My new cats wrestle and bite. Is this fighting or just playing?

Great question! It sounds like Razi and Jinx are getting along well together if they are sleeping next to each other, grooming, and eating next to each other. It can be normal for cats to chase and wrestle, and sometimes bite each other. I would look at their body language as they are doing it. If their ears are back and their posture is tense, then this is fights. When cats are playing, they will be relaxed and and their ears will be forward. Keep in mind as well that it's normal for cats who live together to have the occasional fight. I have four cats, and while they get along really well with each other 90% of the time, they do have the occasional tiff with each other. Sometimes one really annoys one of the other cats, and that cat lets them know. Just like with humans, you are agin got have the occasional fight. They won't get along all of the time. I hope this helps :-)

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.

I'm glad it does not seem to escalate to a full blown fight between them but it does seem like aggression and not playing based on your description. I recommend you put some Feliway diffusers in your house and do some environmental enrichment for them. ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-MultiCat-Diffuser ) ( thedrakecenter.com/materials/environmental-enrichment-indoor-cats ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

This is an excellent question, and I love that you're being proactive about their relationship. It's hard to tell just looking at pictures, the first and last one look like good play and the middle looks a bit less playful. Meowing is not necessarily a problem, but if Loki sounds distressed or unhappy - he probably is. Signs of good play: Taking turns chasing/being chased Relaxed body posture Taking turns initiating No hissing Ears mostly up, not flattened on to the head Breaks in play occasionally You could ask your vet if you could email them a little video to get their input, since we don't have the video capacity here. Have fun with the new kitty!

It could be that they are fighting for dominance, or they could be playing flighting with each other. Given that there is no aggression in the fighting (i.e. biting), it's more likely they are just playing with each other. It could also be that one gets annoyed at the other, they argue over it, and then get over it. It's natural for cats who live together to have incidents like this, and as along as there is no biting or aggression, it's not something to be too concerned over :-)

From your description of your cat's behavior, it does sound like play behavior rather than aggression. When Mini is playing with you, he likely wants to join in on the play behavior as well. As long as he isn't hurting her or showing signs of aggression, I would not worry about it. I hope this helps.

Most cats will settle down within a few weeks. Kittens do play rough and it can be hard to tell. If they willingly come together, play willingly and you don't see any bullying behavior (avoidance, hiding, arching the back and puffing up the tail) they are likely playing rough. If they play too rough they could injure each other by accident so continue to separate them when not supervised but most kittens will not require this. Giving each kitten one on one play time with you to burn energy, feeding out of a food puzzle and providing cats trees/other environmental stimulation can also help. Continue the current therapy as well. I hope this helps.