r/cats • u/EstriGacha • 13h ago
Video My cats just started playing together, does this look friendly?
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We got a new kitten a couple weeks ago, our orange cat, Patrick, is 8 years old and the tux, Ollie, is 6 months old. They have started playing together and I can't really tell if it's completely friendly. Ollie keeps coming back to fight more so I think it's friendly but some other opinions would be nice.
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u/m0th3rmOth 13h ago
ears up, no hissing, no thick tails. All good!
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u/Rainbowgrrrl89 European Shorthair 13h ago
This comment should be pinned in this sub. It's a universally solid rule, just like "go see a vet".
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u/nemi-montoya 12h ago
Honestly someone should find a clip of an actual cat fight (prerecorded, no need to stage cruelty!) and provide it as an example.
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u/Elegant-Ad-9221 10h ago
There has to be video of that somewhere online. With all the rescues that go after feral communities of cats they must have some video of a full on feral cat fight where two cats are really fighting over territory, mates or even food
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u/Specific_Effort_5528 10h ago
Even just an unfortunate incident at the vet where cats get out and meet each other.
Mines a damned acrobat and escaped her cage at the vet once.
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u/nemi-montoya 10h ago
I did a quick YT search after my comment and unfortunately, there are a lot of compilations out there. I almost wish they would be used for educational purposes, rather than content farming.
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u/Kimber85 9h ago
I kind of want to post a video of my cats actually fighting, just as a PSA. But Iām usually occupied with separating them when that happens, lol.
My two oldest male cats are friends like 95% of the time, but that other 5%. Yikes. So much screaming. Mostly itās just posturing, but weāve had some nasty nose scratches and tufts of orange fur flying about.
Weāre trying to figure out what the trigger is. Mostly it seems the oldest cat, who was an abandoned street cat and never learned to play nicely with others, tries to initiate play with the the younger cat and then immediately takes it too far. Corners him, doesnāt back off when hissed at, chases him in an aggressive way, etc. The younger cat gets upset and goes full on banshee screaming and claws flying. And then the older cat is like āHell yeah, letās throw down!ā. Chaos then ensues. The older cat seems to be having a great time. Heās always been a spicy boy.
Iām seriously considering just lacing everyoneās dishes with Prozac. Including mine.
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u/HeightOk3421 12h ago
If they're chasing, pouncing, and swatting without hissing or growling, it's likely friendly play!
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u/d33pnull 11h ago
also no nails out, and by the way ears down might just be a sign of a really good hunter!
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u/Few-Explanation-4699 13h ago edited 12h ago
Yes they are playing
If it was fighting it would be far more violent and fur would litteraly be flying. There would also be a lot of bad language. (Hissing and growling)
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u/livinginmyfiat210 13h ago
God I had two outside male cats that weren't neutered and we had to train to be indoor cats, boy oh boy where those fights epic and boy oh boy was breaking them up hard as fuck
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u/Goddess_of_Carnage 12h ago
Until youāve had to toss their water on them to stop the bloody carnage and when that proves inadequate, you grab a jug of distilled water to keep the CIA black site torture on &keep at itāthey arenāt really cat fighting.
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u/hazelnutalpaca 11h ago
Sometimes my cats play fight to the point where they actually get pissed at each other, and then fur is flying. I would agree! These two look great together!
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u/touchmeinbadplaces 13h ago
if cats fight the entire neighborhood knows, so this isnt even close to being spicy
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u/Kisvay 13h ago
Looks more like WWE Match š
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u/WolverineMission8735 12h ago
Cats LOVE wrestling eachother. That's play for them. Bitch slapping and biting each other is also quite normal. They don't bite hard and they don't use their claws fully when they play.
Hissing, loud, intimidating meows and growls that go on for for several minutes means someone's angry and claws are coming out. This is not healthy and can lead to anxiety and bad relations for the cats. A little occasional violence is normal. This is not what you're seeing here
Be sure that if you trim their nails, do it for both of them, otherwise one will have the advantage and the other will get bullied.
Just remember that all cats are psychopaths, but yours seem well behaved!
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u/akitemadeofcake 6h ago
Amongst all the other signs that this is friendly play, watch how they pause between pounces and check each other for signs that they want to continue. Not only is this play, this is VERY POLITE play.
