2yr old male Savanna won't stop harassing 5 yr old male Bengal, please help!

[ogkitty]

My 2yr old savanna, Icarus, has a ton of energy and we make sure to play with him every day. The savanna plays and sleeps with my 5yr old bengal. Most of the time the get along just fine, except about once a day they will start playing then the savanna takes it too far and the bengal gets very upset, and the savanna just won't stop attacking him. They've never drawn blood, but I know my bengal is really upset and just wants to be left alone.

I'm considering getting a spray bottle to spray the savanna when he plays too rough. Thoughts on this? Any other solutions besides separating them, we do this when we have to be generally they benefit from being together. Also, when I leave town I don't want to worry about them torturing each other when I or the sitter isn't there.

 

[p3 and the king]

Spray bottles are stupid concept thought up by someone who had no understanding of cats.  Why?  They become desensitized quickly to it.  Cats do not respond well to our "punishments."  This is a normal Savannah thing from what I understand.  Basically what I would do is just firmly say "NO" if you see he is starting to go to far.  Or you can spray Ssssssssssssst Cat (compressed air) at his direction.  It works better than a spray bottle.  It will distract him long enough so that you can calmly just separate the two for awhile.  Have their own rooms and space.  Don't think of it as punishment.  Sometimes cats need a "time out" when they are overstimulated and upset.  After a few minutes, when you feel they've calmed down you can open the doors and if they choose to, they can come out or just stay in.  You gave them the power and the choice then, so that is what makes it not a punishment.

 

[mani]

Sometimes just a good old motherly 'hiss' works wonders in this situation.

And distraction.. a favourite toy.

 

[ogkitty]

My biggest worry is how to get him to stop long-term so that I don't have to worry about the bengal getting stressed out when we're out of town and a sitter is watching them. I've tried the loud NO, but the savannah is completely unfazed by our angry words. Separating them works, but only short term. I just really worry about them when I'm not their to separate them.