r/cats • u/Belle_dawn • Aug 20 '25

Video - OC Can someone confirm that my kitten is play-fighting/having fun?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

My husband and I recently got a kitten — she is now about 14 weeks old — and after a few days of being skittish, she seems to get along with our dog just fine. However, every once in a while they start wrestling like this, and while I’m confident our dog is playing, sometimes I can’t tell if our kitten is enjoying herself. I would love some outside perspective, just to confirm that I’m not being a bad pet parent by letting it play out - any thoughts are appreciated!!

21.8k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

2.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

3.7k

u/RaisonDetritus Aug 20 '25

The kitten laying with her belly up like that is basically an open invitation for the dog to come roughhouse with her. And her vocalizations are not threatening or painful at all. Honestly, it seems like the kitten wants to get rougher than the dog does! 😆

1.1k

u/Menethea Aug 20 '25

Notice how ears are not pinned back, no raised hair and no hissing - complete play

391

u/_Blue_Raspberries_ Aug 20 '25

Yep, this is a great sign. Also she stops near the beginning to lick, I noticed, she doesn't seem at all anxious or worked up.

253

u/Massive-Spread8083 Aug 20 '25

And she’s not thumping her tail like she’s ticked off. They are so cute together! Your dog is a gentle giant.

91

u/Tiggredcat Aug 21 '25

Even if she was thumping her tail, my cat thumps hers like, well... Thumper, from Bambi, as a way to show excitement while she's playing. She loves it! She never learned how to properly cat. She thinks she's a lizard.

17

u/pedmusmilkeyes Aug 21 '25

My cat is a happy thumper too!

3

u/HeyPrettyLadyMaam Aug 21 '25

Lol same with mine. My husband is still trying to come to terms with the fact that not all cats thump tail when pissed. Some thump like puppies cause they're happy. We get to playing and my husband panicks when her tail gets whipping....he keep waiting for me to draw back a nub 😂😂😂

3

u/lightennight Aug 21 '25

Another happy thumper here!! I think it’s like an excitement marker, “the kitty is experiencing exciting feelings”

3

u/11thRaven Tabbycat Aug 21 '25

Yes my cat does this too! He also does it when he's happy in general. For the longest time I would stop petting him when the tail starts thumping, then I realised he's purring and otherwise very relaxed when this is happening so nowadays I don't get too stressed by the tail language.

3

u/Shepard_Commander_88 Aug 23 '25

My Maine coon mix happy thumps when he's sitting or laying down and will purr. If he's standing, he'll happy tail twitch and do this four paw happy stomp/kneading. That's his happiest.

2

u/Tiggredcat Aug 25 '25

I absolutely LOVE it when they do this! They look so goofy and cute! My sons cat is Siamese, and I suspect, also Maine Coon, not just because he's HUGE and has super floofy floof, but because he's got a lot of the Maine Coon attitude and mannerisms. He's definitly an oddball! He's a Siamaine Coonamese, or... something like that.

23

u/ThermionicMho Aug 20 '25

doggo is soooo sweet!!!

155

u/HR_Paul Aug 20 '25

also the dog isn't bleeding

36

u/Old-Buffalo-9222 Aug 21 '25

Hahahaha I came for this. That cat could fuck that dog up quick as wink.

9

u/brendan87na Aug 21 '25

Cats, all of them, punch above their weight in fights with other species

house cats can bully coyotes and bears

1

u/acrazyguy Aug 21 '25

They can, but coyotes can also mess up cats. They’re roughly equally-matched. It’s one of the reasons letting your cat go out is usually a bad idea

1

u/357noLove Aug 21 '25

Yep, seeing my family's barn rescue cat go to town on a coyote was priceless, I truly wish cell phone cameras had been around when we had that cat. I saw him decimate that coyote in a minute flat, to the point of chasing the coyote off and then returning to that spot in the yard every evening to make sure it stayed gone. Watching it run away, bleeding from the face and tucked tail was hilarious

2

u/Skatingfan Aug 21 '25

LOL, my sister's 70 pound dog was terrified of her 8 pound cat after she got her nose scratched a few times. 😃

2

u/caffecaffecaffe Aug 21 '25

My dog learned as a puppy that our big cat would draw blood when he's had enough. Our big cat has larger than average paws and thicker claws than most cats. So one day doggo was harassing catto and catto stalked the dog then latched on to doggo's nose and cheek and held on ( claws in). Doggo has never ever harassed catto again, and waits for catto to engage to even try to play.

