Why are female disagreements called "cat fights?"?

Because we fight in an alarmingly similar way to cats.

Pussy?

I think it’s the hair. Have you ever seen the exact spot where two cats mixed it up?

Cat fight makes plenty of sense sound-wise. There is substantial similarity in the overall aural drama, pace and impression.

Women fighting is usually depicted as biting and scratching, like cats, not punching and kicking as with men.

Also, for years men have controlled the media.

Wowow these are all sexist answers.

Truly am I the only one who gets annoyed with this sort of demeaning generalizations?

Thanks for the answers tho, even if I don’t like them, hehehe!

I’ve never been in a cat fight, I just cold cock ‘em. lol
Waaay back when I was a young lass and had a few altercations.

Yes, I think it’s a stereotype for lots of hissing and swatting and yowling.

~

Because calling them pussy brawls just sounds rude?

Fighting women are a rare event, almost like space shuttle launches, spectacular, they draw a crowd so they get a name that differentiates from the norm.

A few months ago I pointed out that cats are girls and dogs are boys. I think we just associate those animals with those particular genders. Maybe it has to do with how women physically fight? Men are more likely to throw punches or pin each other down like in wrestling, while women are more likely to claw, scratch, and maybe even tumble.

Because a lot of women are prone to “hissy fits”, much more so than men are. They like to fight over petty things, and in doing so are great at verbalizing it and acting bitchy. The unfortunate thing is that cats get a bad name because of such human behavior, because when they fight they hiss and scratch too. But I can excuse a cat for it doesn’t know any better. A human who does that? No. Lol.

@MRSHINYSHOES No, men throw fits more than women do. Society just calls men’s petty squabbles different names. Names that sound more dignified, because male pride is easily wounded.

@athenasgriffin But women do a lot more squabbling than men do. That’s why they call it squabbling like hens, when women “hen-peck” men, when a man enters a room full of arguing women——the henhouse. You don’t hear men squabbling. They cock-a-doodle-doo! Hehe. ;)

Pity the chick who rumbles with long hair and big hoopy ear rings.

I have been handing out lurve to all who take the time to answer my question, but I just can’t do it for @MRSHINYSHOES. That is just such a load of baloney. I have worked in situations where males were predominant and let me tell you, there was plenty of petty squabbling, hissy fits and infighting. It just didn’t have such a demeaning name. It was probably written off as males being competitive. I often had to chuckle and would think to myself that women get such a bad rap and men are just as bad if not worse.

What do they call it if it’s 2 gay men duking it out? Not a cat fight? Maybe a snit? Hissy fits?

@MRSHINYSHOES I have witnessed a number of outbursts by a number of men that can only be described as “hissy fits.” Trust me. The only reason that no one called them that is due to the same prejudices, double standards, stereotyping and sexism in the minds of other people that exist in your mind. Men throw hissy fits all the time, trust me, and it ain’t pretty, I’ll tell you that.

Looks like a ruffled a few “hen-feathers” here. Hehe. ;)

@rooeytoo You’re surprised by his answer? Does he let his wife out of the kitchen enough to ever get into a catfight?

I haven’t seen any men throw hissy fits. It’s more like shit talking or my lawyer will be in touch.. The phenomenon of the “wussification or the American male” makes the more violent ass kicking less appropriate in American culture..Right now society is approving of this, especially woman but there is going to be some serious backlash if men keep going this way. They will lose all respect even from women. You can’t have it both ways- the sensitive guy and the guy who will knock someone out of his shoes for bothering you at the shopping center. It’s expected there’s going to be some blood when men go at it. We want it. We don’t expect woman to go all cromagnon on each other so when it does happen it’s a novelty and unless it’s for the purpose of genuine self defense it is looked down upon and is why they get the unflattering labels when they battle.

@MRSHINYSHOES At least in my case, I’m just calling it the way I see it, the way it is.

I’m willing to bet that the origin of the phrase, for women, came from a man (probably someone like @MRSHINYSHOES). Personally, I think it’s called catfighting because of how vocal many women can be (whilst fighting). I don’t think it’s the scratching and hairpulling.

Also, I’ve seen many men throw hissy fits ..they just tend to do it differently than women.

Interestingly, Wikipedia says this about it. It’s amazing the term has been around since the 1800’s.

@woodcutter It’s not women’s fault that men can’t find some middle ground between kicking the shit out of somebody’s ass and being decent, caring and “sensitive”. My father, and maybe I’m a little biased, didn’t have any problem being a good man, a good husband, a good father, a good provider, and being capable of all the caring and decency that comes with being those things, ... and being a man who didn’t take shit from anyone. If you or any other man has trouble figuring out how to do that, it’s not the fault of women.

