Thursday, July 30, 2009

How do you know if your cats are playing vs fighting.?

I recently brought home a litter-mate of my kitten's. I don't know if they are playing or fighting. I hear a lot of meowing. They have not left each other alone. I brought her home 1 1/2 hours ago. If they are fighting, what do you recomend?

Additional Details

1 second ago
The fighting seems to have stopped now, but my 1st kitten seems sad. She cries as if in pain when I hold her. A kew minutes ago, while she was in the litterbox, my 2nd kitty took a swipe at her. I was also hearing some spitting and hissing. Please, I need advice. I have to work tomorrow and am afraid to lrave them alone. My sister-in-law said she would check on them.
Answers:
Hissing and spitting is not playful behavior. Neither is growling.
All cats must be introduced GRADUALLY!
You'll get farther if you keep them just far enough apart that they WANT to get to know each other.
Remember, the first has come to think of your house as ITS territory which must be protected.
Keep them separate tomorrow.
well i don have cats.. but it looks like u should seperate them before the 1st one gets hurt or depressed! maybe call ur vet or petshop owner to see wat u should do. but for the time being i think u should seperate them.
They need to assert there own dominance, stay out of it unless you see blood.
One cat will be dominant one day and then it may change. Whoever is sitting the highest is usually dominant.
Spitting and hissing and growling alot usually makes for fighting. Sometimes if they have not been together for a while they will fight because the smells of each other have changed.

Mine took three days before they were best friends.
They will get over it- but cats are very teritorial- especially females- if they are both females-they are trying to establish dominance. It wont take more than a day or two and then they will accept each other. Worst case scenario will be a bitten or bleeding ear- but domestic cats never kill each other the way some territorial dogs will do.
Since they are young I bet they will be playing just fine in a day or so. when they are playing the noise sounds more like short meows. when they are fighting the sounds are more like deep,growling long loud sounds mixed with scream-like sounds.
The 3 of you will be all sharing the bed in a few days.
If the cats are wearing headbands and gloves then they are probably fighting.
They are fine. Let them fight it out. They are establishing who the alpha kitty will be. And yes, they may sustain a few boo boos in the process but don't worry it will be fine in a day or so.
iagree separate the 2 - give the new cat an item of the old cats for scent thats how they get used to each other give the old cat some one on one time keep them separate for a few days remove each cat from the room it has been in and let them sniff the others room. hissing bent back ears .. dont leave them in same room by themselves one will bully! i went through this 2months ago- now inseparable lovers!
I have had cats all my life, it sounds to me like they are just trying to decide who is going to be the boss!don't worry it wont be to long before they are best friends.make sure that you get them fixed at no younger than 4 months it will mellow them out and they wont stray from home.(that is if you let them outside)if you do just keep track of where they are.they will never go far from home. (probably just a little sore from all the play)
Well if they are hissing and growling its probobley smart to seperate them
I've introduced several cats and I've always found it's best to keep them apart for a couple days. The first day completely seperate so the new cat has a chance to get used to you and their new home. The second day I like to put the cats where they can see and smell each other but not get to each other physically. Starting the third day I let them roam freely under my supervision and then put them back to where they can't get at each other when I'm not home. Once they are comfortable (within 2 days in my experience) I let them roam freely. This has always worked wonderfully for me/my cats. Another thing to try is Rescue Remedy to calm them down when they are first introduced (I found it at The Vitamin Shop). You can use it for yourself too if you're feeling frazzled about the whole situation. Good luck!
they are playing to hard if there hurting each other. if they hiss at you or the other cat and they they flinch or meow like its hurt.
Cats will fight, its not always play fighting, it might be for dominance or because they are bored, just remember this..as long as they are not physically harming eachother then you dont need to do anything, if they are hurting eachother you need to seperate them for 10 mins ASAP and if its vicious i suggest you separate them with oven mits and a broomstick

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