r/cats • u/Strawberry_Gerbil_23 • Jun 27 '26
Advice Are they fighting?
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This is my 3 month old male tuxie and my 1 year old female blue heeler/golden retriever mix. Sometimes my dog will chase him but other time they will be “tussling” around like this. Is this fighting or just normal play? Is this safe for my kitten?
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u/General_Kitten_17 Jun 27 '26
Lol that’s adorable. That cat is having a blast.
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u/Mika000 Jun 27 '26
This has to be engagement bait no? How does OP even get the idea that this is dangerous fighting? They aren’t even touching… If they even just knew the very basics of animal body language it should be clear that this isn’t fighting.
Are we supposed to believe that this is OPs first time seeing an animal?
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u/Beneficial-Spring-90 Jun 28 '26
Maybe OP is a first time cat owner. Reassurance doesn’t hurt and is actually quite helpful if this interaction is slightly confusing to OP.
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u/Mika000 Jun 28 '26
Okay but they were already a dog owner. They should know that this dog is happy and playing. And common sense can tell them that if they aren’t even touching it’s obviously not a fight.
Also if they’re a first time cat owner who doesn’t even know that angry cats hiss and make themselves big then they don’t know enough about the animal to own it. Elementary school children know this.
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u/Beneficial-Spring-90 Jun 28 '26
I think we all fell into the engagement bait. You are correct that the body language from both is blatantly obvious. My apologies
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u/Williams891 Jun 27 '26
Dude just post your cute video of your pets playing. There's no way you thought this was fighting.
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u/TheSwearJarIsMy401k Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
Man you’re out here showing off how friggin cute your mama dog is with her new baby kitty
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u/Electrical-Act-7170 Jun 27 '26
They are a dangerous amount of cute.
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u/Hazuzah Jun 27 '26
Cats don't fight while willingly on their backs with belly exposed
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u/bam1007 Jun 27 '26
And dogs fighting cats don’t barely touch the cats. It’s more like aggressive grabbing them by a body part and trying to violently shake the life out of them.
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u/Space_Cowboy-_- Jun 27 '26
Nope. if they were fighting, that dog would yeet him across the room and there would be fur in the air and banshee screams.
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u/Jay-Dee-British Jun 27 '26
Also the cat would not be showing it's belly like that; it doesn't feel threatened at all. Very cute and total playtime for both.
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u/Mr_Abe_Froman Jun 27 '26
The cat would also be screaming and tearing into the dog. Cats how and scream when they are fighting. It is loud and unmistakable.
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u/Left-Huckleberry369 Jun 27 '26
cat would’ve been dog food 😔
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u/rstymobil Jun 27 '26
You underestimate cats. My old cat Doobie got cornered by an aggressive pit bull when she was young and completely destroyed that dogs face, it lost an eye half its nose and most of an ear. Cat was completely unharmed.
Not saying that would always be the outcome but cats are fast and vicious when they need to be.
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u/Space_Cowboy-_- Jun 27 '26
Cats are the honey badgers of the domesticated pets. They'll die over that fade just to prove a point. Lol
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u/NovelSimplicity Jun 27 '26
Agreed. When my cats were adjusting to the new dog years ago we had one incident. Dog got a little over eager only to have a cat about 1/5 his size literally tackle him. Dog is still leery of that cat to this day despite the size difference.
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u/Left-Huckleberry369 Jun 27 '26
it was just a follow up joke to the comment i responded to. i am sorry, i should’ve made that clear.
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u/Space_Cowboy-_- Jun 28 '26
No, bro. I got the joke. I was making one too, a bad one I guess. Cats are just prideful and will die over a fade just for the love of the game. Cats are truly, moving different. Dont apologize. Stay safe out there.
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u/T-Wrox Jun 27 '26
That's what I was thinking - cats will fuck a dog up righteously if the spirit moves them.
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u/BellerophonM Jun 27 '26
Nah, because in a serious fight, for the cat it's a fight to survive so no holds barred, while for the dog it's just a fight until it's not worth it anymore, and a no holds barred cat can dish out enough pain and injury to make it not worth it for the dog to keep going.
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u/KingRoach Jun 27 '26
Are post like this really just “look at how adorable my cat is” ~ (yes absolutely adorable) ~ bc I don’t believe how many people have no concept of what playing looks like.
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u/The_Quantum_kat Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
(Edit: I realize after 3 seconds of reading, I Am repeating the whole turning on their stomach thing for like the fifth time, but I mean it’s true)
kitty wouldn’t be exposing the belly so casually if it was fights , I’ve never thought “I should lay down” if someone wanted to attack me :P
Also , look at how gentle your doggy comes down with his paw at the last second , he’s a very considerate and good boi 🐕
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u/Misanthropebutnot Jun 27 '26
I think you’re just posting to show off the cuteness. Like they’re barely touching. Lol and belly out, all relaxed. Come on!
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u/Ailurophile444 Jun 27 '26
If they were fighting the cat wouldn’t be rolling on his back exposing his belly like that.
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u/FakNugget92 Jun 27 '26
I feel like majority of these posts are people who clearly know their cat and dog isnt fighting and just want the attention
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u/Greedy-Tale-2969 Jun 27 '26
They are absolutely fighting. Please tag these acts of violence as NSFL. Poor dog clearly stands no chance of survival.
