Catfight (animal behavior)

Two cats playing

A "play" cat fight between two house cats

This page deals with fights between cats. For the slang meaning of the term, see catfight.

A catfight is a physical clash between two cats. Cats will fight each other over territory, mating rights and to defend their young. Kittens will also frequently playfight with one another as practice for later life. Catfights consist mainly of grappling and powerful slaps with claws out to the opponent's face and body.

Humans may find it difficult to distinguish between cats playing and a genuine fight; the most obvious indicators of a real fight are that the ears are down (indication of feeling threatened), vigorous screaming and one cat is overly dominant (in a playfight the cats will usually switch roles), and neither cat receiving actual physical damage; though even in real catfights, cats rarely do more damage to each other than a few scratches, with the loser running away before further injury can be inflicted.

The best way for a human to stop a catfight is by distraction, such as making a loud noise or dropping something; attempting to physically separate the cats will usually cause them to turn their aggression towards the interfering human.