When you share your home with multiple feline friends, harmonious coexistence is ideal. However, discerning the fine line between an energetic play session and genuine conflict can be challenging. If you’ve witnessed your cats engaging in chasing, hissing, and pouncing, you might find yourself questioning, “Are my cats playing or fighting?” The key to understanding lies in observing their body language and their overall demeanor towards each other outside of these interactions.
Decode Their Body Language
Body language is a crucial indicator. Both playful antics and actual fights can involve leaping, chasing, and even some hissing. It’s not uncommon for simulated combat to appear somewhat aggressive, and cats may even engage in “play bites” without causing harm. Cats that are play fighting tend to take turns, with one cat assuming a dominant position before switching. They might also pause briefly for rest. Generally, if your cats’ bodies seem relaxed or their ears are directed forward, they are likely engaged in play.
Conversely, flattened ears, ears held back, or puffed-up fur and tails are strong signals that the situation has escalated beyond play. Defensive, taut postures, leaning away from each other while hissing with bared teeth indicate that your cats feel threatened and are not enjoying themselves. Pursuing a tired cat until it seeks refuge could also be a negative sign. The infliction of actual injury is another definitive marker that playtime has crossed into aggression.
Observe Their Interactions When Not “Playing”
Examining how your cats behave around each other during calm periods can offer significant clarity on the seriousness of their interactions. If they frequently groom each other, cuddle, or generally coexist peacefully, their more boisterous moments are probably just playful.
However, some cats may feel bullied or tense around each other if their interactions lean towards fighting rather than playing. In such cases, they might actively avoid one another, or even hiss or growl when the other cat is nearby. Accidental physical contact can cause them to react with alarm. You might also notice signs of insecurity in one or both cats, manifesting as hiding, eliminating outside the litter box, spraying in inappropriate areas, increased destructiveness, or even lashing out at you.
Strategies to Foster Amity
If you suspect your cats are fighting, don’t lose hope. You have several effective strategies at your disposal. Begin by attempting to redirect their attention with a feather wand when tensions start to rise between them. (Crucially, never step between fighting cats or attempt to physically pull one away from the other.)
Consider utilizing Comfort Zone Multi-Cat Diffusers throughout your home, particularly in areas where your cats frequently gather. These diffusers release odorless, drug-free vapors that mimic a cat’s natural pheromones. They communicate a sense of safety, security, and calm to your cats. When inter-cat tension is present, these diffusers can help cultivate a more serene and contented atmosphere. For continuous support, the BreakAway Comfort Zone Calming Collar can be used on each cat, providing comforting vapors around the clock.
Cats lacking sufficient stimulation may channel their nervous energy into conflict with each other. Enhance their environment by installing window perches, condos, and cat trees in various rooms, offering them more vertical space to claim as their own territory. Provide them with interactive toys and engage them in frequent play sessions. Clicker training can also serve as a valuable mental workout. If you have a cat harness and leash, you could even consider supervised outdoor excursions in your backyard.
Reintroducing Your Feline Companions
If redirecting their attention proves insufficient and other enrichment activities don’t yield results, you may need to reintroduce your cats as if they are meeting for the first time. This process involves temporarily housing them in separate rooms, exchanging their scents, and feeding them on opposite sides of a closed door. Once they exhibit calmness in response to the other’s scent, progress to feeding them on opposite sides of a screen or baby gate. Gradually, you can move to short, supervised interactions. Over time, they will learn that the other cat does not pose a threat.
Determining the exact point where playfulness transitions into aggression can be difficult. If you observe signs of fighting between your cats, increased supervision and dedicated playtime can be beneficial. Remember, consulting a cat behaviorist or your veterinarian is always a wise step if you are uncertain about the best course of action. With the appropriate interventions, most cats can indeed learn to live harmoniously together.
References
- Johnson-Bennett, Pam. “Are My Cats Playing or Fighting?” Cat Behavior Associates, https://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/are-my-cats-playing-or-fighting/.
- Union Lake Pet Services. “Is Your Cat a Bully?” Union Lake Veterinary Hospital, 18 January 2019, https://unionlakepetservices.com/blog/is-your-cat-a-bully.
- Moss, Laura. “How to Clicker Train Your Cats.” Adventure Cats, 11 October 2015, https://www.adventurecats.org/backcountry-basics/how-to-clicker-train-a-cat/.
