Kitten antagonizing older cat that has a defense, but no offense...

We have a six to seven month old kitten that just wont leave our 4 year old cat alone (both are females) ever since we have got the kitten she bites and constantly harasses our older cat , the older cat has always been a nice cat and just wont hurt a fly... she refuses to bite the kitten (which is probably what needs to happen) she does growl at her, which has little or no effect... We are getting very sick of this "superiority battle" or whatever this continuously endless behaviour is , it is making the older cat not want to be in the same room or even the house with the kitten...
this has been going on for over 4 months can anyone HELP please? We're at our ropes end , we have tried squirting the kitten, putting her in her kennel as a punishment, seperating the two and nothing works . Is this normal and if so how long will it last? And if not does anyone have any suggestions of what we can do.
Thanks in advance

First of all, Welcome to TCS! I'm glad you could join us here! You have come to the right place for your questions! Everyone here on TCS is very friendly, and willing to help. If you ever need any help finding your way around TCS, click on my user-name and send me a private message.

I also see your from Iowa I actually was born there.... nice place!

Originally Posted by powerpurr

We have a six to seven month old kitten that just wont leave our 4 year old cat alone (both are females)

Click to expand...

Are both females spayed?

ever since we have got the kitten she bites and constantly harasses our older cat , the older cat has always been a nice cat and just wont hurt a fly... she refuses to bite the kitten (which is probably what needs to happen) she does growl at her, which has little or no effect... We are getting very sick of this "superiority battle" or whatever this continuously endless behaviour is , it is making the older cat not want to be in the same room or even the house with the kitten...

Click to expand...

Oh boy! Well, you do need to remember that you have a kitten. Kittens will sometimes be more hyper and playful then older cats. Still that's no excuse for rough behavior! In order to put a end to rough behavior between the two, you just need to teach them that it's simply not acceptable. The kitten doesn't know much better, so it's up to you to let her know. I have a link here that you can click on to find more out more info on Playtime Aggression. It's a pretty good article, I suggest you reading it!

this has been going on for over 4 months can anyone HELP please? We're at our ropes end , we have tried squirting the kitten, putting her in her kennel as a punishment, separating the two and nothing works .

Click to expand...

I heard that it's not very good to squirt the cats with water. I'm sure everyone has their own views on this topic though. Instead of separating them and punishing them for it. Have you tried turning the aggression to something else? Like playing with them with a laser toy, or fishing pole toy? My PHX LOVES those fishing pole toys, it really tires him out! Maybe your kitty needs more exercise?

Is this normal and if so how long will it last? And if not does anyone have any suggestions of what we can do. Thanks in advance

Click to expand...

I would check out that article that I linked for you. It should help you understand this a little bit better. If you have any other questions though, feel free to post them here! Good Luck, and keep us updated!

power, please stop worrying about this and let the cats work it out. do not intervene and for heaven's sake do not "squirt" your kitten anymore! just as the title of your post suggests, your 4 yr. old cat is quite capable of "defending" herself. cats hiss, run, jump each other, etc., all the time. it's called "play fighting". it's nothing. the only time you should intervene is if a fight escalates to the point that blood is being drawn. in that case, it's a "real" cat fight and you'll know it! run for a blanket to throw over one of their heads to break up the fight and also to protect yourself from being bitten/clawed. otherwise, stay out of it and don't worry.....

Oh my, you have a playful kitten!

Whenever you try to correct a behavior in a cat, think of trying to teach a human child in school. If all you ever taught them was that 2 + 2 does not equal 5, they might stumble upon the fact that it equals 4, but only after a lot of frustration and trial and error. In the mean time, every body is angry and the child doesn't learn a thing.

Squirting a kitten with a water bottle (NO, IT DOES NOT EQUAL 5!!) or placing them in a carrier (GO SIT IN THE CORNER UNTIL YOU GET IT RIGHT!!) does not teach the kitten proper behavior. Kittens need to be taught the proper behavior. A mom cat does that until they are weaned, and unfortunately, we human parents must take over that job when they are older.

What positive lesson are you trying to teach? What behavior do you want them to exhibit? When they do something that you don't want them to do, give them an acceptable alternative. Tell them NO about the behavior, then get them engaged with interactive toys, and praise the heck out of them when they use them.

Every kitten is different but most are motivated by play. Find the toys that your kitten loves and redirect them consistently and constantly. It may take a little while, but eventually they get it.

Hang in there - this will pass if you turn it into a positive learning experience!