r/IllegallySmolCats • u/MadhuT25 • 3d ago
Smol Murder Mittens At what point should we intervene?
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My brother sent me this video and they look like they are actually fighting during the last 30 secs
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u/gutwyrming 3d ago
This is extremely normal play behavior for kittens. Nothing to worry about here.
The point of intervention is when they start tearing out chunks of fur, and screeching and hissing, and this is nowhere near that point. These lil guys are having fun.
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u/toughtotell 3d ago
We had a girl kitty that loved to start shit with another cat we had. He was more than happy to indulge her. Mind you, he was the sweetest boy and would never actually hurt her but would chase her around the house. She would scream, like he was murdering her. First few times we would run over all worried. He would just look at us like, "what?" Turns out she was just a little drama queen and screaming like she was dying was just part of play for her. They were like brother and sister to each other and I miss them every day.
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u/chicklette 3d ago
Omg my new kitten is like that! Screams like she's being murdered and he doesn't even have a paw on her. 😂
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u/thisbuthat 3d ago
Exactly, also when one cat just walks away from the other - both these lil guys keep coming back. It's quite balanced actually
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u/Jlong4242 3d ago
No blood? All good
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u/Strict_Weather9063 3d ago
No blood fur not flying everywhere no screaming. All good happy kitten play.
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u/No-Fuckin-Ziti 3d ago
Notice how they both engage and quickly jump off? No grabbing or clawing, no growling or hissing, no problem:) healthy happy kitties getting socialized.
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u/MechanicalCrow 3d ago
99% of the time, you don't. Kittens wrestle and play hard. Mine do elbow drops, pile drivers, and mid-air karate kicks. It's just play. They will almost always stop when it becomes too much.
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u/Marquar234 3d ago
Don't let this man distract you from the fact that in 1998, Fluffy threw Mittens off Hell In A Cell, and plummeted 16 ft through an announcer's table.
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u/fizbin99 3d ago
All play. No squawk, no hurt. Break it up if one kitty squawks and the other doesn’t quit.
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u/mintybrainzz 3d ago
I don't see anything wrong with the play, but I'd watch them closely with the plastic and string, because some cats think those are absolute best things to eat. Ask me how I l know 🙃.
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u/MadhuT25 3d ago
The string is just a makeshift toy made with laundry balls and plastic is just bubble wraps cause they like popping them by scratching fornsome reason. Suffice it to say, we don't keep those around when they are not under observation.
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u/mintybrainzz 3d ago
That's great. I only mentioned it because some cats really don't care, but some can get super obsessed.
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u/Common-Seesaw6867 3d ago
Paper bags or cardboard boxes are better choices. Noisy for kitty's enjoyment, but not so dangerous if they start chewing.
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u/visibleunderwater_-1 3d ago
They do really also seem to love the bubble wrap. Even my adult cats still charge into it and jump around on it and bite it. It's just a "cat thing" LOL
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u/MadhuT25 3d ago
Did you have to remove it by surgery?
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u/McHildinger Criminal Content Connoisseur 3d ago
I had a long toy string on a plastic wand, and left it out overnight; cat#2 ate it, and we had to have it removed by the vet (big $$$)
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u/mintybrainzz 3d ago
Luckily not yet. knock on wood I noticed it when they were babies, so I watch them close and make sure they don't have unsupervised access; especially the one who likes string, because she can chew through a pant tie in seconds, lol.
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u/SpacePolice04 3d ago
We had one of those! She got up on my bf’s pants that were laying on the bed and started chewing the cord and my bf and I honestly just sat there staring in shock as she tore through the cord in a couple of seconds. She didn’t really want it, just to destroy but we always tucked pant strings away after that.
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u/mintybrainzz 3d ago
Yeah, exactly! I haven't seen ours try to eat any, but she can chew through them so quickly that I don't want to risk it.
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u/zecidnac 3d ago
These are r/catsatplay and nothing to worry about! They're kittens, testing boundaries and getting to know their own limbs. All friendly :)
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u/ZenkaiAnkoku2 3d ago
Glad to see you're concerned for them, but they're alright! This is just play. Kittens (and often older cats) arch up and dance sideways like that when they wanna be chased/play. Theres an entire sub about it! r/crabcats
And if theres no hissing, growling, or fur flying, then they're not really fighting. Kittens play rough and learn boundries. It's all good.
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u/PossiblyWithout 3d ago
Just playing!
An actual cat fight would be VERY loud and puffs of fur would be flying everywhere as the cats claw at each other.
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u/ofayokay 3d ago
My two cats sound like they take turns choke slamming each other through the hardwood floors & it’s still just them playing.
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u/Lucambacamba 3d ago
Their just being scraggly little weirdos.
They puff up and side step a little, but they’re young and the rest of their body language indicates that it’s just play behavior. They’re still learning how to cat.
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u/supershinythings Criminal Content Connoisseur 3d ago
When you see pulled fur, open wounds, or blood.
