How to tell if your cats are fighting 🧐🐾 #catbehavior #catsoftiktok #cats, by Why Pets Do That? on YouTube. 1 min.
- Video length
- 1 min
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Listen before you look. Play is usually silent apart from soft thumps and the odd chirp. Yowling, screaming, growling or loud hissing means it has turned into a fight.
Check the ears and tail. Playful cats keep ears forward or neutral and tails up. Flattened ears, a puffed tail and wide pupils are signs of fear or aggression.
Watch for turn taking. In play, the cats swap roles, one chases then the other, one pins then gets pushed off. A fight stays one-sided.
Look at the paws and mouth. Play bites are gentle and claws stay mostly sheathed. Real bites grab and hold, and fur starts flying.
See whether they pause and reset. Playing cats break off, shake, lick a shoulder and start again. Fighting cats never back off on their own.
Check the aftermath. If both cats walk away, eat and come back for more, it was play. If one hides, limps or avoids the other, it was not.
Break up a real fight safely. Never grab a cat with your hands. Clap loudly, drop a blanket over them or slide cardboard between them to block the view.
Separate them for a few hours in different rooms with food, water and a litter tray, then reintroduce them slowly and watch for tension.
Tips and common mistakes
A single swat or short hiss during play is normal, but repeated hissing means the play has gone too far.
Run your hands over both cats afterwards, since puncture wounds from a bite can hide under thick fur.
Punishing a cat after a fight makes it more anxious, so separate them calmly instead.
If fights happen daily, add more vertical space, litter trays and feeding stations so the cats do not compete.
Questions
How do I know if my cats are just playing roughly?
Rough play still has pauses, swapped roles and silent or quiet sounds. If both cats keep coming back for more and nothing breaks the skin, it is play.
Should I let my cats fight it out?
No. Real fights do not sort out the hierarchy and often get worse. Separate them and give each cat its own space and resources.
When should I call a vet or behaviourist?
Call if a bite breaks the skin, one cat is hiding or not eating, or fights keep happening. A vet can check for pain or illness that triggers aggression.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
