Kitten help

[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.