INTROS: What does the biting mean?

[christa]

We're still having supervised visits between Josie & Brodie. She's so rough with him, I'm still not comfortable leaving them alone.

I was just wondering if this is normal play behavior, or aggression:

Josie still taps him on the head CONSANTLY . . . when she gets worked up she gets rougher and the taps become swats!

Yesterday, she started acting like she wanted to bite his butt & tail. What's with that?

And then today, she tackled him and got him down for about 2 seconds, acting like she was going to bite his belly and then he got loose & she jumped up.

Is she playing?

I kinda figured that she's trying to play with him, just doesn't know how & doesn't know when it's too rough.

No blood shed, yet . . . but I usually break it up when it starts getting really rough. When Brodie starts hiding behind me, I figure he's had enough.

The growling & hissing has stopped . . . Josie even makes her happy noises, like she's enjoying playing . . . and Brodie even charges her like he's just asking for it!

Am I worrying too much?

[jazzcat]

Josie sounds a lot like Jazz did when she first met Rocky and Rumor. She ignored Rumor but she she swatted, bit at and played rough with Rocky. She then started licking him but would still bite and kick at him and he would squirm to get away. I was so worried I asked about it on here and was told it was normal. Now Jazz acts like his substitute mommy. She grooms him and still nibbles on him, sometimes it looks more like bites, and she plays with him.

Hopefully that is the case with Josie.

[sirrahbed]

It is hard to say because I am not seeing what you are, but I know when Eliot plays with the kittens - at first I was pretty sure he was killing them Lots of swatting and biting, etc. But, like you said, they'd jump back up and ambush HIM Whenever they seemed to have enough, they would start in with the loud shrieking and he would always stop or stalk off and sulk. Then it would start again. They still play this way and with each other, too (the babies)

I dunno ....if Brodie jumps up and wants more, it sounds like play to me, too. Is he shrieking and acting hurt or scared?? Maybe just keep letting them do this and watch - if it is just play (which I think it is), you'll gradually get used to it.

Sometimes I still cringe a little when they get to wrestling (Eliot and Robbie espcially) but I just don't look ) For some reason, probably the shrieking, Eliot does not play with Lizzie much. She would rather torment Dylan because he is a little slow

[christa]

That's what confuses me, Brodie DOESN'T cry ever when Josie's getting the best of him! He just tries to fight back. He did roll over last night & meowed a little pitiful meow at her . . . that's when I figured it was enough.

[catnapper]

Sounds like play. They'll figure it out soon enough. You're doing the right thing by watching them closely the first few days. Soon enough Brodie will find his voice and start screaming and meowing during these wrestling matches... and then your heart will leap to your throat... but many times its just a "battle cry" and they are enjoying themselves. I would time and time again pull Pouncer off Harry and "save" Harry from what I thought was a bad fight. Harry would wriggle out of my arms to go instigate the fight again Only a few times was that cry a real cry of "I give up"

[rosethecopycat]

They are working out the 'pecking order'.

If they aren't hissing and growling, I'd let them work it out.

Keep an eye that one cat isn't being chased so much (or runs away so much).

We want each cat to at least stand up for themselves a bit.

[christa]

Brodie definitely stands up for himself already! And it's so funny cause he's so much smaller than Josie!

I kept them in the upstairs office today for about an hour while I worked. They played & things weren't that rough . . . I tried to ignore them (while watching them at the same time). Brodie finally cried out when Josie tackled him. When he did, Josie would jump up like "what did i do?" LOL

I really think they're playing . . . or at least I'm trying to convince myself of that. They'd take breaks every now and again and Josie would lay down while Brodie beat up one of the furry fake mice that cover Josie's floor.

[catmandu]

I think,it is rough play,as you are right,whe the Cat has had enough,they become submissive,and the play stops!!!