Are your cats fighting or playing? Scientists analysed cat videos to figure out the difference
The Hindu
When there is friction between cats in a multi-cat household, they tend to avoid physical contact.
Have you ever worried if the play between your cats was getting too rough? A new study published in Scientific Reports has investigated play and fighting in cats.
Their aim was to use simple behaviours anyone could observe to work out what was play and what might lead to fights.
This is important because the consequences of fights include injuries to animals and humans. At worst, you may even have to rehome one of your cats if they’re not getting along.
The study, led by Noema Gajdoš-Kmecová from the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Slovakia and the University of Lincoln, UK, analysed 105 videos of interactions between 210 cats.
The research team then developed an ethogram – a list of specific behaviours used in the study of animal behaviour. These were put into six groups:
Each video was analysed to identify which of these behaviours were shown by each cat. Each interaction was then analysed statistically to work out which behaviours appeared together in clusters.
From this, the researchers separated the videos into three categories of interactions.
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