Are my cats playing or fighting? Scientists have identified a fine line.

Even if your pets fight regularly, in most cases this is not a cause for concern.

Scientists studied 105 videos of 210 cats to determine when they were playing and when they were fighting. This method allowed specialists to analyze the behavior of animals in natural conditions, rather than relying on the answers of their owners. And they were able to identify several signs of obvious aggression .

The study was led by Noema Gajdoš-Kmekova, a veterinarian and researcher at the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice (Slovakia). Her team included British cat behavior experts. The results were published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Like many things in the lives of cats, determining the meaning of their interactions with each other was difficult, the researchers note. Ultimately, the team grouped their behavior into three main categories: play, fighting, and something in between.

Many owners will probably agree with me that it is sometimes very difficult to determine what exactly is going on between cats, and our intermediate category of “something in between” pays off - we believe that interactions between them are not something entirely black or white.

Noema Gaidosh-Kmekova

One example of an intermediate category would be an interaction between cats that begins as mutual social play and then develops into something like dissatisfaction with one of them. This is no longer pampering, but also not a fight. More like passive aggression .

The study's results provide some answers to a little-studied question about the nature of cat behavior. For example, if they hiss, and the meowing already turns into a howl, then this is most likely open hostility. Playing without loud noises, on the other hand, almost certainly indicates a spark of affection between animals.

The intermediate stage includes both noticeable fighting and periodic hissing and meowing. It is characterized by lying on the back with the stomach up, sudden approaches, and attacks. “Something in between” is also indicated by prolonged pursuit of each other without respite. If everything is mutual, then it is more of a game than a fight.

Gaidosh-Kmekova recalls that the mood of cats is very changeable, and conflicts between them are often short-term. Therefore, do not worry if your pets sometimes quarrel.

If cats regularly rub, sleep in close contact, share food and greet each other with raised ears, then periodic quarrels are not a cause for concern, the scientist added.