cat fights?

[mmain]

Two female cats that spit and hiss at each other but sometimes they tap each other on the head with their paws is this fighting or playing?

[k8bailey]

if they're hissing, they're fighting! we have two male cats who play fight all the time, but they never hiss at each other, but if they meet a strange cat their fur stands on end and they hiss and growl!

[kazooandco]

Hi, yes they are fighting but giving themselves space, as the taps on the head are like warning shots!
So they are warning each other all the time, but it is possible that one day they might go in to a full blown fight. It is a power struggle!

[kaylamay]

I have both males and females that will repeatedly thump each other. Just last night one of my females got jealous of a male laying next to me so she hauled off and "thwacked" him multiple times over the head(lightning speed too) but he got in one good thwack of his own that left her with a bloody scratch down her cute little pink nose. Serves her right! Sometimes even i get "thwacked" if i have dared to pick up a kitty that just didn't want to be picked up. To me it's just like siblings pushing and punching each other, but i do have to sometimes break up some knock down drag out hissing, spiting, growling, shrieking, nail extended fur raised cat fights. The older kittens will play fight each other although sometimes one will get carried away and the other will yelp and run off. But mostly we get thumping and quick succession thwacking if someone is irritated.
Mikala