Question:
When I was growing up, a friend's mother had this axiom: "After laughing comes crying." She was right -- about her family, at least, because every attempt at horseplay ended with someone bruised or crying.My cats' version of this seems to be: "After licking comes biting." They've lived together for over seven years, and every licking love-fest ends with one biting the other. I've talked to friends who have multiple cats and they've noticed the same phenomenon. What gives? Why can't one cat just get up and walk away?.
D.P., Minneapolis, MN Oct 09, 2005
Answer:
Cats often groom each other before and also after play-fighting. Reciprocal grooming/licking reinforces the kinship bond. Once the bond is affirmed, rather like one dog soliciting play by bowing in front of another dog, a sudden attack is understood as not serious and as an invitation to play-fight. Those who don't "make up" until later may still be working out unresolved dominance issues, or enjoy some physical contact and, when it becomes too intense, they scuffle and avoid each other for a while before making-up again.This fickle nature of felines is mirrored in how people sometimes relate to each other. But many people don't behave in this manner, nor do most cats -- just certain individual personalities who mesh more amicably with some. This is especially the case with cats (and people) who have similar temperaments.
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