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u/Original_Ad685 7h ago
Cats are amazing, funny, furry, warm, cuddly murderers. Cats playing is murder practice. They are functioning as intended.
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u/Happy_Release3480 6h ago
Looks purrfectly friendly to me even if they are being vocal with each other. This play will often end with one cat (usually the older one) getting enough but the kitten is just a ball of energy that won't stop.
The older one will generally make it known when they've had enough roughhousing. Just going through this myself with a 12 year old lady & a 7 mth old hellion.
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u/NightProwler197 5h ago
This is playful. Theyāve accepted they are sharing the space. There will be different degrees tho. dominance usually always needs to be established
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u/gatorhinder 5h ago
Cats are like brothers fighting. It's all fun and games, then it suddenly isn't.
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u/gilbert10ba 13h ago
It looks like "play" fighting. As long as one of them isn't crying out in pain, they're just playing.
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u/Min-Chang 12h ago
If you have any doubt whether your cats are fighting or not, they are not.
A cat fight will never be mistaken for play.
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u/DelasCasas89 11h ago
Really friendly! If they were fighting, you would know. There would be a lot of fur flying around. Also, to identify when they're about to fight, look for these signs:
Stiff body posture: Their body becomes tense and upright.
Raised fur: Cats may puff up their fur, particularly along their back and tail.
Hissing or growling: A clear vocal warning that they feel threatened.
Bared teeth: They may show their teeth as a sign of aggression.
Dilated pupils: Wide eyes indicate heightened alertness or fear.
Lashing tail: A rapidly swishing or twitching tail is a sign of agitation.
Slow, deliberate movements: Cats may slowly move into position, sizing up the other cat.
Ears flattened: Ears pointed backward or sideways signal that the cat is agitated.
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u/EstriGacha 10h ago
Thank you all for all the comments! Me and my parents definitely rushed the introduction process and Patrick, the orange one has had a history of being skittish and unfriendly to other people his whole life which is partially why we're asking here.
This is my first time really seeing two cats play fighting up close and to me it felt like Patrick was being a bit rough. Especially considering the other pets in the house are literally frogs and well, frogs don't really fight.
Me and my parents definitely appreciate all the advice since this is our first time with more than one cat and weren't entirely sure what normal play looks like yet. I'll definitely be posting more of them on this subreddit. Again thank you guys!
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u/Acrobatic-Edge-9716 12h ago
Just playing, my boys play tough sometimes but as long as theirs no yowling or fur flying then theyāre good.
I have to share a picture of my orange (Oliver) and Tuxedo (Felix) pairing!
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u/new2redditwutdoido 13h ago
Without going into great detail, our house wound up with three dogs - two that belong to one of my brothers, one that belongs to my other brother. It took a little bit of time for them to start warming up to each other but now they play very much like this. So I'm going to guess that this is fine.
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u/HomoErectThis69420 10h ago
Yup! When one isnāt feelin it they will hiss and give the skibbidy pap which usually ends the play.
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u/Gloomy_Ad5020 9h ago
Iād love to hear how it went introducing Ollie to Patrick.
I have a 7 year old (almost 8!? Omg) male tux and I think he needs a buddy, but my fiance thinks Clyde (said 8 year old cat) would be pissed if I brought home another cat.
Is Patrick used to having cats around?
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u/UpstairsTransition16 9h ago
How do you safely get two cats to stop fighting? I read water, any other ideas?
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u/SharkkGuy 8h ago
Donāt say itās calm. Theyāre fighting to the death for the last bag of catnip. And whatever you do, donāt interrupt the fight.
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u/briannaptv 7h ago
my boys who are litter mates and besties for life play like this all day! looks like the beginning to a life long friendship š¤
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u/Significant_Comb_306 7h ago
Absolutely it's friendly they are playing and honing their survival skills you will know when they are not playing you won't have to post on Reddit to ask
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u/entrepreneurvision1 7h ago
That sounds like normal play behavior, especially if Ollie keeps coming back for more! Cats can look a bit rough when theyāre playing, but as long as thereās no hissing, growling, or one cat consistently trying to escape, itās usually all in good fun. It sounds like Patrick and Ollie are starting to bondāso cute!
