One Cat’s Fighting is Another Cat’s Playtime…
“Hey Buddy”, says Peanut to Kizmet. “You looking for a fight around here?”
Somebody left a comment the other day on a post I did featuring a very serene picture of Zee, asking me if my darling family of eight cats fight with each other. To which I say, the better question to ask would be, “Do pigs fly?”
The simple answer is “yes.” The more truthful answer is “no.” If that seems a bit contradictory, let me explain. By the very nature of being a cat, cats enjoy the act of hunting, jumping, playing, prowling, hiding, and seeking. Because of that, just like children who like to wrestle for the fun of it, my cats enjoy playing with one another for the fun of it and sometimes on the surface it would appear as if they are fighting with each other, but actually they are not.
Once in a blue moon moment, tempers will flare and things can get a bit heated and actual fights do erupt, but normally those are a result of some instinctual cause and effect behavioral trigger that is worthy of a thesis to fully comprehend. Abridged version – intruders come into the yard, such as evil birds, and one cat will take out its latent aggression on another cat that is standing in its path because it cannot direct its wrath on the actual birds. The same thing might occur if you bring one cat home from the vet. The other cats become overly stimulated by the strange smells emitting from the cat in question and might lash out in anger, in this case, anger by assimilation, which is actually more of an instinct based on fear and feeling threatened by the unfamiliar sensation than wanting to fight with the cat that they are actually comfortable and friendly with under normal circumstances.
Unbeknownst to these birds, they could be the unwitting cause of an occasional fit of mild hissing from the cats.
And sure, there could be an occasion squabble at dinner time with some random swatting at one another, but for the most part it is relatively harmless. All things considered, with 8 cats in the house it could be far worse. There really are no fights over territory – we have more than enough high and low spots for the cats to converge upon and more times than not, several cats are snuggled up tight next to one another and they take comfort in sharing spaces together.
Since the day they were born, Peanut, Mia, and Rolz have been thick as thieves and are practically inseparable. No fights to see here, folks…
Now that the kittens are all grown they still love one another very much and I could not find one single picture of them fighting. The closest I could find is this one of Mama Zoey looking mildly annoyed at her daughter, Peanut, but even that is stretching it!
The only time we really had any fighting was when our little terror entered the household – Kizmet. But his fights were merely a direct relation to the fact he was a kitten with an unlimited bundle of energy that he wanted to exert with the others. So, even though there has been an increase in rough and tumble behavior instigated by him, the other cats either walk away or play back with him. He and his “older brother” Rolz continue to engage in serious bouts of playtime and Zoey will also encourage some serious rabbit kicking style wrestling with him. But there is never anything so brutal that we would have to call Jackson Galaxy from “My Cat From Hell” for a behavioral intervention.
What? No way could this precious, darling, sweet, helpless, and innocent little kitten be responsible for starting a fight… I simply cannot believe a word of it…
Okay, yeah, so there is the beginnings of a fight here between Rolz and Kizmet, but it really is a lazy fight if it is being done on the comfort of a couch cushion while lying down…
Okay, okay… so maybe a fight between Rolz and Kizmet is brewing, but somehow I think Rolz has the situation under control…
So, yes, the cats do fight, but not really… does that make sense? How about those of you that have more than one cat – do they fight with each other?
Where am I? Did Rolz and I have a fight?
Don’t worry little buddy – it was all just a bad dream! See, just like always, Rolz is right next to you and you are the best of friends!
And as a reminder, don’t forget to nominate your favorite blogs for a Pettie and a chance for a rescue or shelter of your choice to win $10,000! Click here to nominate! www.zeezoey.com/blog
Best Blog Post Suggestions:
https://zeezoey.com/blog/zee-zoeys-spayneuter-series-part-one-the-facts-of-life-the-101s-of-kittens-and-conception/
(The piece I did on kittens and conception for Spay/Neuter month)
https://zeezoey.com/blog/dear-editors-my-response-to-the-cats-killing-birds-study/
(My editorial response to the cats killing birds controversy)
I don’t have more than one cat, but I have a cat and dog who “fight but don’t fight”, it’s their form of play!
Oh my….how I could go on and on. ; )
All I can say is that Waffles is a little terrorist. He’s got trouble pulsing through his veins. And sweet Katie…she’s a saint for what she puts up with.
Of course I’d love for Waff to be a kitten forever, but I’m sure that Katie wishes he’s just hurry up and become a sleepy, lazy, lackadaisical mancat.
; ) GG
PS…I ran out of Feliway for my diffusers before the new bottles arrived. I had NO IDEA how much they must be helping! Between the day they ran out (about a week ago) to yesterday, it’s been a regular war-zone around here!
beautifully put. Back when I had eight, my elder was Alpha with an iron paw, so we had far fewer squabbles then we did after his death. It took some time, but we have a pretty good mojo going on now..
Wonderful that they can live so harmoniously together…they must have a good mom and dad.
(and the photos are amazing….as usual!!)
Oh my how Kizmet has grown! Kitty family dynamics are constantly changing and you’ve handled adding a new member well. You have one of the most gorgeous cat families and I send purrs to all especially your elder statesman Jazz!
Great blog post and spectacular photos today, Deb – every time I though I had a favorite they just kept getting better!
I really LOVE Kismet though and can’t believe how much he’s grown!
He has those same two-toned eyes that Legend has! Don’t let Zee know how smitten I am with him! 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend! Your posts in my inbox always brighten my day! 🙂
M has never had more than 1 kitty at a time, but she has taken care of my human sisfur’s kitties sometimes and brought them to our house. She had us under close supervision just to make sure nothing would happen. I was a perfect gentlemen with both of them. They stayed with us for 2 weeks
Great article, and wonderful photos. I’ll be sharing on our Facebook page.
Eric and Flynn were always play fighting. I used to let them get on with it as long as it was silent. Occasionally Flynn would start to yell so I would tell them to calm it down a bit. There was never any malice though, just over enthusiasm.
I love those photos. The moments are so well captured! I think you are totally correct – your years of experience and observation!!! Tigger and Austin fight, but they are buddies really (most of the time!!)
We do good with no real fighting around here and we think love has lots to do with it. The photos were da bomb!
I know exactly what you are saying. Wally and Erine will “fight” but I know that they are just playing. Sometimes, but not often, it gets out of hand and that’s when I step in and tell them to go to opposite corners and chill. 🙂
The lady with the yellow hair 🙂
Island Cats – before Zoey became part of our household, Zee had to constantly be put into “time-out” for his bad behavior!
whoa…we small dood who iz knot even medium sized dood any mor but like large N in charge big dood kizmet !! we toll ya a flounder a day wood put sum wait on ya !!! next thing ya noe ewe will bee az big aza …puma !!! noe tiss how we iz ramblin just ta get past de hole BURD line…….
We immediately thought of you tabbies, when it came to the burds…. but alas, we had no way of forewarning you!! Sorry!!