Help understanding

[newtome]

Hello, i have a around 1 year old cat that we have had for about 8 months and a brand new 18(?) Week old kitten we got 3 days ago. For some backstory our 1 year old (ill call her X) has been amazing. Shes very calm and sweet but tends to play rough, latching onto, biting and bunny kicking toys or our hands or feet if theyre in a blanket. If youtry to use a string or other chase toy she mostly will just calmly hunt it and when she catches it she disreguards and moves on. Just a slight boop then off to the next hiding spot, i find it quite odd because she will wrestle our hands as long as you let her.
With this new kitten (call her E) X's interactions are equally as confusing comparatively to what i read online. Theres no hissing or swatting, no seemingly bad blood. X will be around watching if E is in the room. X will come over and gently lick and sniff, then all of the sudden X will grab E by the neck, gently at first maybe a little lick or boop. Then she will go full send and start rolling, bunny kicking and thrashing around just like shes attacking a toy or our hand gradually getting more aggressive but then i break it up because i get nervous. Normally i wouldnt care it seems like playing, I read its a dominance/ submission thing also. But X is a HUGE 1 year old. Like 10 pounds shes about 2x the size of my friends 1 year olds, E is maybe 1 pound if that.
So my question is how can i address this. If i leave the kitten alone X will immediately hunt her and start twisting her around. Is this malicious? Does X Just not know shes a huge kitten? X seems content and accepting otherwise, it just appears she looks at our new arrival as prey, or thats the only way she knows how to interact. Idk. Frankly im afraid to leave the poor thing in the house without supervision.

 

[ArtNJ]

There is almost no way an 18 week old kitten is much less than 2 pounds, with over three pounds being more average. Still, I get your point. One year olds are often crazy enthusiastic about play, and they dont show much restraint beyond keeping the nails in and not biting for real. It can look terrifying if its ones first time seeing such unequal play with a massive size difference. And there is no question that the older cat can make a kitten uncomfortable now and then, the kitten might squeal a bit and run off, even scream if they are a bit of a drama queen, but the older cats dont truly hurt them. You typically know everything is fine because the kitten comes right back in a couple of minutes and acts like nothing happened, even initiating play sometimes. Its safe and good to let them be together, intervening only if the kitten seems miserable and unable to escape on its own.

Now if the kitten was really and truly much under two pounds, that could warrant more vigiliance, maybe even keeping them separate for a bit. Sometimes you have a 5-6 week old kitten in this same situation, usually around a pound and a half, and if the one year old is particularly crazy with play, maybe thats a real risk. But one just doesn't hear about injuries. It *looks* too rough, but it really isn't.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I would not just yet leave them alone together. And you need to check to see what this kitten really weighs. What you think it weighs would be considered underweight. Your 8-month-old just doesn't get a small kitten isn't intended for rough play. And, it has been a very short time - 3 days is nothing. Let the kitten adapt more to your home and do not let them be together unsupervised as yet.

 

[ArtNJ]

I cant speak to all of them, but I've had two different brands of digital scale for humans, and they were both accurate enough that you could weigh yourself with and without a cat and subtract the difference. I'm assuming the kitten is really over 2 pounds -- they look so tiny, its an easy mistake to make. But if you dont have a reliable sense of the age and weight, its a good idea. Kittens usually gain a pound a month for a good while. Of course, a kitten destined to be a 6 pound adult might gain a good bit less, but it will give you a rough sense of the age. And I mostly agree with FeebysOwner -- if the kitten is much under two pounds, more caution is warranted.

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

If the kitten truly is under 2 pounds, I'd see a vet, that is way too tiny for an 18 week old. I'd also recommend stopping using your hands for play. Cats need to and can learn that hands aren't for play, only toys are. If you continue, the kitten is going to learn to wrestle with your hands too. Cats learn from other cats. Every time she goes for your hands, redirect to a kicker toy. I wouldn't worry about a cat being aggressive to a toy, that's what they're for.

 

[Alldara]

I agree that I would keep them more separate. Try following more of a proper introduction guide to teach your cat that the kitten is not a toy or prey.

How to Set Up a Cat Safe Room


How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide - TheCatSite

 

[newtome]

Sorry everyone i was misinformed on the age shes actually 8 weeks old not 18, so shes about right on track. Thank you for your responses theyre greatly appreciated! Weve been keeping them seperate while not home and let them play when we are around. Everythings going really well i even think my 1 year old has grown attached already, she always howls when we take the kitten to her room and waits by the door.

 

[ArtNJ]

I think its safe for an 8 week to be with a rambuctious 1 year old unsupervised, but opinions can differ. The advantage to more time together is that the 1 year old gets less over eager.