Greetings cat owners! I see a lot of posts on here asking about if cats are playing or fighting, and as a long-term owner I thought I might share a few insights.
Points on Play:
Entertainment: Like most mammals, cats need physical and mental stimulation. Playing with each other satisfies this requirement and allows your kitties to burn off some energy. This is why it's also important for owners to play with their cats as well.
Murder Training: Cats are obligate carnivores and hunt instinctively. Play between cats is often employed to hone these skills.
How to Cat: Play between cats helps establish boundaries and acceptable behavior. This is particularly true between an older cat and a kitten: in the wild, such play between an adult and a kitten is a way of training the kitten in social behavior. Learning the difference between a gentle warning bite versus an over aggressive attacking bite.
Is It Play?
Cat play can get pretty boisterous, and to the untrained eye, can easily look like fighting. How can you tell the difference? The biggest key is Body Language
Prick up Your Ears: Cats that feel comfortable around each other will keep their ears upright. Cats who are feeling either threatened or aggressive will lay their ears back flat against their skulls. It's a very clear warning sign.
Tell Me What You Really Think: Cats will make all sorts of noises while they are playing. Generally speaking, these are nothing to worry about. But if you hear pronounced yowling or screaming, combined with other aggressive signs, then they may have crossed the line.
Belly! Belly! Belly!: This is a big one. A cat's underbelly is the most vulnerable part of its body, which means that rolling over and showing it demonstrates comfort and trust. When cats are truly fighting, one or both will try grasp each other face to face to dig their back claws into the other's belly. Also why rubbing a cat's tummy is generally no Bueno.
POOF: Tail or body fur all poofed out? Back off! Cats will fluff up their body hair to make themselves appear bigger when they feel threatened, usually accompanied by the typical low long growl / hissing that is also an unmistakable warning sign. If this isn't happening, the cats are probably fine.
Also: tails up and smooth - happy cat. Tail down or lashing about - danger, Will Robinson!
Obviously, cat owners should monitor the behavior of their charges. Owners should make play a regular part of a cat's routine, which will also help burn off energy and reduce any overly aggressive behaviors.
TL; DR
Play= Ears up, showing belly; fur down; no hissing or yowling; claws in.
Fighting = Ears back, poofed tail; tail down / lashing; prolonged growl / hissing; claws out and going for the belly.
So, these are Pirata (gray one, male, 9 months) and Sol (orange, female, 7 months old). Pirata was here first, and we started introducing Sol slowly like a month ago (we found her near the trash, poor thing) and at first, it was her who hissed at him and was quite nasty, and he was calmer but curious. Fast forward some weeks, we let them roam the house for free and the seem to get along very well, I truly think they are playing because there is no hissing and no nails out, but just to check. They sleep together at night and they seem to like being near echother so.
Just to add, Pirata is missing an eye and the poor boy has to go to the vet a lot, because everything happens to him 🫠
i rent a room, taking on a baby cat was unexpected but she was in 100 degree heat. symere keeps meowing and chittering at the cat and meowing under the bed. she keeps hissing
I'd love to get your opinion on whether this looks like normal play or if my older cat is being too rough with my younger kitten.
Both cats are neutered males. The older one is 8 months old, and the younger one is approximately 5 to 6 months old. We found the younger kitten as a stray, and he has been with us for almost a month now.
Right now they are only together under supervision. Most of the time they chase and wrestle, but I keep a close eye on them.
What worries me is that it often feels very one-sided. The older cat is usually the one chasing the kitten, pestering him, and initiating the interactions. Sometimes the kitten joins in, but other times it seems like he just wants to get away. If I hear hissing, or if the older cat corners the kitten and doesn't let him escape, I separate them immediately.
I'm struggling to tell whether this is just rough play, play aggression, or if the older cat is starting to bully the kitten.
I've attached a video. Based on what you see, does this look like normal behavior for two neutered male cats who have only been living together for about a month, or should I be intervening more often? Any advice on what body language or warning signs I should be looking for would be greatly appreciated.
Every night, without fail, if there isn't leftover food in his bowl, Dante (5 yrs old) will wake me up between 1am-5am by pulling books off the shelf, scratching at my TV screen, or just straight up rifling through anything he can get his paws on.
I am the culprit of this, ever since he was younger i indulged this behavior because i couldn't sleep and he wouldn't stop until i did. So this is a behavior well ingrained in his brain.
