Fighting or playing?

[NeedACleverNN]

Toots seems to have made a friend with a black and white cat.

It looks only a bit older than her as its slightly bigger and whenever it comes to garden she flies out to it.

I thought at first they were fighting but there's no yowling, hissing or arching of the backs.

They sit opposite each other and bat each other with a paw. Or one will sit on the wall and the other will jump up and swipe at them.

The paw batting looks a bit aggressive at times but again there's no raised fur or yowling.

It sounds rather like 'play-fighting'! At the worst, testing each other out to see who's dominant without actual fisticuffs.

There's usually little doubt when two cats dislike each other and/or are really having a go. Is the other cat a male or female do you think?

Sounds like play. Asbo used to bat paws with the ginger & black cats who lived near us when we first got him. The B&W pair over the road bat paws at each other.

You can't really miss a fight, it's loud.

I think the b and w cat is female but I'm not 100% sure

It won't let me close enough to have a look. I definitely can't see any bollocks though

It sounds OK then. Maybe just keep a weather eye on them in the beginning to check that there's not going to be any falling out.

My two have "mad time" every evening where they chase each other round the house, ambush each other, and wrestle. That normally starts with one of them (usually Boycat) biffing at the other with a paw quite hard to get the other in the mood. When they get down to the wrestling bit, it can look really alarming with what looks like teeth in each others necks, ears back, jumping on each other with extreme force etc - they really look like they are going for it & trying to hurt eacv other. First few times I saw this I watched very closely, and realised that the claws never came out except for hanging on to the furniture they were trying not to fall off, and no hissing or yowling.

Then they settle down to a mutual grooming session on their end of the sofa, they really adore each other & both were very distressed when I door between them got shut recently for a couple of hours. So I would guess play .

Need, my furballs do this. I thought it was fighting but you've made me realise it isn't. I could t understand why they seem to hate each other but are totally reliant on the other. When I'd been told they had to go together as they were inseparable. One is much more dominant than the other so it's clearly just about establishing who is boss. Thanks!

Though it is quite funny watching them actively avoid the other!