cat playing too rough and doesn't know when to quit

our oldest cat (3 in march) routinely gets into overly aggressive playful modes where he goes after the other cats in the house. They will all mostly tolerate it and play for a bit but at one point or another they let him know they're done and he won't stop. it gets to the point where our smallest cat is hissing and yelling and we have to chase him off to shut him in another room until he's calmed down. we aren't sure what to do to discourage his behavior but it's getting tense between him and 2 of our cats. any advice?

Welcome to TCS cv1ss

What you can do is you get into the act with him. While they are playing and once you feel that it's getting out of hand, step in and play with with a cat wand and distract his attention from the smaller cat and others.

To discourage him, do not chase him off or close him up in another room. Just divert his attention to you and the toy. If you chase him and lock him up, it means he has some unfinished business and he'll be back at it. Cool him off each time by playing with him. This is a better way to calm him down

thanks so much for the advice! we'll definitely try it out

Once in awhile I would have this problem with my one younger male cat harassing the rest of the girls. It was pretty bad when I first introduced him to the rest of the group but it got better. what your 3 year old is doing is not unusual and eventually he will get the hint if you leave him alone in his harassment, but I agree with Tabby Tom if it rises above mere harassment step in and play to diffuse the situation.