If i try to ignore it, 1) i cant sleep because of the noise (he will go for my face if i don't react) and 2) my stuff is ruined (he has scratched up books, knocked things over- breaking them, etc). I cover up everything before bed (my room looks like it has a haunting with how everything is covered with sheets), but that doesn't work. It's difficult to shoo him out as he is VERY spicy and hates being touched (trauma from feral kitten years). And also, I'd like to avoid closing the door if possible because i live in a house with other cats who like to come in and snuggle.
We got my new kitten a week ago and my 7 month female usually just watches 3 month female play, every now and then she swats or runs at her, there was hissing and growling the first 2 days but has been none since, my main concern is that my residential kitten is only eating treats at the moment, not giving her anymore to try and get her to eat her normal food again, any advice would be greatly appreciated!
I have two cats, one is calm and 3 years old, and the other is active. My 3-year-old doesn't enjoy playing as much and is rather calm, but the other is excessively active and constantly plays on top of her, obsessively. This causes my older cat stress and injuries because when she wants her own space, the younger one reacts aggressively, and they end up fighting. I want the younger one to learn to respect the older one's space and not approach her. What can I do?
They used to be best friends.
He started attacking her playfully, and she hated it.
Now he has attacked her multiple times with fur flying.
We separated them for a month without contact and reintroduced with the Jackson Galaxy method slowly for a month.
They do fine eating treats near each other but now with supervised play he still just wants to attack her. The thunder shirt prevents him from jumping but otherwise he walks fine.. he low growls, follows her around, tries to sneak up behind her…
We stop him from pouncing, but should we let him? Is it safe to see what happens? She’s obviously pissed and scared so I’d rather not but I’m not sure what the next step is..
We have had the ginger cat (11 years old male) for 5 years. We got the tabby-white cat (1 year old female) 2 weeks ago and have kept them mostly separate - a few intro meetings for a few minutes each time.
The older cat always seems grumpy and hisses while the new cat just seems to want to play. Do I need to keep them separated for longer? I was hoping to open the house up tomorrow and let them figure each other out, and at the same time let new cat out into our garden.
This is our first time with 2 pets and a young cat so any guidance appreciated!
Hey all, this year is my first time owning a kitten and its been an emotional roller-coaster. We picked her up from the shelter as we fell in love with her and shes been great. However she has a habit of scaling our desk chairs and onto our desks, to grab and try and play with cords or monitors. Im looking for advice on kind of getting this behavior out of her as we dont want her on desk tearing things up.
Hello, I am having difficulty getting my two cats to get along. I got my 3yr black one (springer), 4 months ago, and 2yr tabby, (Cheesecake), two weeks ago. The shelter people told me cheesecake, could get along with other cats, and had a few homes with more than one, so I decided to separate them by a door in my apartment for a week. He kept escaping out the door every time I opened it, and kept meeting springer way too early. After one week, I had a friend come over, so we could supervise a proper "playdate", and I don't think they're too fond of each other. Cheesecake gets up at random times, and chases the other one, but springer runs and hides instead of fighting back. The orange one is a bit of a glutton, because he'll eat the black one's food, pushing him away from his food bowl, and finishes his own food. The vet said he needs two cans per day, which I have been giving him, or else he'll be too skinny. Yesterday, they got into a fight, and the orange one had his claws out, and the black one is avoiding him by retreating to his cat tree. The only times they get near each other is when I have them share a churu, because my vet suggested if they get fed treats at the same time, they're less likely to see each other as enemies. I'll be introducing them again, but at a much slower rate this time. I've been talking to a few more people who have agreed to take the orange into their care, because sending him back to the shelter is more stressful for him in the long run, since he's not settling in one secure spot. Advice on pet transfer ownership would be greatly appreciated!
