I guess, come to think of it, it's usually Dusty who has her ears back.
So JD is playing rough and Dusty needs to be a little more firm in her come back? I've let her claws go so she's got a little more weaponry than JD does, but they're only rarely out that I can ever see.
JD really doesn't seem to know when enough is enough. For instance, he still waltzes up to Lili like he thinks he can take her down in a strangle hold. I keep telling him she outweighs him by 40 pounds, but he considers that a small impediment to his goal of total domination.
Last night, Dusty and JD were muckin' about out of sight behind the table when I heard Dusty getting a little panicky. When I got them in sight, JD had Dusty in a throat hold--like a lion trying to suffocate an antelope--and he just wouldn't let go until I got him off the ground entirely... She was vocalizing, so probably it wasn't as much of a death grip as it looked, but he had a huge bulge of her neck skin in his mouth.
Once he let go, his body visibly relaxed. Does that sound like normal play? If it is, cats play scary...
Given that she has needle claws right now and he doesn't, maybe I should let her defend herself a little longer before I swoop in for the save?