How to distinguish cat play from fighting – research
[ad_1]
If you have two or more cats at home, sometimes it is difficult to understand whether they are playing or fighting. Big fights are easy to spot, but it’s not always easy to understand the relationship between animals. Fights lead to injuries to animals and even people. If it is impossible to calm the cats down, in the worst case, you will even have to look for another home for one of your pets. A new study led by Noema Hajdos-Kmetsova from the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Slovakia and the University of Lincoln in Great Britain and published in Scientific Reports looked at cat play and fights, writes The Conversation. The goal of the researchers was to observe the behavior of the cats to understand what was play and what could lead to a fight. Classification of cat fights The study analyzed 105 video recordings of interactions between 210 cats. The research group developed a list of specific forms of animal behavior, which were divided into six groups: inactive: the head and body are motionless in a certain position; wrestling: cats in physical contact with wrestling movements; chase: one cat runs after, or the other runs away; other interactive actions: for example, observation, approach, raised fur on the back; non-interactive: activities directed at oneself or an inanimate object, for example, drinking, licking oneself; vocalization: growling, hissing, meowing. Each video was analyzed to determine which of these behaviors the cat was exhibiting. Based on this, the researchers divided the videos into three categories of interaction. 40% of the cats in the video showed playful behavior, they fought, but did not make sounds. 32% of the animals displayed behavior that included threat, aggression and submission. Cats in this group made sounds and had periods of inactivity. 28% of cats were more like playful than aggressive. Animals in this group communicated for a long time with pauses. What cat behavior is dangerous Thus, scientists have concluded that if your cats are fighting, they are most likely playing. When disputes arise between cats, they try to avoid physical contact. Instead, they will use offensive or defensive maneuvers that do not involve extended direct contact, such as slapping. If your cats are meowing and chasing each other between periods of inactivity, they are most likely fighting. Vocalization here is a particularly important cue for aggressive rather than playful interaction. Chasing is fine as long as it’s mutual, but if one cat chases and the other runs away, that’s not a good thing. Also, cat play can become aggressive depending on what happens during the interaction. In particular, the authors observed frequent interruptions in interaction, which may allow cats to overestimate their partner’s interest in play and avoid aggression. “If your cats are really best friends, sleep close together, share food and toys, then occasional play with elements of aggression is perfectly acceptable. But if your cats don’t get along so well, you may need to watch for signs of aggressive behavior. Tension between cats is not always obvious, but it can affect their physical and mental health,” the scientists say. It will be recalled that scientists previously answered the question of why cats trample and knead their owners with their paws. Read also: How people domesticated cats: interesting facts from the history of our pets
[ad_2]
Original Source Link
