What does this cat behavior mean/say?

Right now there is one little kitten sharing our house with us in addition to my two kittens and seven year old cat Pixel.

Just now the little kitten was snuggling next to me on a pillow on the sofa. Pixel walked up and faced the kitten, face about nine inches away. She closed her eyes and made a sort of growl, not really her typical "I dislike you kittens" growl, but a very soft grrrrr nonetheless.

The eyes squinted closed seemed deliberate.

Any ideas what this meant?

Chances are she was just gently reminding the kitten that she's the big cat, was there first, and is in charge! So long as she's not physically attacking the kitten, growling and hissing is okay and should be ignored by the humans in the house so that the kits can figure out the pecking order. If it makes you nervous, keep them separated while you are out of the house or can't be watching them.

Originally Posted by Vik61

Right now there is one little kitten sharing our house with us in addition to my two kittens and seven year old cat Pixel.

Just now the little kitten was snuggling next to me on a pillow on the sofa. Pixel walked up and faced the kitten, face about nine inches away. She closed her eyes and made a sort of growl, not really her typical "I dislike you kittens" growl, but a very soft grrrrr nonetheless.

The eyes squinted closed seemed deliberate.

Any ideas what this meant?

Click to expand...

In my opinion, those two things are contradictory. So perhaps it was an "I don't like you that much, so keep away from me, but I'll let you hang around" growl...

This is a new kitten, yes but I have two other kittens who are not as new and Pixel let's them know in no uncertain terms she is top cat. In all the time this new behavior stuff has been going on, which has been for many weeks now, I've never seen her do this thing where she closes her eyes, squinting like that....Just with this one kitten.

It wasn't her typical warning. If I didn't know better I'd say it was something else. I'll keep an eye on her just in case it meant, "Three is too many; you're a gonner little kitten."

soft sounds, and closed eyes? If looks very friendly to me.


My guess is it was some form of try to make friends / show she isnt any enemy.