Dear Sinéad and Siouxsie:
You talked about how body language indicates hierarchy among cats. I believe that, but I'm not sure I know all the indicators. I can generally tell who's on the defensive in a confrontation (turning sideways is one sign) and who won it, but I don't feel that I necessarily would recognize all the other signs. Could you tell me what they are?

You might, of course, have put them in a previous column, and I know I've missed some columns. If you've already gone over this, would you point me to the URL of the appropriate column?

Thanks,
The Victoria Cat Lady

Sinéad: Thanks for writing, Victoria. Now that you mention it, I don't believe we ever have given a basic cat body language primer to our readers.

Siouxsie: Since we've pointed out many times how important body language is to us, this is quite an oversight. So this week, we're going to discuss body language in cat confrontations.

Sinéad: In terms of hierarchy, there are a few ways you can tell who is the dominant cat in a territory--whether that territory is a bed, a room, or a whole yard.

Siouxsie: A dominant cat will walk through the middle of an area, while a lower-ranking cat or a cat in someone else's territory will walk around the edges of a room. Usually the cat walking around the edges of the room tends to skulk, or move very quietly, especially if the dominant cat is in the room at the same time.

Sinéad: A dominant cat will easily get another cat to move from the perch that cat wants. So if one kitty is sitting on top of the cat tree and a higher-ranking cat comes along, the lower-ranking cat will either move as soon as the higher-ranking cat shows an interest in his seat or will wait until the higher-ranking cat stares him down or gives him a swat with the front paw.

Siouxsie: Dominant cats will tend to sit in physically higher locations. For example, I'm Top Cat in my house, and my favorite perch is on top of the kitchen cabinets, where I can survey my whole domain. If I want to share Mama's bed with Sinéad and Thomas, I will sit on the pillows so I'm a little bit higher up than the others.

Sinéad: Dominant cats will eat from other cats' dishes if they finish their meals first. This can be a problem if your dominant cat is on a diet because he or she is overweight.

Siouxsie: We dominant cats don't always have to growl and fight to assert our dominance, either. Stare-downs can be quite effective, and they're so subtle that humans generally don't notice them. The cat who blinks or averts his gaze first has lost the stare-down.

Sinéad: Dominant cats also make sure their scent is well distributed. If a lower-ranking cat rubs his scent in an area, the dominant cat will come along and mark that same spot with her scent. That's also why your cat friends may rub their heads on you after you've come back from visiting another cat's house.

Siouxsie: Now, on to aggression and how to tell who's on the defensive and who's on the offensive. I'm giving Mama a visual demonstration right now by having a quarrel with Thomas because he wants to get on Mama's desk and I don't want him to.

Sinéad: The first indication you look for is the position of each cat's ears. The aggressor cat will generally have her ears forward or curled just slightly back. The defensive cat will have his ears literally pinned back flat against his head.

Siouxsie: The second indicator is body position. As you mentioned, Victoria, the defensive cat turns sideways to make himself look bigger, while the aggressor looks at her opponent straight-on.

Sinéad: Tail twitching is something both cats will do, because we cats twitch our tails when we're upset. Defensive cats will generally only twitch the tips of their tails, though, because defensive cats tend to curl their tails tightly around their body. The aggressor will generally be lashing her tail vigorously.

Siouxsie: Another subtle indication is the size of each cat's pupils. Cats that are scared or defensive will generally have very large pupils, while angry or aggressive cats will have small pupils and may be squinting a bit.

Sinéad: Extremely defensive or frightened cats may puff up their fur to make themselves look bigger. That's where we get the image of the "Halloween cat" with the arched back and fur standing on end. Angry cats may have some piloerection (the scientific term for puffing up the fur) on their necks and shoulders.

Siouxsie: If a confrontation gets to the stage where both cats are standing and the defender has his back arched and fur standing, an actual fur-flying fight is imminent. Both cats will probably be vocalizing quite a bit by this time, trading growls and moans and hisses. Mama says we cats are "swearing at each other" when we do this.

Sinéad: If a cat rolls over on its back during a confrontation, this is not a gesture of submission! We cats roll over on our backs so we have all our weapons available for our defense--all four sets of claws and our teeth.

JaneA: If you see two cats in, or just about to get into, a fight, do not try to physically break them up. You risk serious injury if you do that, because both cats are so charged up with adrenalin and other hormones that they won't be able to stop themselves from lashing out at whatever comes their way. People can get very serious infections from cat bites and deep scratches, so you want to avoid getting scratched or bitten by an aggression-crazed cat. If you do get bitten by a cat, you need to see a doctor or go to your hospital emergency room as soon as you can.

Siouxsie: Of course, you shouldn't hit or throw things at two cats involved in a serious confrontation, either. This will just anger the cats more and will not stop them from fighting.

JaneA: The best thing to do if you want to break up two cats about to start fighting is to make a loud noise. This will distract both cats, and they'll probably stop what they're doing and run off in different directions. If you have to break up two cats who are actually in the middle of a fight, you could use a broom and move it between the cats, "sweeping" them in different directions. Again, do not hit the cats with the broom! If the fight is outdoors and you have a garden hose handy, a brief squirt--not a dousing--will probably break up the fight.

Sinéad: After a fight has been broken up, check each cat for injuries. Bites can lead to abscesses, so you want to make sure your cat doesn't have any bite wounds or injuries to the eyes or other sensitive areas. Since the cats will still be very agitated, you might find that a drop or two of Bach Rescue Remedy on top of their heads, stroked in with love and calming words, will help your cats calm down. But remember, if your cat starts growling at you or lashing his tail as you approach, back off and let him calm down some more before checking for injuries.

Siouxsie: If two of your household cats get in a fight, do not punish them after the fact. If we have confrontations, it's sheer instinct, and punishing us for fighting really doesn't do any good.

JaneA: Of course, the best thing is to stop a confrontation before it escalates into a full-fledged fight. I find that if I make a loud noise (usually I clap my hands together hard and say "No!" in a firm voice but not a yell), I can stop a cat confrontation before it goes beyond growls and stare-downs.

Sinéad: The important thing to understand is that cats will have confrontations and territory disputes, and to some degree you humans need to allow these to happen. It's important for us to be able to assert our ranks.

Siouxsie:If cats are staring each other down or growling at one another and things stop there, it's really no big deal and you don't need to intervene. But if you see the more extreme body language we mentioned above, you need to step in and do something to distract the cats before they actually begin fighting.

Sinéad: On a final note, we need to say that spaying or neutering will reduce if not eliminate territorial fighting and unpleasant behavior such as urine spraying, especially among male cats. So if you want peace in your feline household, have your kitties fixed. They'll thank you for it, and you'll thank yourself too.

Siouxsie: Next week, we'll talk more about body language, but we'll be more focused on human-cat interactions.

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail Sinéad and Siouxsie at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the advice in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.