i have Charlie, male, fixed 4mo. old and Jet, female fixed 2 mo. old. They play REALLY rough. They literally LUNGE at each other. I get scared and try to seperate them but once i do, whoever i pick up and carry away, the other one follows me and tries to set the "hostage" free. lol

Just watch them closely, but let them duke it out. If you feel one of them is getting hurt, intervene and separate them...crate them both for a few mins (not just one, because that makes the crated one feel like you're favoring one cat over the other). Usually after i crate them, they both calm down when i let them out. They both get treats, and they go back to playing.

The hissing and growling is normal. They're not fighting. its ok to let the cats hiss sometimes, because they are letting their play mate know, "hey this is not cool, don't do that". They're establishing boundaries. 

When my little ones play, Jet is always the one to hiss. She'll hiss like 2 out of 10 times that her and Charlie play together (which is A LOT less then when they first met which was 8 out of 10 times), and its good because as soon as she hisses now, Charlie understands that she doesn't want to play any more, and he stops. 

watching the video i swear I thought of Charlie and Jet playing. That's exactly what they do. 

Your kitties are beautiful =)

 

[nbrazil]

Yes - it is PLAY, just like how my bro' and sis' started out. They'll get better at it - kind of clumsy right now, feeling each other out and setting boundaries. But some elements of it will always look like this.... my boy always wants to play, she doesn't... so he will do that pawing at her thing. If she is in the mood she will back off, move her tail back and forth, staring intently at him and all of a sudden just leap into the fray as he wraps his paws around her (her head buried in his tummy) and bunny kicks her head (gently). Yep, just like yours, only more experienced. I laughed when I watched Lox and Bagel - they are learning and playing. Months later now I still hear a hiss every now and then (boy being too enthusiastic so she hisses and runs off), but it is all in good fun. It can get really funny when they both are in the mood and BOTH backed off, moving tails and BOTH leap and the same time meeting in mid air and tumbling across the floor - followed by chase me - tails curled back on both. Thundering zoom. Wait for it, it'll happen.

PLAY, PLAY, PLAY, PLAY, PLAY. Not to worry.

 

[nimlezz]

Lloknlike just play to me..ive seen fights... This isnt one

 

[nocturnal]

I am having issues integrating my kitty with my big cat and this is more or less the way they act...but rougher, I think. There is more chasing around, too, but they do take turns now and there is less growling and hissing. If the OP's cats are playing then I have great hopes for mine! Beautiful kitties, btw.

Does anyone know if it is typical in these situations for the smaller cat to roll on their back and lay down? I've seen it happen with my kitty time and time again.

 

[mservant]

 
.............

Does anyone know if it is typical in these situations for the smaller cat to roll on their back and lay down? I've seen it happen with my kitty time and time again.

I reckon so, it is usually the one that is submitting and walking away from the 'fight' that gives this message.  My current boy's mum would paste him on to his back, pin him down and play-chew on his neck and lock jaws before he'd get let go, jump up and walk off.  If he was being daft he'd then run back in for more but it would always end the same way with him flat on his back and pinned down. 

Carefull with the RB kitty and your lovely ball of fur ladybutter, if your RB is like mine and his mum, they made no sounds at all when they were play fighting, and I doubt if they would even if they were in a serious fight. You might not get the same vocal cues to being hurt, or threatening the other cat, and you have to watch the non verbal cues much more.

I miss watching my girls rough and tumble about the place. 

 

 

[procat]

 
I am having issues integrating my kitty with my big cat and this is more or less the way they act...but rougher, I think. There is more chasing around, too, but they do take turns now and there is less growling and hissing. If the OP's cats are playing then I have great hopes for mine! Beautiful kitties, btw.

Does anyone know if it is typical in these situations for the smaller cat to roll on their back and lay down? I've seen it happen with my kitty time and time again.

Smaller kitty may be showing submission, but more than likely he/she is just inviting play.

I have an only cat ATM and when she goes belly up, I know it's go-time for the Kitty Ball of Doom on my fist.

@pinkman - That's just playing. Fighting cats look puffy, angry and they make a lot of noise.

 

[sneakymom]

Sam (9 months) and Holly (4 years) do this all the time.  Of course their most favorite time to do this is at 4am in OUR ROOM.  Holly will get on her back sometimes, and sometimes Sam will be on his.  Yes both are "fixed" , we actually had Sam fixed at 14 weeks.

It's kind of fun watching them.  Holly wasn't able to play for a while.  Her BFF Jasper would, he got sick and died, and right after we lost Jasper, Sneaky Pie was not doing well healthwise.  Then Holly was an only for while, and I think she got lonesome.

Cheryl

 

[nocturnal]

Thanks for your replies!

My big cat will often roll on her back but if I dare touch her belly she'll come at me all claws and teeth. Seems that I am supposed to admire her belly and nothing more

 

[pinkman]

Awesome, thanks for the reassurance, guys!