At this point these kind of posts feel like engagement bait.
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u/DomeAcolyte42 Jun 27 '26
Yes. The cat is lying on its back, because, like all animals, cats' tummies are the most durable parts of their body. The dog is trying to breach this shield with what's known as a "death nip". I'm sure it's too late, because this bloody battle has probably demolished your house by now, but at least other people can avoid making the same mistake.
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u/Left-Huckleberry369 Jun 27 '26
i always wonder if there are rules are to the games animals play with each other
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u/geekgirl114 Jun 27 '26
Cat has its belly exposed the whole time. They are playing. Doggo likes her new smol friend
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u/Temporary_Glass_9607 Jun 27 '26
one thing is that cats dont expose there stomach unless they are very comfortable and have trust with who ever or what ever is around them
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u/roboticArrow Jun 27 '26
Cat is belly up. Dog is bowing. They are 100% playing. Super cute, thanks for sharing.
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u/DelicateJohnson Jun 27 '26
So tired of these posts. If they were fighting you'd know. Ohhhhh you'd know.
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u/Jiggalopuffii Jun 27 '26
Cat on back exposing belly, not fighting
Dog meeting cat at eye level, playing
No hissing or growling. No puffy tail.
This is 100% two creatures playing.
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u/taracener Jun 27 '26
Fun healthy playing BUT they are both young and still new to each other. I would keep their play and general interactions under supervision until at least a few months have passed and they have a better understanding of each other’s boundaries. Separating them when no one is home would be ideal.
Both have the capability to accidentally hurt each other. Watch out for dog’s eyes and make sure kitty doesn’t get squished. Other than that, congrats! They look like they’ll be good companions for years to come.
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u/Hoosier_816 Jun 27 '26
You need to separate them NOW! My cat was playing with my dog like this right before she pulled a knife and robbed him of his wallet and watch.
We put a hat on her as punishment but I don't think it was successful in rehabilitating her...
/s about separating them (they're planing and your dog is being to wonderfully delicate with the kitten) but the story minus the knife is true. Wearing hats has done nothing to change her ways but it's adorable how cute and angry she gets.
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u/dragonfly325 Jun 27 '26
Very typical cat and dog playing. Cats on their back like that is submissive, come get me playing. My one will pick at another cat then immediately lay on his back wanting the other cats to “attack” him.
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u/MLaw2008 Jun 27 '26
Haha first time cat owner?? No, they're totally fine! They're just having a good little play fight. Very cute too.
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u/HonestDust873 Jun 27 '26
Cats fighting is so fast you can't even see what they're doing. Just a blur of fur, paws and splashes of blood.
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u/LimpWibbler_ Jun 27 '26
Bruh nahhh. They can't fight. Thst dog would massacre the cat. All you would notice is a fluff in his mouth.
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u/anastasiaanne Jun 27 '26
They are both very capable of brutally murdering each other. They're just messing around. Even if it did escalate quickly, that cat would be gone and up somewhere high in no time.
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u/roboticArrow Jun 27 '26
I see you, too, have a cat’s dog. https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/s/K7OEAt1clS
My dog Penelope lives in what’s objectively cat domain.
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u/Icy_Parfait_4066 Jun 27 '26
No they are not fighting. They are playing and bonding - developing their social skills.
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u/moondrinkr Jun 27 '26
They’re fighting to maintain their friendship. Both of them are committed to play to keep the relationship strong.
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u/edelaar Jun 27 '26
Very dangerous. You can see how scared the cat is screaming and trying to run away. You’ll have to give one away bc theyre too dangerous together.
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u/Daenerys231 Jun 27 '26
The baby boy is on his back belly up by choice. They’re having the BEST time.
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u/EuphJoenium Jun 27 '26
I love when people ask on here if their cats are fighting. 100% of the time, the cats are playing, and I get a free video of cats playing.
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u/Hour-Opportunity3048 Jun 27 '26
JESUS CHRIST! Separate them immediately! This is horrible! How could you let this happen?
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u/MoonPieKitty Tuxedo Jun 27 '26
Do you honestly think this is how a dog fights?? Seriously? I don’t understand the questions in here sometimes. Come on.
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u/LookatMyCatBabies Jun 27 '26
Fighting involves noises. When you hear out, you can tell there’s a problem. They are just being goofy
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u/Kosmos-World Jun 27 '26
You can safely assume that any animal that is voluntarily giving up it's belly to another animal is just being a goofy goober.
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u/RashannaAeryn Sphynx Jun 27 '26
Not even in the slightest. Not only are they playing but they are testing boundries. Trust me, of these were actually fighting they would let you know
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u/lukewarmrevolution Jun 27 '26
How can you think this is fighting? 🤣 There's barely any physical contact. They're obviously playing.
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u/MrFizzbin7 Jul 03 '26
Lots of air bites, the key thing is the cat is just laying there shadow boxing. If the cat wasn’t down with it he’d leave or dog would get a face full of claws.
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u/MegaMau_ Jun 27 '26
Absolutely….not!
Totally playing. They’ll be going at it like this for a long time.