Are my cats playing or fighting? Scientists have identified a fine line

The scientists studied 105 videos of 210 cats to determine when they were playing and when they were already fighting. This method allowed specialists to analyze the behavior of animals in natural conditions, and not rely on the answers of their owners. And they managed to identify several signs of a clear aggression.

The study was led by veterinarian and researcher at the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice (Slovakia) Noema Gaidos-Kmekova. Her team included British cat behavior experts. results published in Scientific Reports

Like so much else in the lives of cats, determining the meaning of their interactions with each other was difficult, the researchers note. In the end, the team grouped their behavior into three main categories: play, fight, and something in between.

One example of an intermediate category would be communication between cats, which begins as a mutual social game and then develops into something like a grudge against one of them. It's not a prank anymore, but it's not a fight either. Quicker passive aggression.

The results of the study provided some answers to the little-studied question about the nature of cat behavior. For example, if they hiss, and the meow is already turning into a howl, then this is most likely an open hostility. Games without loud noises, on the contrary, almost certainly indicate a spark of sympathy between animals.

The intermediate stage includes both a noticeable struggle and occasional hissing with meowing. It is characterized lying on the back, belly up, sharp approaches, attacks. The “something in between” is also indicated by long-term persecution of each other without respite. If everything is mutual, then this is more a game than a fight.

Gaidosh-Kmekova recalls that the mood of cats is very changeable, and conflicts between them are often short-term. Therefore, do not worry if your pets sometimes quarrel.

If cats regularly rub, sleep in close contact, share food and greet each other with their ears up, then occasional quarrels are not a cause for concern, the scientist added.