Are my cats playing or fighting?

Question

I have two cats, one is 5 months old, and the other is about two and a half years old.
They keep chasing each other, taking turns, and my older cat has her ears forward, like she does when she plays, and she will sometimes lay on her side, or her back, exposing her belly to the younger cat, and neither of them fluff up.
However, they keep hissing and growling, so it's a little confusing.

biddy · Accepted Answer

They're just playing hun, the older one is showing submission to the younger cat by rolling over and showing her belly, the hissing and growling is just finding the pecking order and all part of playing. They sound perfectly happy together love don't worry :)

Ronald 7 · Answer

If they are really loud they are hurting each other
It is a Pack thing

Laura · Answer

If you can hear them, then its an actual fight.  
A play fight is silent.  
It sounds like they are working things out on their own, which is good.  Only break things up if you think things will get extremely violent.

Elaine M · Answer

Sounds like rough play.

If there's no fur being pulled out, and nobody's bleeding or screaming, it's all play.

Ocimom · Answer

Playing.

Blue Sky · Answer

Trust me, if they were really fighting then they would growl like tomcats do and you would notice.

? · Answer

If they were fighting properly, one of them would have sustained serious injury by now.

Donnie Porko · Answer

Playing. If they’re fighting, they’re not going to expose their bellies. Look st their claws. If it’s exposed it’s a fight.

If one is running away then it’s a fight. If one runs away when the other comes then it’s a fight.

Cats play fight to sharpen their hunting skills.

Anonymous · Answer

they are play fighting

when they really fight, they're very loud and obvious about it

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Are my cats playing or fighting?

9 Answers