Adopted stray plays a little rough?

meruumeruu

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A couple weeks ago this little calico wandered into our driveway and started rubbing all over us and following us everywhere. She was so skinny and pitiful we gave her a bath, fed her, named her Kiki, and set her up a little fenced in area of the yard with a house, food dish, and makeshift litter box for nighttime. (We have a raccoon problem. The pen is for her safety until she gets big enough to handle them.) 

We took her to the vet got her all checked, and she's perfectly healthy so we decided to keep her. Now, the same day we took her to the vet we were also taking our two other cats, a brother and sister, to get fixed. Before this we didn't really let them mingle because we weren't sure if she was healthy. We let them meet in a controlled situation to determine if they would get along and they seemed to get along fine. Priscilla(our girl) didn't seem to care about the new cat at all, and Jinx(our boy) was just interested in her and wanted to play....though at first the new cat really threw him for a loop and every time he saw his sister he had to sniff her as if to make sure it was her. This may be because they had a sister who was also a calico, and he thought maybe it was her. At first Kiki was scared but eventually she warmed up to them. But after vet trip, Kiki got to be what seemed like the only cat for a while. Our siblings were at the vet for a day, and afterwards they couldn't go outside(vets orders). She didn't see them anymore. 

Now it's been a little over a week and we're letting them out to play. Their stitches and wounds are almost completely healed, and they're very energetic. Kiki and Jinx play what looks like tag. She'll run up and tackle him then run away and he'll chase, then they switch. Though...sometimes she'll tackle him and be attacking him and he'll just keep walking, like he doesn't even care. For the most part she and Priscilla don't play much. There's a little tail attacking here and there on Kiki's part, but not much else. 

Yesterday, I'm not sure what happened. My boyfriend was outside with them and I hear him shouting for me. I come out and he says that Kiki was playing with Priscilla and Jinx hissed really loudly, grabbed her by the neck, and pulled her away. By the time I got out there though, it didn't really seem like anything at all had happened. The cats didn't seem upset or shaken up or aggressive in any way. Then, we were sitting out there and Kiki jumped Jinx, and at first it seemed like playing, there was no hissing or growling, but it was a little rough. This time Jinx was fighting her back too, though he looked like he couldn't decide whether to bite her or bathe her. Suddenly Jinx yelped and I think it's because Kiki bit him a little too close to his wound. They were separated and Kiki immediately turned and jumped Priscilla. Priscilla ended up on her back with Kiki going for the stomach and they were immediately separated for fear that Kiki would open Priscilla's stitches. Kiki then just went back and forth trying to get to each cat and being removed each time. This went on scattered over about half an hour, with the other cats leaving and returning to the porch. She finally stopped when I semi-shouted no at her and put Jinx in my lap. After that she was perfectly behaved, and has been as far as I know ever since. 

Is she playing too rough because she doesn't know better? She's still pretty much a kitten. Her top row of teeth are still baby teeth according to the vet, and she displays kitten-like behaviors like sticking out her tongue. My boyfriend suggested that we let them fight it out so she learns who the alpha is but I don't think that's a good idea and I'm also not sure our cats have a hierarchy like that. For a long time it's just been Jinx and Priscilla, and Jinx defers to his sister. He lets her eat food first, he will even drop his treats for her if she walks up to him while he's eating. I think this may be because their sister Isabelle, who we had until they were four/five months when she got out of the yard and was hit by a car, used to refuse her siblings food. She was becoming the biggest one, and used to whap the others on the head and hiss and growl if they tried to eat when she was around. She wasn't the calico, but I think it may affect their three cat dynamic. They aren't used to having that third cat around and their memories of a third cat aren't always good ones. Otherwise they all got along with their sister but there's no denying she was a bully. After she died Priscilla became much more adventurous and playful, and also less skinny. I'm not sure if it affected Jinx in any way. They're almost a year old now so it's been a while of just them.

Sorry if I put too much information I just wanted to make sure I covered everything.
 

yayi

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You worry too much 
 Actually your cats are behaving quite normal. Priscilla and Jinx are aware that Kiki is a kitten and they're behaving like big sis and big bro. If Kiki gets to be a bit pesky I am sure they'll put her in her place. Cats do have a kind of hierarchy. I think it's their way of getting along. I do not think that Priscilla's and Jinx's memories of Isabelle (if any) affect their relationship with Kiki. 
 
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