Are these cats playing or what?

[jahzara]

So I have two neutered male fosters. Billy the Kid is a Maine Coon mix with tabby colors and I've had him for two weeks now. Mr. Handsome Pants is a tabby & white mix (not sure what breed he is). Anyways, they seem to get along just fine for the most part. They play together, sleep near each other, two cats together at the same time and their playing seems like just that, playing, but seems to get rather rough. Billy clearly meows in panic at Handsome and Handsome doesn't stop. Billy has three broken canine teeth, so maybe he feels like he can't properly defend himself against Handsome? Billy's meows turn to growls as well.. so I'm not sure what to think of their "playing." Maybe it starts out as play and then turns into aggression? Their attention can easily be distracted and then they go about their ways like nothing happened.

Take a look and tell me what you guys think.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Looks like play to me.  I have 2 inside kitties that play just like that.  The vocalizations and posturing and play biting and fighting.  The hind leg head kick was kind of rough, but still looked like play.  Just use your best judgement and if you think it gets too rough, break it up and distract them.

Beautiful kitties and they look like they are having so much fun. 

 

[jolie0216]

I agree with the above - my boys play JUST like that 

If one of them starts crying (one of my boys likes to play, but he is also a cry-baby cat) I will go over there and stand and supervise to make sure the other cat isn't playing too rough with him - but truly, they are just playing.   If they really wanted to hurt each other, they would......even in play they sometimes growl or hiss;I don't worry about the vocalizations so much unless I see it accompanied by someone's ears turned back and flattened.   I think the ear position is the best & easiest way to quickly gauge the mood.

 

[piakay]

This is exactly how my two play (female and male) and I always worry they are too rough so it's good to see that others consider this play as well!! My female cat is the crybaby so she gets vocal at times but only when he starts it. It's all fair game when she's the initiator!

 

[macha 143]

My girls played like that too. It's like telling to her sister  'who is the Boss now' if it gets rougher and I will break them apart.

After that rough play-fighting time, they will cuddle and wash each other :-)

 

[fhicat]

I would keep an eye on them when they play. It looks like play, but there were a few moments in the video where I wonder if it wasn't something just a tad bit more. Ears were flattened in a few timespots. If it makes you uncomfortable, just gently distract them when you feel it was getting too rough.

 

[mani]

I would keep an eye on them when they play. It looks like play, but there were a few moments in the video where I wonder if it wasn't something just a tad bit more. Ears were flattened in a few timespots. If it makes you uncomfortable, just gently distract them when you feel it was getting too rough.

    Yes, I felt that as well, although others have mentioned they have cats that do play this hard. 

When my two get a bit feisty I try to distract them with toys.  If that doesn't work, it's the feliway diffuser.  Works a treat here.

 

[peterbald love]

Yes, that's exactly how most cats play except i think they are playing a little to rough.

Very cute cats though.

Kiki's Mom

 

[jahzara]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I kind of felt like that about the ears pinned back bit as well, but then it quickly goes back to "play" fight after that. And I've seen kittens fight with ears back and then that's that. No one gets injuried. I figure that even though they're play fighting, they probably still get mad or frustrated when pinned for too long or if someone bit too hard.

I guess I do see it as play, but just wondering if play has ever turned into aggression with serious injury?

 

[molly22]

I have the exact same cat toy! My two cats were the same way. One would start yowling before she was even touched! They're all talk and for 15 years they never hurt each other.