I recently moved home with my mother she has two cats and i have two cats. We read all about cat introductions. We currently have them seperated. Her cats have the house, my cats in a room. Struggling to introduce the scents to each other, her cats absolute refuse to acknowledge that side of the house. They are very fearful in nature even before this situation. After 3 days we swapped them out for a few hours so they could get the scent. That set her cats back majorly, they are incredibly skiddish now. We've been trying to feed them near the door (even at a huge distance) and they've just been on a hunger strike. My cats have adapted pretty well and really want to come out. We talked about going ahead and doing the screen door to split the house in half that way they are forced to confront their presence but not sure if thats a big mistake or not. Thats why I'm here. Im open to literally any advice. I feel so bad about my cats being stuck in a room for so long by themselves. A little on my cats personalities (if its relevant) I have a senior cat who cannot be bothered with anything. She just doesnt respond to other cats hissing at her like she has no worries. Too old for that i guess lol. My other cat is very friendly and confident with people. Very fearful of other cats and she is reactive and when she gets scared and can't differentiate what she is scared of. She will lash at anything that comes too close. Its only been a week and a half but it feels like we are going nowhere. Any advice please.
Hello cat lovers! My cat Pudding keeps pooping right next to our back door. I keep the litter tray in a small quiet room by the back door (where we keep coats and shoes).
I’ve had her for almost 2 years and she will go through phases where she always uses the tray and then every now and then she will only poop (sometimes wee) right in the corner next to the door.
I can’t work out why? Is this territorial? The tray is always clean, it’s a large open metal tray, the room is quiet. Also to note she will only do it if no one is around, if there are people downstairs she will always use her tray. Any advise would be appreciated 🫶🏼
I would love to get a cat but every two or three weeks I go back home via train (2 hours ride).
Did anyone where in similiar position? Was training succesful? If so what and how long did it took?
I've never had a cat but from what I heard from people at some point in their live they can do full 180° and don't give a fuck abut what I tell them to do. Is it true??
Other things that I would to love to teach them: sit, roll over, reliable call back, walk pn leash or sit on my shoulders when we take a walk etc. But it wouldn't be a big deal if we don't succes with it. Trains are most important since without it I won't be able to see my family.
Also I have other stupid question. Are there any cat breeds that are more suitetd for people with allergies?
Since I have more experience with dogs I would be gratefull if you share with me any information that are worth taking into account before adopting a kitten.
Kitten (K) and resident cat (RC) have never been seperated, because RC tolerated K within a day. I’m talking full observation mode in a loaf position as long as K was far enough. They were under strict supervision until they started playing together. That took a week.
Now, where I am a bit confused is when to seperate them. RC is used to play rough and K can be very dramatic (meowing for being held for one second too long for exemple). K initiates every single play with so much enthusiast and when being chased, her tail is doing that upside down U showing she is enjoying it. She doesn’t hide from RC, sits next to her all the time and they mutually groom each other.
RC favorite attack move is the pin down and bite (does it to every cats she plays with). I can’t tell when she actually does it too hard because K meows regardless of how tough RC is. I seperate them when it looks too much, then K goes right back at RC to literally ask for more. I have a feeling RC is unaware of how fragile K is.
I have grown more concerned, because I caught RC throwing some bunny kicks. K does it too occasionally, but she is so much smaller it doesn’t do anything.
I attached a video of RC letting K play on her VS when RC is also active. I intervened at the end of the video, hence why they split in different directions. Should I be concerned?
Hi all, I’m in need of some advice. My girlfriend and I recently moved into a new house. We brought along our cat, Dinga, and we also took in her late grandfathers two cats, Pacco and Moche. Dinga is significantly older than Pacco and Moche, she is 18 and I can’t remember how old the others are. Dinga doesn’t get along with either of them but won’t attack if that makes sense? She just growls and hisses sometimes. They don’t really have a problem with her, sometimes they approach to interact with her and aren’t really phased by her hissing or growls… It seems like one sided beef. Has anyone experienced anything similar? All advice is appreciated!
My partner and I have a resident cat who we got since she was like 3 months old or so. (Found in trash and took her in)
After a while we noticed her constantly crying at us and scratching the wallpaper. Mostly the meowing bothered us coz' we felt she was lonely. We both work and my partner works from home but is busy so can't give her attention all the time.
So we decided to adopt a friend for her (also help out cats that were being displaced from construction)
The new cat, Sarang (사랑), is EXTREMELY timid, and seemingly absolutely terrified of us. She doesnt seem too scared of Lily(resident cat) though lily hisses at her. But...when one of us walk anywhere in the same vicinity as her she cowers. We dont try and approach her or pet her. We give her space to roam and be alone if she wants. But we are worried she isn't going to warm up to us and she won't try to play with lily.
What can we do to help her to warm up to us and be comfortable being in the open while we are around?
