I have two cats. One will go up to the other and start grooming him/her. It will last a couple seconds then will turn into a swat of the paws and then turn into hissing. What's the deal? I thought they were trying to be affectionate? (They both do it)
2007-08-02 07:17:49 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
You have left out a lot of important info here. Cat's are 95% body language. What were their tails, ears and scruff doing? How did the groomer approach the groome'e?
The groomer may have been trying to assert dominance over the other, who appears to have not appreciated it.
The groomer may have been trying to entice play from the other. And depending on the body language of the other, it may have been play fighting.
Or, the groomer could know that the other didn't want to be bothered via body language and decided to be a snot.
2007-08-02 07:27:58 · answer #1 · answered by anon 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is a mix of adult cat and kittenish behavior. The grooming is done by adult cats, to kittens and each other. The mock fighting, wrestling, and swatting is kitten behavior. Many house cats retain kitten behavior patterns into adulthood, whereas their wild or feral cousins lose them. The research I've read, (sorry it's been a while so I don't recall the source) suggested that human owners are a parent substitute for their pets. Play behavior that adults couldn't engage in, in the wild, (scares away prey, prevents the cat from seeing enemies approach) is safe in the confines of a home were the humans have provided for the animals needs.
So, this mixed behavior is a result of these dual influences, it starts with adult grooming, and ends with a kitten style mock fight.
You know it's a mock fight, regardless of how active or noisy, because real fights produce lots of blood and Vet bills.
2007-08-02 14:42:20 · answer #2 · answered by Mark S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I know its hilarious isn't it! So heres the deal, cats are touchy. They are a sensitive subject. The grooming part is a way of showing affection in a comradely way which i am sure the other cat is appreciative for. But then the groomer over stays his welcome and the cat getting groomed becomes annoyed. Cats are feisty and if we do something they don't like they usually warn us by a look or just walking/running away because of the respect. But when it comes to dealings between other animals its more like,"back up pest, your pissing me off!" They get the point about the other cat showing he is being friendly but now he has become annoying.
2007-08-02 14:31:17 · answer #3 · answered by lily 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cats will only groom those whom they deem "part of their litter" ie family. It is a sign of dominance as well. The one doing the grooming feels that they are superior and then the other thinks, this is nice, hey wait a minute!!!! Im not a wussy! and then they fight because they both want to be the dominant cat.
2007-08-02 14:34:28 · answer #4 · answered by nesm21304 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is how they usually start playing.
My mom owns 5 cats and they all do that. They will go up to each other and groom for a bit then it turns into an all out boxing match. No one ever gets hurts, since they are only playing.
2007-08-02 14:22:17 · answer #5 · answered by PetWoman 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Our cats do that too! Zack, the male, will begin licking Sadie, the female. They will lick each other for a while, and it's fun to watch. Sadie usually wants to stop first, so she'll get up and walk away. Zack will follow her and wherever she rests he will sit next to her and start licking her again. She might swat him away or they might get into a fight, or else Sadie will run away, Zack will chase her and hold her down and lick her!
I think it's just that aggressive quality that males have. Zack sometimes gets really mad and jumps on Sadie. (he never hurts her, he just wants to push her around, show her who's boss). Sadie never does anything like that to Zack.
Cats are a lot more fun to watch this way than dogs. They have so much personality!
2007-08-02 14:35:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they are affectionate with each other, but they do fall out with each other, it is just natures way. Remember, cats many centuries ago were wild They will groom each other until one gets fed up with it, or is just not in the mood. Then you will find they are affectionate again, no need to worry
2007-08-02 14:22:05 · answer #7 · answered by rockandrollrev 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I can't give you a scientific answer, but my assumption is that they other cat just gets tired of it. I love getting my back scratched but you can have too much of a good thing. I wouldn't turn around and swat at the person scratching my back, but I may ask them to stop. It's probably the same type of scenario.
2007-08-02 14:20:28 · answer #8 · answered by Beth 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats are goofy. It probably does start as affection. Then it turns to 'hey I just cleaned that!' Hence the paw swatting.
2007-08-02 14:26:19 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
maybe it is a dominance game. Cats show dominance by being the groomer. The groomee might not be presenting itself properly which escalates things into a fight. That or they may just be roughhousing. My cat likes to groom my arm after she shreds it with her claws.
2007-08-02 14:20:54 · answer #10 · answered by txthuunder 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