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Old cat wants to play, new kitten wants to fight?

post #1 of 13
9/26/10 at 7:28am
Thread Starter 
Old cat wants to play, new kitten wants to fight?

Seems like a role reversal is going on. Usually the old cat is not wanting to play, but the kitten does; but, in this case it appears to be the opposite. Thoughts? Approaches to curbing the kitten's attitude?

Video of behavior:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGBI3vPw3tw
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post #2 of 13
9/26/10 at 7:30am
Thread Starter 
Other information:

They were doing fine through the door and when I had them seperated via a gate, a little hiss here and there, but nothing indicating a strong aggressive attitude. No realy fighting, the older one is just bopping him, but I am semi-cautious about the kitten taking out his eye with those razorblades of his.

Also, when I feel them near each other, they are split by the water bowl (2 ft apart approximately), the kitten always wants to go eat his food. Just a bunch of hissing.
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post #3 of 13
9/26/10 at 4:19pm
It looks and sounds like a lot of show from a little kitten. Your big guy seems to be excepting him just fine, as you said trying to interact. How old are they? Do you trim their claws?
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post #4 of 13
9/26/10 at 4:54pm
I don't see anything wrong with the behavior. They're working out the dominance issue and who's going to be the top cat. Keep an eye on them and keep their claws trimmed. Keep a towel nearby. If you think it's getting too intense, use the towel to "herd" one of the cats away into a different area or room.

For the eating, it's perfectly normal for the kitten to want to eat his food as well as any other food in the area. He'll eventually learn that "his" food is in "his" bowl, but you'll have to teach him. Just stand guard and redirect him back to his bowl/feeding area.

Time and patience is the rule of the day.
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post #5 of 13
9/26/10 at 7:56pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the reassuring posts.

Yes, I try to trim their claws once they begin to develop that sharpness to them, but not too much to nick the quick.

Also, I still isolate the kitten to his room during nights and while I am away at school.
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post #6 of 13
9/26/10 at 9:38pm
How old are your kitties?
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post #7 of 13
9/26/10 at 10:24pm
When I watched the video I saw the same thing, just two cats trying to work out who's the big cheese.

I wouldn't worry too much and just let them work it out on their own, as long as the spats aren't becoming too aggressive I think its normal for them to have occasional issues.

I have a feeling this will taper off as your kitten gets a little older and less bull-headed.

Good luck though! And definitely keep those claws trimmed. But remember that cat's rarely ever injure each other when fighting, its more of a dominance battle than an all-out bloody war.
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post #8 of 13
9/27/10 at 9:43am
Thread Starter 
Pots, the littlest one is ~10weeks; and Leo, the larger one, is ~4months.
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post #9 of 13
9/27/10 at 9:50am
Ack! You should have put a warning on that video. Do not click if your cats can hear it! I had to quickly turn it down and convince my cats that it was nothing - Tanna had already started growling. (in my house those two would have both been jumped on, with the lesser favorite getting put in their place)

Given their reaction, the two are being a tad excessive. I see more that Leo is trying to dominate (though not really roughly) and that Pots is just not having any of it and is overly defensive.

They're young, though, so they should work it out. Then they're turn their collective kitten energy into driving you crazy instead. You may try verbally correcting them some. If you think they're going too far tell them to knock it off and leave each other be.
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post #10 of 13
9/29/10 at 1:26pm
good god u do not let a tiny kitten like that fend for itself agiasnt an adult cat please protect ur cat till it gets big enough the other cat is way to rough with it i actually found the film disturbing


i cant believe the posts here you do not let something that young work it out with something that big and strong !

the kitten is being bullied
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post #11 of 13
9/29/10 at 1:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bengalite View Post
Pots, the littlest one is ~10weeks; and Leo, the larger one, is ~4months.
Here's the thing, the 10 week old is very young and literally just entering his exploring state. Your 4 month old is in full play mode. A lot of play time for the older kitten, and nurturing time for the younger kitten. Keep them separated when your not around and when your sleeping. The young one needs a few more weeks to catch up......
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post #12 of 13
9/29/10 at 3:09pm
Thread Starter 
Update: They're sleeping with each other and the younger kitten is now chasing the older kitten around. Seems like they'll be buds for life. I have to still stop the smaller kitten from pushing the older kitten from his food and eating it, haha.

As for the film being disturbing... ooooookay... I was monitoring them closely to ensure Leo wasn't hurting him and would stop if the kitten wanted to be left alone, so after Leo demonstrated his alphaness, the "bullying" subsided and cooperative play increased.
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post #13 of 13
9/29/10 at 3:41pm
Their play looked and sounded worse than it was. Kittens can be overly dramatic little things. I have a female that loves to antagonize the male adult cats in the home and when they finally get annoyed and attempt to put her in her place she gets loud and complains.
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