Your cat might be cute, full of cuddles, and purring with you. But as soon as it crosses paths with another feline, it can take on another personality.
Sometimes, it can be hard to tell whether these interactions are playful, social encounters, or if the cats are actually fighting – to mark their territory, for example.
To help pet owners better understand their four-legged companions, researchers in Slovakia conducted a study, recently published in the journal “Scientific Reports”.
“We found out that there was actually very little scientific evidence to guide us in answering this question, so we decided to go for it and study inter-cat interactions,” said Noema Gajdoš‑Kmecová of the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, in Košice, Slovakia.
Gajdoš-Kmecová and colleagues carefully analysed 105 videos from YouTube featuring interactions between various cats – 210 felines in total.
Based on these, as well as feedback from several cat owners, the team listed several distinctive elements that allowed them to determine if a cat is looking to play or is out for a fight.
The study was based on the frequency and duration of six distinctive cat behavioral categories – noises, postures, tail and paw gestures, and so on.
And, according to the observations made during this research, the most revealing category in determining whether two cats are playing or fighting is the noise level.
“When cats are young and when they are wrestling and not vocalising, they are most likely playing,” the researchers suggested.
On the other hand, chasing, prolonged motionless postures, or getting their claws out were actions identified as behaviours that suggest aggressive interactions rather than playfulness.
The authors specify, however, that felines are likely to switch between playing and fighting, and that there is also an intermediate state between these two attitudes.
“It is important to recognise that interactions may differ from day to day or even from one occasion within a day to the other, as proximate needs and wants vary. Thus, a single incident does not predict the relationship,” they explained.
So don’t panic if you’ve got two cats in the house that seem to bicker. Just keep an eye out, an ear open, and carefully observe the situation.