Because girls fight like cats. Just watch cats fight then you can understand why. The girls tend to scream more than fight same as cats.

Of course everything is based on generalization but women are known for having more passion during combat. Hell, women are suspicious of each other to start with and they may be set off my something very minor but they are out to destroy each other with the scratching and hair pulling, kicking, etc it’s more brutal in some cases to the point if someone doesn’t work up the balls to split them apart there will be some big time damage. It’s deeper with them, they are in it to win it. Also women are __generaly__ looked upon as the more level headed of the species and comes as a shock and disbelief when it comes to combat. Pissed off women are dangerous and don’t fight logically.
I don’t think the term catfight is demeaning. it’s the females who demean themselves by resorting to combat. Remember my first sentence here ^^

@woodcutter It seems like you haven’t personally known many women. Certainly not enough to draw generalizations of them.

@lillycoyote Ah, now we are assigning fault? Sure there are people who can alter their character. But someone who is “wussified” to the point that it is his major trait, he will be hard pressed to roundhouse somebody.to stop any bullshit from expanding further.. They more than likely will try to use gentle persuasion (talking) to stop a threat and that won’t cut it. Men don’t change that much between courtship and marriage, unless its for the worst. A woman knows what she’s getting up front. The soft spoken nerd or a flannel shirt wearing heavy hitter, there aint no way to slide that by a woman who’s paying attention.

@PluckyDog everything that I just submitted is real and you know it. It just looks like shit printed right out there in front for all to see but we both know….we both know.

@woodcutter There are two problems with your statements. First, you assume women “wussify” men. This is simply untrue. A woman cannot change a man unless he wants to change. Men are not “wussified.” Some may choose not to be masculine by your ridiculous standards.
Second, Violence is not proof of a man’s masculinity. That notion is outdated and absurd.

Round our way we like to call that a verbal altercation which may escalate into fisticuffs.
We’re quite the posh nobs don’t you know? ;¬}

@woodcutter No. Half of what you said makes no sense to me. Maybe in your locale it makes sense. I’ve seen plenty of men freak out on one another ..violently too. This “wussification” thing ..yeah, I have not seen that. You must live in an odd corner of the world. Then again, I’m Canadian.
And, what do gay men have to do with anything regarding women fighting?

@athenasgriffin I challenge you to copy and paste any words of mine where I say its woman’s fault. i think there is some confusion about this with a couple members. it’s not woman it’s society in general. Not women, men are trending to be more passive and I’m not sure why but it’s not women. Men don’t have to do half the stuff they did just 10 years ago. Everything’s automated, could be why the men are going soft. Even in the Army the drill instructors have to be sensitive so as not to intimidate new recruits. Maybe its the sign of the times and men don’t really need to be strong but it’s just a bad Idea to continue this trend. Lifting weights don’t cut it either.
Also you have misunderstood the word “violence” in the context of this discussion. Random wanton violence by men is not what I mean, and you know that, so that was a pretty cheap shot at calling me out. Anyway we sort of strayed from the original discussion about women fighting but as long as we are sliding that direction then fine. Surely you aren’t suggesting that a man who can handle himself in a fight is just going to go around and knock the shit out of everyone he meets? No. There are times though when there is no other option but to do combat. Bad people are abound and they look like you or me and for self defense there is a certain handiness to put down someone who is being agressive toward you or your souse, friends, etc. Those are the good fights. if there is such a thing.
The kind of fights that women fire up are most likely not about stopping a mugger. it could be about some personal thing…they both want the same guy or one saw some shoes that the other claimed to have seen first, it could be anything.. Barring alcohol influence the gals are going to go at it for often less than honorable reasons. Because fighting is bad really if its about something dumb and the gals are going to be called cat fighters. trust me with some of the fight damage some of them recieve being called that is the least of their worries.

@woodcutter It’s called evolving.

Excellent response, @PluckyDog.

@PluckyDog Like you said you are Canadian but I won’t hold it against you

When you spoke of the “wussification” of men, whatever the hell that means, you said “Right now society is approving of this, especially woman but there is going to be some serious backlash if men keep going this way.” That is, in part blaming women for the “wussification” of men, again, whatever the hell that means, because they are supporting it. You also said “You can’t have it both ways- the sensitive guy and the guy who will knock someone out of his shoes for bothering you at the shopping center.” I am assuming by “you” you mean woman.

Am I wrong? That women want men who are tough and will defend and protect them but also want them sensitive, but can’t have it both ways? And yes, sometimes we like that you are physically stronger than us and have our backs, who wouldn’t want that, but the idea that we want you to beat the crap out of someone at the mall for hitting on us to the point that there is blood, no, most of us don’t want that. And the idea, the implication than men are capable of only two modes: beating the bloody crap out of someone and being a wuss is an insult to men.

