Tip No.12- Cat fight or just play?
If you are one of the many who has more than one cats you are probably already familiar with cat play. You know the signs; chasing,
swatting, hissing and nipping. Although in most cases the cats are simply 'playing around' to us, humans it looks often a bit 'rough' as
we can't really tell the difference.
Well, first of all if the two cats that are involve are known for their hostile behaviour towards each other then the chances are that they
are actually fighting. When you come across cat fighting then you should try to stop it with distraction, especially if it is between your
cat and a strange or feral one as it can lead to disease transmission and/or wounds and wound infections.
On the other hand if you can't tell for certain if your cats are playing or fighting rely on your ears and eyes and these signs
- if they are screaming then they are more likely fighting.
- One cat being overly dominant is another sign of fighting, usually in cat play the roles shift.
- If there is a lot of hissing (just a few times from either cat is normal) it's a sign that suggests a cat fight is underway or about to
get
underway.
- Finally and perhaps most importantly you should always remember that in cat play (except for accidents) neither of the two cats
gets hurt.
Solution
The best way to separate your cats when they are start fighting is through distraction. Try to make loud noise or drop something heavy
on the floor or clap as loud as possible or even if you feel brave enough hiss at them (that will definitely surprise them!)
This will usually startle the cats and send them running in opposite directions. Or if you feel generous try to distract them by offeringf
some cat treats, try to shake a can of food treats (if they are used to that sound). This is another great distraction that most likely will
stop the fighting.
Always try to remember that cat play like any type of animal play is a normal behaviour and you shouldn't get involved. Cat fighting is
also fairly common but due to the potential that your cat may get harmed or injured, you should try to stop it through distraction.
Do not try to physically to remove one cat from another
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