My cat Samson is approximately 8 months old. My partner and I got him from a rescue agency 3 months ago, when he was 5 months old. He was very skittish at first but opened up fairly quickly. I think by a week or two in, he was already cuddling with us and whatnot. Anyways, on the third night we had him, he peed on our couch. It was kind of strange, but I chalked it up to him still being a kitten and being stressed over the major life change of being adopted by us and whatnot. But I had put pee pads down on the couch, and the day after, he did it again, and it was bloody, so I immediately took him to the vets, who said he had a UTI most likely from stress. He got antibiotics, but the peeing didn’t stop. It wasn’t bloody anymore, but every other day to every three days he would pee on the couch. Now, mind you, he was still using his litter box 99% of the time. We’ve tried every anti-pee / marking spray, but it seemed like every so often he would just still go do it.
For a while, we had actually thought it stopped and stopped the pee pads - well then he peed on the couch again. I’ve cleaned the couch so many times, and I could not get the smell out, and the couch was second-hand from my grandparents and was nearly 20 years old anyway. So we decided we would get a new couch, thinking maybe part of the reason he was still peeing there was that his scent was stuck in it. So we got the new couch, but I did not trust him, so again we covered it in pee pads when not sitting on it, and again he started peeing on them once two days ago and once today. The pee is completely normal, no blood, no unusual odor, so I don’t think it’s a UTI.
I am just lost on how to fix this problem. He has 3 litter boxes (one in the basement, one on the main level, and one on the second level); he still uses them all almost daily, and they are cleaned at least every other day. He is fixed. He has 24/7 access to dry food and water; he refuses wet food, but he gets chicken broth and freeze-dried chicken hearts or liver at least every other day. He has multiple beds, a cat tree, lots of toys; we even got those cat pheromone plug-ins- I just don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. I don’t think it’s a litter because he still uses the litter boxes most of the time, and I don’t think he’s stressed; he acts happy, plays, cuddles, all of that, and he’s never even been alone for more than like 6 hours at a time. He lives a great life; he’s lowkey super spoiled lol.
So why does this keep happening? Anyone have any advice on how to stop this? I love him so much; he’s my baby, and I would never in a million years re-home or surrender him unless that was what was best for him, but I’m worried he’s not happy here sometimes or that we are doing something wrong.
partners cat for the last 5 weeks (almost 6). We're making some progress, but struggling at letting them physically interact. They can eat around eachother. eat treats side by side - but the issue lies in letting them really interact. This happened a few days ago, my partners cat (verv timid, does not like sudden movemnt or being directly approached, but also a bit of a dick) came over without hesitation for treats. and i was feeding them side by side with ease. My cat (doesn't understand social cues well. bad with boundaries and also a bit of a dick) started off great, waiting her turn keeping most of her focus on me. When resident cat walked away, he was only a arm length away grooming himself. My cat decided to approach and this time, I decided to sit and see how it went. Normally I divert her But when she approached (she always approaches toc boldly) it sent my partners cat right into fight mode -which in turn, sent my cat into fight mode there was a little fur flying. His cat ran away, my cat tried to chase, I was able to grab her and put her back in her room. She way puffy, but not hissing, or growling, didn't put up a fight when I grabbed her. She seemed more confused about what just happened. If you saw my previous posts, I was discussing my cat lunging at the screen - which she's gotten much better at not doing and seems to be slowly learning that doing that doesn't help. I think a lot of it at this point is she wants to interact and play with him, but he's taking a lot of her approaches as threatening and it's harder to get him to interact with her because of his temperament. She also doesn't help by not trying to approach him with more hesitation (she's been that wav since she was a kitten). If anyone has some advice. Would love to hear it. I've been involving treats, play, site swapping etc.
He is 5 years old and is neutered. When the CDS gave him to me 2 years ago, he was a stray/feral.
He’s indoor/outdoor and I’m transitioning to indoor only. His litter box refusal has been going on for months, ever since I scrubbed out his box
he has 2 litter boxes. One covered and one uncovered
he’ll sniff at the litter and even paw at it
been to the vet and everything is fine
I’ve re cleaned the one litter box with unscented soap
tried all kinds of litter. Currently using Dr Elsey’s Cat Attract
put dirt on top of the litter
edit: followed him outside to where he peed and pooped (hasn’t done it since this morning). I brought a glove and carried the poop and leaves inside and buried it in his litter box. I’m officially out of ideas.
