aggressive kitten

I recently had a cat die at the age of 4 of heart failure. I didn't have any plans to replace him, but while buying toys for one of my other cats we saw this adorable kitten who was oddly enough the spitting image of my previous cat, and had the most amazing personality. I still wasn't going to get him, but after visiting him once or twice, my friends surprised me with him a week later.

I separated him from the other 2 for about a week and let them smell each other from under the door, then slowly introduced short periods of playtime under observation. I named the kitten Crash, he was 5 months old. He's now nearly 8 months old, and is longer than either of the other 2 cats (one was my deceased cat's sister and is also 4, the other is 5 1/2) and very active and playful.

In fact maybe too playful he's very rough with the other 2, particularly the older one who has a very close relationship with me, and I'm having difficulty getting him to be more gentle or stop attacking her. I yell at him, shove him off her, I've tried spritzing him with water, but he likes water, in fact he seems to like almost everything. I'm not going to hit him, but I was hoping someone here who knows more about cat behavior and training than myself can give me advice how to get him to be nicer to his siters,

Thanks!

If your other cats don't mind Crash's rough play, neither should you. If he gets out of hand the others will definitely tell him. Cats at his age up to 2 years old have the strength of an adult but the curiosity and playfulness of a kitten. If the others cannot seem to handle it, you can just put Crash on "time out". Short period of solitary confinement will calm him down.

It sounds to me that he is trying to get your attention by aggressive play attacking the others, and it is working! Cats are extremists, they waist no time in getting straight to whatever achieves their goals! I suggest giving him extra play time, interactive toys like the bird or others, this will help drain that energy he is targeting on the others.
Happy Holidays!

We rescued a really aggressive feral - one that was so mean to other cats, while still part of the feral colony, he sent two kittens to the hospital for stitches!

First of all, he's still a kitten, and he's both playing and testing. The other kitties will usually let him know their limits, and if ears aren't flat, tails aren't flaired, and it doesn't look like blood is going to be drawn, it's really best to let them work it out. You're communicating to him that he shouldn't be aggessive doesn't mean anything to him - but the cat he's being to aggressive with hitting him in the head and hissing at him will mean something to him! The kitty that doesn't like his attention will learn to avoid him. Or will play - until it's too much or too aggressive.

And to work off all that kitten energy, it is a GREAT idea to give him extra play time. Get out those wand toys, that red dot laser toy - and RUN HIM AROUND for 10 - 15 minutes, minimum, per day. Even better to get it in both in the morning and the evening.

But with our aggressive, energetic boy, we found that extra play time with just him (which often meant taking him into a separate room and closing the door) really helped diffuse some of that kitty energy.

More than likely, he'll mellow with time. Until then? Give his sisters extra attention so they know they're still special to you. Give him that extra play time - and let his sisters do the talking. Unless he's cornered one of them and they won't say "no" - then I agree. Take him to the bathroom for a five minute time out. Talking harshly won't help - but I would explain to him that his aggressive play is sometimes just too much.



Laurie

Aw, kittens. They seem to have boundless energy.

Especially if they are anxious in a new place. That nervous energy gets translated into restless activity.

I found the #1 thing to calm down my rescued boy was lots of food, offered six times a day. He was skin and bones when we got him, so food was his anxiety trigger. If he was hungry, or even if he thought about hungry, it would lead to mad dashing around and crazed behavior. When I fed him, he calmed right down and became the love bug he really is.

Be on the lookout for things that calm down your troubled one. Certain play sessions? Another cat? Attention from you? Something is going to make him feel secure, and you want to offer than as much of that as possible.

I agree with yayi, you should not attempt to intervene unless the situation is looking dangerous. You may be inadvertantly causing more tension between the kitties when you intervene. I did this the first few days after Hypnos came home, and my hubby pointed out that my hovering was probably ratcheting up tensions. Sure enough, when I let Ares and Hypnos play without standing over them, they quickly became friends and established appropriate play boundaries.