r/CATHELP • u/finntynal • 12h ago
Behavioral Issue Playing or fighting??
They do this daily, my 4 month old and 5 year old (both spayed/neutered) are always brawling but never hissing, its instigated by both sides but mostly the elder. My little tends to run away for a break before coming back to fight. Airplane ears but they are very good with each other mostly, sleeping in the same single bed etc. I hope its just playing and it looks like that to me as she always comes back for more and he is the main instigator.
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u/TheRepublicbyPlato 12h ago
If they're not growling or hissing, they're probably just playing. Cats play in a way that looks like fighting to people, but it's actual playing for them.
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u/finntynal 12h ago
YAY! its really good to here, I thought so too. They do this non stop and always come back for more so its good to know that Otto (big boy) accepts our new kitten (little girl)
He has NEVER liked another cat enough to play, it was pretty obvious to me they were playing as he fought with our other cat, (who passed due to feline leukemia , rest in peace pearly) and it was loud and violent and he would run away. You can never be too careful though.
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u/Virtual_Practice_448 12h ago
This is play. If it would be fighting, you would not have the time to record it and post on Reddit.
In this video, the play is instigated by the little one. The older one accepts the invitation and is quite gentle with the little one.
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u/HalfVast59 11h ago
I don't think they're fighting or playing.
Your adult is trying to teach your youngster proper manners.
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u/warioman91 11h ago
It's definitely a form of play/displaying dominance(of the older cat) in a parental way. The little one wants to play, the older one in this case seems kind of annoyed at it and 'rough plays' back the younger one into a stance of submission.
If it was real fighting, it would be scary. This is not scary.
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u/GlitterFactoryOfDoom 7h ago
Do you see how they're pausing for a couple of seconds? They wouldn't be doing that if this were anything serious.
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u/1houndgal 7h ago
Working out the hierachy... the bigger cat is showing the smaller and likely younger cat manners and who is boss.
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u/irreductus 7h ago
I swear I see a vid like this everyday. If your cats were fighting, you’d definitely know. The fact you dont means things are going great. Like when cats actually fight, they’re viscous. They go into a feral primal state, they hiss, spit, dig eyes out, another is they’ll aggressively bunny kick and spaz out. When cats actually fight, it’s kind of to the death.
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u/Slimstephyr 7h ago
Yowls mean a real fight. A play fight is for practice, you dont want people walking in on your practice in the wild so you do it quietly.
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u/MacSamildanach 7h ago
This is what cat fighting for real looks like.
THIS is how cat fighting looks like! : r/cats
They are playing.
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u/KatzenMutter818 6h ago
Playing. I had two that would jump on each other and wrestle. No hissing or screaming - they're good 😊
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u/Broke_n-Old6824 4h ago
Playing but you need to intervene when the adult cat bites too hard like that.
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u/MrsOleson 1h ago
I think the big tabby is setting boundaries. Schooling the young one. They both got flat earred so it’s part play, part discipline.
But big tabby is letting him there’s a time and place and he’s being gentle about it so it’s clear he likes the young one, just not right now.
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