Kitten help

[Inexperienced]

Hi, I am sort of new to owning cats and I need a little help on this one. After taking in a feral kitten that was found in a barn, he was soon neutered. He is a bit bigger now and bites and "talks" to no end. However, he is not scared or angry, just wanting of attention it seems. I soon got a new kitten so they he could have a play mate but it isn't working out the way I planned. After confining her a while and slowly introducing them to each other (in the span of a week) I started letting them be around each other. This kitten who is considerably smaller is getting bullied by my bigger male cat. I can't tell if its play or not. After he chases her and tackles her, she attempts to fight back and her ears are pinned back and she might hiss or make a noise. When I intervene, my male cat will leave her alone and walk away and then she'll chase him and tackle him. If the big male cat is hurting her, why is she running back for more? Can anyone help me with this?

[BeesyNeowNeow]

Welcome to the world of cats!

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your cats are playing together or if they're getting hurt... I have two male cats myself, and they play endlessly every day until they get tired and sleep. Sometimes, they bite and scratch and wrestle, but they both seem fine at the end. If your little girl is hissing, that may be a sign of intimidation. Usually, two male cats are better off than a mix of male and female (personal experience). I think you should test the waters a little more, see if she has any physical marks on her (my cats play all the time and there are no physical marks of being hurt), show her lots of love and introduce other toys for them to play with...

If she still seems to be being attacked by the male, it's probably best to separate and try get a male. Sometimes, cats just don't need a play buddy and are satisified being alone. Naturally cats are loners, so that is not uncommon.

I hope that helps!

[Pinot's Mom]

Welcome to PT - I'm not going to be MUCH help, as I've always had a one cat household, but I'm sure some others will chime in when they see this.

Has the little one been spayed?

[lvpets2002]

Yes Welcome to the world of kitten hood.. Also Welcome to PT & Enjoy.. Yes they will be fine.. They are doing some rough-housing.. Trust me you will know if it is serious.. I would just let them play & before long you will see them give each other licking baths & will be sleeping together.. Do keep us posted ok..

[Karen]

It is play! Nothing too much to worry about, just keep an ear peeled. As lvpets2002 said, you will know if things get out of hand. Right now, kitten and cat are just establishing their places, and she has plenty of energy to burn, so play's the thing! If he seems particularly bothered, you could try burning off some of her energy with "fetch" or a "fishing pole" or other toys that will amuse her, but what could be more fun than "attack the brother?"

[Medusa]

Years ago when I rescued my male (Boo), approximately 4 months later I rescued a 5 week old kitten (Puddy). The first thing my vet told me was to never allow unsupervised time between the two of them b/c full grown male cats will more than likely try to kill a kitten. Boo has always been a gentle cat and Puddy was quite the terror, so I thought it might be the other way around. LOL However, I didn't want to take a chance that Puddy might be hurt b/c she had many physical problems as it was, which is one of the reasons I rescued her. I waited 8 weeks before they were allowed to be alone together; I gave them time to get to know each other a little at a time. I've never forgotten my old vet's words and whether or not they're true I can't be sure. Cats are all different just as are humans but I'd err on the side of caution if I were you. I certainly don't want to alarm you but you've indicated that there are signs that the two of them might not get along and it may just be play but you should supervise their time w/each other regardless.

And welcome to Pet Talk!

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Hi Inexperienced.
Many would say one week for introductions isn't long enough. Believe me, I know. I spent more than a year trying to make an addition work here but it just didn't. Not only were there real fights but also stress induced sterile cystitis. I ended up having to re-home the cat I was trying to add to the family. It broke my heart but I had to do it for her health and happiness.

You might want to keep the two cats separated still when you cannot supervise.

In general, though...If one cat keeps going back for more, it is most likely play.

Is there vocalization of a really nasty sound going on before they pounce each other? Do they circle, arch their backs, put their hackles up, lay their ears back?

Usually, the difference between fighting and playing is apparent, but if you are inexperienced you may not realize the difference. What I describe above is usually true fighting. Circling, hoping sideways, going back for more, peaceful sharing of space between the romps, no blood being drawn or wounds being produced, it is probably play. Cats will growl and make some noise when they play but when they fight, good golly you might think you have a demon screeching in your home...you can usually tell the difference between fight noises and play noises.