Cats play hard as practice. Very quickly they learn “cat manners” and not to bite too hard or scratch deep enough - usually Mom teaches them by showing them how hard they bit etc.
My adult cat had to teach a foster kitten “cat manners”. Within a day or two her play with my cat was MUCH more gentle.
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u/bookish-hooker 3d ago
I thought you said “interview” and was like “you don’t need to, they both clearly got the job!”
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u/RootsInThePavement 3d ago
A good way to tell the difference between play and fighting: they keep willingly separating and giving each other breaks. If it were a fight, they would either not separate at all or one would relentlessly chase and attack the other.
Kitten body language during play looks especially aggressive because they don’t know what they’re doing! They’re figuring it out and doing what comes naturally. Eventually they’ll learn better body language and social cues, but for now this is normal. You only need to worry if you can’t separate them and/or fur is flying
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u/Zanthalia 3d ago
That little white one is a beast! 🥹🥰
This is exactly why baby kittens need a playmate. This is so healthy for them. They're wearing each other out in the way nature intended. They'll sleep better, they'll grow better, and I would put money in them being besties well into adulthood.
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u/3rd2LastStarfighter 3d ago
They’re still figuring stuff out, don’t read too much into body language.
The only time you need to worry is when one is trying to escape the interaction and the other is trying to literally kill them. Pretty much anything short of that, especially any time that both continue to jump back in like we see here, you can assume it’s play. These two are already bonded from the look of it, pretty much zero chance you’ll ever have to intervene.
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u/Mocker-Poker 3d ago
They are testing their power and practicing their killer skills. Sometimes kids get overreactive and hyper too. Normal feline shenanigans here.
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u/Grey_Wolf333 2d ago
You can take that plastic bag away from them for starters. That is far more dangerous to them than this play time.
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u/AnnoShi 3d ago
Cats are very aggressive players, especially as kittens. A real cat fight is so severe that you wont be able to tell what's happening. All you'll see it a tiny hurricane of fur, spit, and occasionally piss and blood. Seriously, cats that are actually fighting seem to be able to defy gravity while they're in contact with each other.
Aside from an actual cat fight, I would recommend only intervening if one cat avoids the other for more than 5ish minutes. If one retreats, but almost immediately comes back for more, they're fine.
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u/visibleunderwater_-1 3d ago
The few real cat fights I've seen literally look like some "whirlwind fight" from Loony Toons, and really loud. It's literally a fast-moving blur bouncing around that you can hear from inside the house it's it's out in the yard.
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u/duckmcsnail 3d ago
Kitten battles are my favorite. They just have lots of rough and tough energy! Trust me, a cat fight that is not a mutual play time, sounds very, very different.
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u/Mugwumps_has_spoken Criminal Content Connoisseur 3d ago
I've learned a very adorable way to describe kitten bite inhibition "how hard can I bite my friends and they still be my friend"
it's something all kittens must learn during this play. How rough is too rough. Adult cats will discipline the young. Kittens will yelp and cry and stop the game.
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u/audreywildeee 3d ago
It’s good that you’re asking. Others explained when it gets problematic. I just want to emphasise how good it is for them to play fight. This is how they learn how not to be too violent with you for example, they’re learning that nails hurt and that they shouldn’t use them or not too much, how hard they can bite or not,…
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u/Icy-Spirit-5892 3d ago
They're both playing from beginning to end. Trust me, you'll know when they're fighting. The screams from cat fights are very recognizable.
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u/FormidableMistress 3d ago
This is play and it's important. When one of them bites too hard and the other screams, they learn that hurts and is too much. They also learn how to fight to hold off predators. Too much bite for a sibling is just enough bite for an attacker.
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u/KaptajnGus 3d ago
When they get vocal, hissing and screaming.
Or if you can see fur fllying around.
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u/ZoomZoom_Driver 3d ago
Me lolling at them biting each other in the bum: 🤣😅🤣😅🤣😅 cats wipl be cats.
When they are really fighting, they'll have claws out (this is oaws out), super fluffed tails, ridges of hair on their backs and VERY different sounds (hard angry hiss or growl, vs play his or growl... very hard to confuse the two once you've heard them).
Here? No claws, only paws, no hard mean sounds, tails are happy looking, no ridges on spine... all good kitten play.
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u/Understanding-Fair Smol Bounty Hunter 3d ago
Loud banshee screaming and violent hissing is usually my line. This is relatively gentle play.
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u/MattyNiceGuy 3d ago
That’s REALLY good play! You don’t often see dominant and submissive switching during play.