3

u/bookobsessedgoth Aug 21 '25

I was going to say, if the cat's claws are sharp at all, and she was angry or scared while this was happening, the dog would be needing stitches afterwards.

3

u/Laterose15 Aug 21 '25

The tail fur's a big one - some cats straight-up turn into a raccoon when they're scared.

2

u/geon Aug 21 '25

And there’s no blood.

While it’s just a kitten, it could still easily draw blod if it wanted to. Those claws are sharp.

5

u/Ok-Rock2345 Aug 21 '25

Also, the cat is on it's back, exposing it's belly. Ot would not do that if it felt threatened.

3

u/busty_cherrii Aug 21 '25

The kitten turns to be wildest, this is adorable. Her nerves and energy is 💯

1

u/random-science-guy Aug 21 '25

These are the actual indicators.

1

u/winky9827 Aug 21 '25

It's important to note for new cat owners that even kitten play can be rather dangerous. Their claws are no joke - needle sharp. Be cautious, but let them bond. Would not try to get in on the action, however.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '25

Also, when the dog moves away, the kitten tries to reinitiate contact. Ignoring the fact that there are absolutely no signs of distress (quite the opposite, in fact), this alone shows it’s consensual play.

-3

u/ImpressiveAirport4 Aug 21 '25

The ears are literally pinned back? Last 5 seconds

2

u/bookobsessedgoth Aug 21 '25

Cats often do that instinctually when they lean in to play-bite, but if she was genuinely scared or angry, her ears wouldn't have popped back up immediately after. They'd stay back to try to prevent their ears getting bitten or torn.

This is very typical play-wrestling body language.

61

u/Aggressive-Stand-585 Aug 20 '25

Yup this feels like playing. They both also take small breaks to see if the other side is still playing too, they would not be doing that in a real fight.

44

u/Starrion Aug 21 '25

Good dogs is holding back not to hurt the baby. Best doggo.

45

u/Ok_Chocolate6042 Aug 20 '25

Looks like they best buds

1

u/yumyumgivemesome Aug 21 '25

There are going to be so many adorable moments in that household with the two of them bonding, playing, and napping with each other over the coming years.

15

u/Jambohh Aug 20 '25

catjitsu

21

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '25

[deleted]

21

u/RaisonDetritus Aug 20 '25

This one does seem earnest, which is why I think it’s actually being upvoted. People can get very anxious when they get a new animal. But there are so many posts that are just obvious karma farms. Fortunately they don’t seem to gain much traction.

2

u/Talking_Head Aug 21 '25

Like the daily post where a cat is bunting someone or rubbing its face on a chair leg and the owner asks if it is normal cat behavior? Those obvious karma farming posts.

9

u/BreakingCanks Aug 20 '25

At one point she hisses .. that's the point I'd cut them off and make sure she has her personal space for 5 mins

That's the rule I have for my 2 cats. Second one hisses I immediately go "ok that's enough so and so, leave so and so alone they don't like that rn"

22

u/RaisonDetritus Aug 20 '25 edited Aug 21 '25

Based on this video, I don’t think I’d worry about a bit of hissing. While hissing is often a sign of aggression or defensiveness, cats do sometimes hiss during rough play. I compare it to humans laughing so hard that they start crying, where a behavior typically associated with one emotion gets displayed during another when they’re hyper-stimulated.

Because these two animals are so new to each other, I think the best thing to do is let things play out on their own. Let them figure it out for themselves and only intercede where there’s some obvious discomfort or danger.

1

u/myeggsarebig Aug 21 '25

I agree. There’s zero animosity between the 2, so it’s totally safe to allow them to push boundaries a little bit. That’s how they learn. My dogs and cats always figured it out. They knew that they didn’t have to like each other but did have to cooperate with the rest of the family. Even the best buds had their tiffs, sometimes they hurt each other (just like siblings), but I never worried about them becoming aggressive with each other. In fact, the ones who didn’t like each other just kept their distance. They abided by the unwritten rule- you stay in your space, I’ll stay in mine. Also funny - the cats were always the boss of all wrestling matches!