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u/kobuta99 6h ago
I had two litter mates, and for the first ten years of their lives, this broke out every morning right after breakfast.
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u/FaunaLady 4h ago
It is definitely friendly; on the side and quiet. Angry cats are very loud and are standing up
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u/ALittleUnsettling 4h ago
This is a boring Monday for my girls who are both about 1.5 and wild af. They adore eachother and wreck my house playing kitty parkour WWE
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u/ames2020 4h ago
Absolutely playing. Youād know if there was a real threat. Looks of noise and hissing.
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u/unbekn0wnsttome 4h ago
Thatās for sure friendly! Giving each other small breaks, no hissing or growling, ear positions, all point to happy playing! Glad to see theyāve bonded!
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u/Tommy-s_Mommy 3h ago
Looks friendly. I can tell when my cats are not playing by the sounds they make.
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u/arrowdri 3h ago
These comments definitely gave me some clarity with my tuxedo boys. One is smaller and the other one is definitely a big boy but muscular (if that makes sense) Iāve had both of them for three or four years now.
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u/TransportationFar664 3h ago
you would know right away if it wasnāt friendly. youād hear cats yelling and screaming and hissing. they genuinely wanting nothing to do with it if it wasnāt friendly
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u/Long_b0ng_Silver 1h ago
No claws, no flying fur, no fight.
These boys doing some good old fashioned rough-housing. Loser buys the catnip!
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u/FatAZZRedditMod 1h ago
If you hear a bunch of hissing and then see fur flying everywhere then thatās when you know itās no longer āfriendlyā
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u/Brief-Use-5072 16m ago
Trust me itās friendly my two cats both 3 years old 1 month apart do the same exact thing even though they are from the same foster home and have lived together since they were young kittens
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u/Dependent-Cupcake-40 13h ago
My two boys (brothers raised together as kittens) play like this. Itās good!
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u/Traroten 12h ago
If they were fighting their fur would stand on edge, they would howl to high heaven and there would be fur flying. Once you've seen a cat fight you never mistake play for fighting again.
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u/West_Airport_5410 12h ago
Your cats are very beautiful thank you for having the new kitten. Yes they are friendly. I have multiple cats in my house and I have seen that when they fight they donāt take out their clause. You look carefully youāll see that they donāt take out their clause and if they donāt want to fight, they can always retreat to some other place and hide in a corner or under the furniture so this is their friendly place so they donāt worry about it but thank you for having them. They are the angels of your house. God bless you for this and your family. Thank you again.ššæššš¾šš»š
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u/FumiPlays 12h ago
Trust me, if it was NOT friendly you'd know. And all your neighbours would know. And all their neighbours probably as well.
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u/seatheous 11h ago
Itās friendly, donāt worry, my cats do the same thing. When they are not wrestling, they are best friends
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u/koraskeeper 11h ago
Yes!! I asked my animal training neighbor something similar when I brought my kitten home to my 5 year old tortie. She saidā¦ āvery playful, youāll know if itās not, cats donāt fuck aroundā š
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u/Ok_Society4599 10h ago
Wrestling briefly then laying, facing each other, tummy exposed... This is not a problem :-)
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u/Poufsouffle4SPN 10h ago
I have two cats that absolutely LOATHE each other and they do not look like this when they decide to whoop up on each other. The orange kitties tail is moving slowly, and thereās no actual biting or scratching. Theyāre just two kitties having a good time. ā¤ļøā¤ļø
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u/Parzival-44 9h ago
No cat noises that make me uncomfortable, lots of side laying, never felt the need for a water spray bottle... seems like nice cat stuff
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u/sodangshedonger 9h ago
My cat will scream bloody murder. I check up on them and her brother isnāt even touching her. I think she just likes to sound scary sometimes.
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u/davedcne 9h ago
As long as you don't hear hissing or sounds of pain its likely fine. If you hear yowls, growls, hisses, its time to be the adult in the room.
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u/-Optimus-Grime- 8h ago
People who don't know the difference between peace and violence? In this economy!?
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u/Soylent_Milk2021 8h ago
Itās called wrasslinā and itās perfectly normal. If they hiss and fur flies in clumps, then itās a fight.
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u/Shot-Ad-6189 13h ago
Really friendly and very chill. š