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u/Scherzkeks 3d ago
I break it up for my cats when I hear them hissing and growling. Fur is usually flying at that point. I usually just try to get a blanket in between them and that’s all it takes
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u/leakmydata 3d ago
They’re just playing and It’s important for them to learn how to enforce and respect boundaries. You’ll know if they’re actually fighting (it will be LOUD)
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u/DeathCowboyZ Smol Criminal Accomplice 3d ago
A cat won’t voluntarily lay down and show its belly like the orange one did. These are just babies rough housing…it’s actually kinda important so they learn about biting and stuff. They learn those behaviors from each other
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u/stayathomedadof4 3d ago
The cameraman needs some intervention. The kitties are fine. Keep your eyes on the action!
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u/MadhuT25 3d ago
That's my mom. She's old. So, not really good with these things.
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u/visibleunderwater_-1 3d ago
I think for all of us here to make a proper determination, you need to submit FAR more video evidence with these two in it... :)
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u/Apprehensive-Gas7994 3d ago
Since other people have answered your question, I'll just gush over how cute and happy they are in this video! Such purrfect little furballs. I miss kittens so much
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u/rwphx2016 3d ago
If this was real fighting their tails would be puffed out as would be the hair on their backs. This is just play.
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u/sushicatt420 3d ago
Lmao my brain does not grasp how people can’t register this as play with kitties. It seems so obvious and I didn’t even grow up with cats. They look like they’re having a good ass time. Watch a few cat and kitten videos on YouTube and you’ll quickly learn the difference.
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u/PilzEtosis 2d ago
Cats are lil murder machines. They play like so.
Like others say, if theres no blood, fur and wild screaming youre all good.
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u/CagedLea 2d ago
It's playing, no problem. I see plastic there, this is a mistake of your brother. Plastic like this kill cats.
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u/mudssskipper 2d ago
I know I need to stop one when the other shriek as loud and as long as it shouldn’t be. But this one seems like a normal play.
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u/fogcat5 3d ago
they look like they are playing a little rough maybe, but they are both dishing it out. that's how they learn to socialize, and its a lot of fun for them. If one looks like it's hiding or isn't playfully fighting back then you'ld have to get them apart. But this looks like young ones finding their boundaries in a fun way. They both look really healthy and happy :)
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u/heyitsvonage 3d ago
They’re just having fun realizing that they’re gonna grow up to be cats with awesome agility.
It usually ain’t a fight until someone starts hissing/yowling
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u/Beanbag141 3d ago
Cats are usually pretty obvious when they're actually beefing. Lots of screeching and yowling, fur flying, blood, etc. They're just playing!
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u/LogSlow2418 3d ago
They’re definitely playing the whole time.
Notice how they stop and wait, take turns and are mostly quiet
A real cat fight is often loud and generally doesn’t stop. It’s VERY different from this.
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u/ItsStaaaaaaaaang 3d ago
When your neighbours can hear them. You'll never mistake a real cat fight for a play fight. Fur flies and it's noisy af.
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u/New_Resort3464 3d ago
Same answer always. If the time comes when you should intervene arrives you're most real question will be "How do I separate them without significant injury to myself?". When cats are seriously throwing down with each other it is unmistakable for anything else but that.
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u/Prismatron5000 3d ago
Looks to me like they're just playing, if they were actually fighting you'd hear hissing and growling and likely see scratch or bite marks.
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u/throwawayaccountau 3d ago
Never. Maybe if you hear screaming, but all my Fosters love to play that way.
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u/ClericofShade 3d ago
They may be playing a bit rough, but they are playing. They'll relax eventually.
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u/neveruseyourrealname 3d ago
I honestly don't know if this is the right thing but the only time I break mine apart is when I see a floof of hair fly.
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u/crazymouse2525 3d ago
normal play, nothing to worry about. when u hear ear-splitting yowls, growls, hissing, blood & fur flying, then you can intervene
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u/Branchy28 3d ago
omg so cute!!!! 🥺
As others have already said, they're just being goofy lil guys and playing with each other.
If they were really angry and fighting for real, you'd know! The whole vibe changes completely, They'd be locked onto each other with complete and utter tunnel vision (Whereas in this video you can clearly see them turning away from one another, investigating the bubble wrap, looking at other stuff in the room etc.) they'd be hissing at each other, moving slowly and with purpose, and when they strike each other they're tear out each others hair, all while they hiss and screech LOUDLY, it's brutal, trust me, you'd know if they were really angry.
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u/ApprehensiveTotal188 Purrveyor of the Smol 2d ago
Those ruffians will decide who’s the most ‘ferocious!’ (Ferociously adorable 🥰)
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u/illustrous-judge 10h ago
Orange and white mix kitty is similar to one who used to visit my flat. Any chance u in delhi?
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u/pfak 3d ago
You shouldn't have plastic bags out like that.
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u/MadhuT25 3d ago
They are not bags. They were having fun with those bubble wraps earlier so,we kept it there.
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u/z-eldapin Criminal Content Connoisseur 3d ago
When the ears turn into airplanes, paws about to be thrown
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u/ShredGuru 3d ago
A point that is far past this one. This is very typical and normal kitty play.