I’m the one who first made it a matter of fault or blame in response to something you said, so if you can clerify this I would appreciated it. But, then again, you were the one who claimed men didn’t never had “hissy fits” which is only a matter of perception and semantics and that men were somehow going down that very dangerous path towards “wussification.”

Metrosexual – I always thought it was sex in the subway.

And, ugh, that should have been clarify not clerify but it’s too late to fix it now. I will be forced to give back all my Perfecto-Fish now, for being a big, fat Imperfecto-Fish.

@lillycoyote “I will be forced to give back all my Perfecto-Fish now, for being a big, fat Imperfecto-Fish.”

Congrats- you’ve increased the gap between our PFA’s!

@lillycoyote DiD I really say that men never have hissy fits? Really? You’re a very passionate person when it comes to feminism and I respect that I really do and I can see you have become upset with things I have done. But it’s really looking like you’ve chosen to interpret my words in a way to prove some point? But look closely just one more time and check that one for Us.^^

@woodcutter The reason people have chosen to take your words offensively is because they are offensive. It has seemed to me, and to others that you are blaming women for some perceived weakness in men.

The thing about offense is you don’t get to judge your words as offensive or inoffensive. We do.

@woodcutter You said:

“__I haven’t seen any men throw hissy fits. It’s more like shit talking or my lawyer will be in touch.“__

I assumed that since you were very clear that you never seen a man throw a hissy fit that the implication was that it didn’t happen. Perhaps I read to much into it.

@woodcutter Women are suspicious of each other? I am sure there are women like this, but I don’t think it is close to being the majority. And, I think women get very amped up, crazy mad when they feel like they are being taken advantage of or mistreated, because typically men and boys have done a real number on them their whole lives, beginning at a very early age. We learn a defensive posture to stand up for ourselves. We then use it on everyone not just men when. Thos same feeling are triggered. The more balanced and calm someone is, probably the more fair and calm their childood and life in general has been.

On a nother note, I am disgusted that men resort to fighting and drawing blood all too often. And, I think that is more likely to be a certain type of guy, not a man I am attracted to. One thing to defend oneself, but to want to start the physical fight, that is just stupid.

Hen-feathers! Squabble, squabble!....peck..peck..! Lol.

@JLeslie I’m not implying this behavior is rampant. It is the exception even down here in the southwest. and lots of people here have pistols to the point that no one can be sure there isn’t one so politeness almost always prevails.I believe alcohol being the catalyst most of the time is why we can only buy 3% beer.

@JLeslie yes, that would be an understatement ;)

@athenasgriffin Sigh….here we go again. Not assigning blame to women, et al. Just to be clear we are still discussing the term of cat fights, right? Some threads tangent so I think that is whats happening. But the fact is, men generally are getting wussier. It’s not some percieved weakness in men. Maybe it’s a good thing and maybe it isn’t. I just happen to believe it isn’t. We all strive to not use extreme examples to prop up things we are using to try to impress a point. The best we can realistically do is to _generalize__ if there is no hard and fast fact one way or another.
If you have been watching me here on Fluther you by now should understand that I will use generalizations because nobody can know everything about everything. I’m not going to allow myself to be trapped in a place by proclaiming a position that can be disproved. Some may call that practice ambiguous or chickenshit. I call it being smart. Trust me I’m not that complicated so that methodology is as old as the hills. What it does do, is to draw out any uncompromising P. C. hardliners who are dead set on what they believe. I see what is there and I say what I see, and its going to rub some people the wrong way. It’s what I do.
It’s a tight line to walk when conversing with hard liners no matter what topic. You either agree with them or you agree with them more. Anything less means you are just wrong or“uninformed” and judge the differing ideas to be offensive. In reality all that’s happening is different points of view.

@woodcutter What is P.C.? You’ve used it a couple times in this thread. Just wondering what it stands for.

It’s the kind of language we use to avoid getting into a fight about….nothing. @PluckyDog
If you search “political correct” there are about 10 discussions about it.

@woodcutter Ah I see. I know what politically correct means. I didn’t know what your abbreviation stood for (I don’t think I’ve ever seen the term in put into abbreviation actually).

@PluckyDog It could be we are in the age of text speak everything gets made as small as possible and still be recognized. It might have started when the US became 2 distinct and opposite countries and more politically angry. Its just easier to say because it’s became so common so everybody gets it.

(If I were a man I would be embarrassed by the behavior of @MRSHINYSHOES, he is acting a bit of an ignoranus, and that is NOT a typo, actually I believe he is acting, dare I say it, catty and bitchy!)