Need insight into our 4.5 year old VS kitten

[2cat1hub]

I have high hopes that our new kitten will make it to cathood.  Our 4.5yr old cat often gives the new kitten a rough ride.

The behavior involves the older cat chasing, catching and biting the kitten on her neck. But what I do not understand is that he also places the kitten in a lock and tries to get to her abdomen. I read that the neck biting is a (normal) dominant CAT thing but the other behavior is a mystery.

No blood has been shed but the adult cat seems pretty serious and determined has not purred more than a couple times in the 3 weeks we've had the kitten. The kitten squawks at the attacks and I usually break it up using a water mister aimed at the adult cat.

The kitten is still in good spirits and will very often instigate an encounter.  I believe this is play fighting but the adult cat takes it seriously. The kitten follows the adult and will lie down with him and occasionally the older cat will lick the kitten and give him a good face wash but not her whole body.  He usually freaks out and leaves.

The new kitten has not been spayed yet. But the older male is neutered.

My intention is to keep the fighting and nasty encounters to a minimum until the kitten is better able to defend herself.

 

[bijounk]

I would highly recommend not leaving them unattended as your adult cat could seriously injure your little one especially since it sounds like he's really hurting her I don't have much experience with kitten vs. cat relationships so hopefully someone else can be more helpful. Does your little one have a good place to hide where the adult can't get to her?

It does sounds like the relationship is progressing in a positive way though since the adult is bathing and relaxing with the kitten sometimes so I'm sure they'll be buddies I'm sorry I can't be of more help, I'm in the process of introducing cats also lol

Good luck

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

How old is the new kitten?  If less than 12 weeks, I would not ever leave the two of them together unattended, because the big cat could seriously injure the little one, even without meaning to.  Does the kitten seem to be in distress while this "play fighting" is going on?  Is the big cat hissing and growling?  That's normally how you can tell if it's serious or not...silence mean "play fighting", hissing and growling means it's serious.  Now, with a kitten and some squawking, I'm not really sure what that means

, that's why I asked the age.  I would think if the kitten were really in distress, she would start hissing, but quite sure.

Have you read this article about integrating cats?  I know you've already had the kitten for a couple of weeks, but maybe it'll still give you a little info?

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats