“There seems to be a blurry line between aggression for play and aggression for fighting,” the authors note.
A subject that any owner of at least two tomcats knows well, and on which the study published Thursday in Scientific Reports hopes to provide “help in detecting signs of tension between cats at an early stage”.
Noema Kmecová, a researcher at the Slovak Veterinary University in Košice, conducted a behavioral study with colleagues based on videos obtained via the internet and from the owners of the little feline.
After identifying and detailing six categories of easily observable behaviors, including fighting, chasing and vocalizations, the researchers retained the videos of 105 interactions between two cats, for a total of 210 tomcats.
Based on these interactions, they formed three groups, using an algorithm and expert opinion.
Almost half (40%) of the cats were considered to be playing, and a third fighting (32%).
There remained the 28% considered in an "intermediate" state, that is to say incorporating postures both for play and aggression.
Cats wrestle and trade paws for fun but vocalization and long pauses mean play has gone sour, study finds © OZAN KOSE / AFP/Archives
Of the three, the brawler category is the least ambiguous.
It associates vocalizations - "particularly important" to distinguish this behavior from that of the game - and pursuits.
But also phases alternating an interaction with a long pause, during which the animal can for example adopt a posture of submission or threat, by raising the hair.
Reduce the risk of skidding
The category of the game is also unambiguous, with "frequent and long bouts of struggle".
A physical proximity that the animal prefers to avoid when it is in a confrontation, where the adversaries gauge each other cautiously.
Cats wrestle and trade paws for fun but vocalization and long pauses mean play has gone sour, study finds © OZAN KOSE / AFP/Archives
Another characteristic specific to the game, the ability to change roles, for example by accepting the domination of his partner by letting himself climb on it.
The intermediate category is distinguished by a prolonged interaction between animals.
With a very wide range, from play to postures of aggression or mimicking reproduction.
One characteristic distinguishing this category from the other two: unilateral behaviors.
For example, the first cat kicks, hisses and then chases the second cat, without provoking a reaction.
In this group, a break could be a way for the cat to assess its partner's intention to continue the game, and thus reduce the risk of slipping into a fight.
The authors thus estimate that “the more the interaction is reciprocal without antagonism, the more it approaches a typical interaction of a social game”.
The study, which did not take into account more subtle cues in behavior, such as ear or tail movement, encourages cat owners to pay attention to the physical proximity of their pets.
Cats wrestle and trade paws for fun but vocalization and long pauses mean play has gone sour, study finds © JOSE LUIS ROCA / AFP/Archives
She warns that if "signals of belonging to the same social group are ambiguous", such as cats sleeping close together but without physical contact, it suggests "tension in their relationships".
To monitor.
© 2023 AFP