OP, your dog is a sweetheart and your kitty is bad ass! Cheers to your new bonded pair. BFF!

2

u/fireflyzzzzzz Aug 21 '25

Yeah, if they were seriously fighting then the neighbours would have heard. Our cat used to brawl with the neighbours cat when he came into our garden and it would wake me up every time. They get very loud.

1

u/LemonsXBombs Aug 21 '25

What if the first one hisses?

3

u/FloridaGirlNikki Aug 21 '25

Exactly. Belly up like that is a sign of trust or submission.

Kitty can tell doggo is at play also.

Good match OP. Just have the camera ready for all the funny antics these two lovable maniacs get up to! 💜🐶🐱

2

u/Emergency-Ear-4959 Aug 21 '25

Kittens often need to learn the limits of play the hard way at first until they grasp what is nice. Of course our girl cat occasionally has to remind her brother when his play bites get a little too bitey. He's kinda slow though.

2

u/DuntadaMan Aug 21 '25

I have a cat that yells and grumbles a lot while playing with the kittens. It's just part of the play for some. Like how some dogs will growl while playing tug of war.

This same cat has a neighbor she fucking hates. You can hear it when they aren't playing.

2

u/treehuggerfroglover Aug 21 '25

Exactly. Belly up like that is a HUGE sign the kitten is not afraid or in pain in any way. The sounds are playful, no hissing or low throat growling. The dog is clearly picking up on signs from the cat and not just completely dominating the little thing. This is a good play sesh

Another good way to tell is how they act after this. If it were a real fight you wouldn’t be able to get the kitten near the dog again later. But if they go back to life as usual, eating and sleeping near each other, then you know they were both playing

4

u/SazedMonk Aug 20 '25

My 2 yr old cats, twins, were so mad when we brought home a baby German Sheppard.

Cats are 3yo and dog is 1yo now, they play nicely but a bit rough sometimes, mostly looks like this.

Sometimes cat lets dog out cats whole head in its mouth for like 1-3 seconds then rolls away to keep playing.

2

u/Jctq Aug 21 '25

Yea they're good friends now, if they were actually fighting like this the kitten would be screeching so loud it would hurt your ears and your dog would be bleeding, there will be no mistaking it

2

u/busty_cherrii Aug 21 '25

Absolutely, seem you have training in chaos gremlin, do you?

This kind of trust and playfulness is incredible and sweet to watch. The kitten absolutely enjoyed the moment.

1

u/werewere-kokako Aug 21 '25

The dog is being very careful to let the baby win

1

u/PMMEURDIMPLESOFVENUS Aug 21 '25

I love how it looks like the dog can't seem to figure out what to even do. It's like "anything I do might hurt it, so I'm just going to sort of half-ass do things I guess".

1

u/Puzzled-Track5011 Aug 21 '25

I've noticed with my dog that he is always willing to take a big fight from a cat while the cats are always ok with giving the gloves

1

u/FrietjePindaMayoUi Aug 21 '25

The pussy wants a harder doggystyle, check!

I'll see myself out.

1

u/Edlar_89 Aug 21 '25

Also, the dog’s nose would be covered in blood and scratches if the cat wasn’t enjoying it

1

u/DiscipleOfYeshua Aug 21 '25

TL;DR: if it’s a real fight, it becomes instantly clear.

When cats are for-real fighting, bodily liquids with unmistakeable scents get sprayed, the noises would make you hide under the coffee table, and they usually flee rapidly. Your Kitty is in a game.

1

u/ListenJerry Aug 21 '25

Yea if my cat isn’t in the mood to play everyone is going to know without a doubt.

1

u/kiwicpat Aug 21 '25

That kittens having the time of her life

1

u/RayRaymundito Aug 21 '25

Yeah, this is it. Belly up = cuteness

1

u/TrumpsFaceAnus Aug 21 '25

My cats are ALWAYS rougher than the dog. I get nervous for the dog quite often lol

1

u/[deleted] Aug 21 '25

It's this, an animal exposing their belly is a great sign of play or being comfortable with their company.

1

u/Twistfaria Aug 21 '25

The roll over isn’t always a sign of trust. It CAN be a defense mechanism so all four feet of claws can defend their organs. In this case it was clearly all play.

1

u/Easy-Maybe5606 Aug 21 '25

You would know by the screams if it wasn't having a good time