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My cats play rough. How can I tell if it's normal or fighting?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | unspayed | 4 months and 10 days old | 4 lbs

I know cats often have mock play, and I'm pretty sure thats what my 2 are doing, however, need to be sure. There are times where they play gently with eachother where you can tell it's mock play, and there are times where its pretty rough and I have to wonder what happened. But they both will be leaning back with their ears down, ready to swat each other, then when they go at it they are rough. They will chase each other and repeat that. Some times gently sometimes not

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on July 11th, 2019

This sounds like a typical play behavior. In general watch for signs that one cat is trying to avoid the other cat. Watch for the cats hissing at each other. Watch for any signs of intentional bites or scratches that leave marks. If the cats are willingly interacting and you don’t notice any hiding or avoidance behaviors, this is likely consensual play. You may also look into reading a few books about cat behavior as it is not only informative but also fun! I hope this helps.

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Sounds like normal cat behavior but yes, sometimes they are getting a bit rough. You should probably try using some Feliway diffusers in your house and do some environmental enrichment for them. Usually these two things help. ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-MultiCat-Diffuser ) ( thedrakecenter.com/materials/environmental-enrichment-indoor-cats )

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