Science behind cat fights: Kicking is playing but chasing means fur could be about to fly

Cats can go from best friends to claws out within minutes.

Now owners can judge if unpredictable felines are playing nicely together – or about to launch into a full-on cat fight.

A scientific study has found cats being playful tend to engage in rough-and-tumble wrestling, without making much noise.

But when the fur is about to fly, and they are really looking for a fight, one cat is more likely to chase the other, and the cats are typically more vocal, producing meows, yowls, growls and hisses.

The general rules are taken from analysis of 105 videos of playing and fighting cats.

Lead author Noema Gajdoš‑Kmecová, from the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Slovakia, included her two eight-year-old moggies, Amalia and Vicky, in the analysis, finding their behaviour was ‘intermediate’ between playful and aggressive.

Dr Gajdoš‑Kmecová said: ‘As a cat lover I’m very interested in observing closely how cats interact.

‘It is often the case that cats end up fighting because they start out playing, but then one doesn’t want to play any more, and the other cat doesn’t realise that.

‘This is when it can get nasty, so owners could use these results to be aware of the signs.

‘I learned my own cats have an okay relationship – but there are risks for fighting!’

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, used videos of cat interactions provided by owners or posted on the video-sharing site YouTube.

For each video, the authors decided if the two cats shown were being playful, aggressive or ‘intermediate’ – a category which included signs of both playfulness and aggression.

For each video, the authors decided if the two cats shown were being playful, aggressive or ‘intermediate’ (pictured) – a category which included signs of both playfulness and aggression

Researchers also recorded the proportion of time the cats spent performing six behaviours, and how often they did each.

These behaviours were chasing, wrestling, vocalising, staying still, being interactive with each other, or not being interactive.

The results allowed cats to be split into three groups, which suggest the behaviours linked to playfulness and aggression.

Playful cats made up almost 40 per cent of cats in group A, and cats in this group were most likely to struggle or wrestle with each other, with movements like kicking, lunging and biting.

This group of cats were typically not very vocal, so researchers linked wrestling and quietness with cats which were being playful.

Separate analysis found videos of cats judged to be behaving aggressively (pictured) were more likely to show one cat chasing another cat

Almost a third of the cats in this group were kittens, suggesting kittens might be more fun-seeking and less likely to fight.

Almost two-thirds of cats in group C were judged as aggressive, and this group contained cats more likely to be vocal – with sounds like spitting, hissing, yowls, growls and mews.

That suggests these are warning signs a cat is about to fight.

Cats in group B were more likely to fall into the intermediate group, and they spent longer interacting, doing things like facing off against each other, pouncing on each other and grooming.

That is very different to cats getting ready to fight, who experts suggest are likely to avoid physical contact and do things like stare at each other or crouch uneasily at a distance.

Separate analysis found videos of cats judged to be behaving aggressively were more likely to show one cat chasing another cat.

The authors say cats can switch between playfulness and aggression several times a day though, so owners may need to read the room more than once.

Dr Gajdoš‑Kmecová said: ‘This could help owners break things up, as I only have to turn the lights on in a room or look inside for things to stop.’