This is probably a silly question... but please give me a hand, those of you who have multiple kitties!
We've recently added a second cat to our household (via the wonderful methods on this site... thank yooou!), so now we have a 4. 5 year old spayed female and a 16 week old not-yet-spayed female. Tak, the older one, has always been highly aloof, and Pixel, the baby, is fantastically cuddly and sweet.
As I'm writing this, they are engaging in a behaviour which I'm not quite sure falls into "playing"... and may cross the line to "fighting". I desperately want them both to be happy here and not stress each other out.
I'm going to try to video them later so I can show you what I'm talking about, but here it is in a nut shell...
Tak will be lounging on the carpet. Pixel will be playing all over the place (typical kitten). Pixel will pounce on Tak. Tak hisses and swats her (why I think this is more like fighting). Then Pixel runs away (she's never hurt, and thinks it's a fun game). BUT then Tak will wiggle her bum and pounce on Pixel. The fact that Tak tries to initiate some more contact in a playful way makes me think that they are playing...
And also I just watched Tak roll over and submit to Pixel... I'm worried that there is a powerstruggle happening in our house! Pixel was SUPPOSED to be male (stupid vet), as everyone told me a male would be happier to let Tak maintain control of our house... but now I have two females and I'm scared they hate each other.
And I do already have a Feliway diffuser. Tak seems a lot calmer, but Pixel still jumps her and that drives her nuts.
Any thoughts on what I can do so that they will like each other and not antagonize one another? Or is it just playing and I don't understand that...?
We've recently added a second cat to our household (via the wonderful methods on this site... thank yooou!), so now we have a 4. 5 year old spayed female and a 16 week old not-yet-spayed female. Tak, the older one, has always been highly aloof, and Pixel, the baby, is fantastically cuddly and sweet.
As I'm writing this, they are engaging in a behaviour which I'm not quite sure falls into "playing"... and may cross the line to "fighting". I desperately want them both to be happy here and not stress each other out.
I'm going to try to video them later so I can show you what I'm talking about, but here it is in a nut shell...
Tak will be lounging on the carpet. Pixel will be playing all over the place (typical kitten). Pixel will pounce on Tak. Tak hisses and swats her (why I think this is more like fighting). Then Pixel runs away (she's never hurt, and thinks it's a fun game). BUT then Tak will wiggle her bum and pounce on Pixel. The fact that Tak tries to initiate some more contact in a playful way makes me think that they are playing...
And also I just watched Tak roll over and submit to Pixel... I'm worried that there is a powerstruggle happening in our house! Pixel was SUPPOSED to be male (stupid vet), as everyone told me a male would be happier to let Tak maintain control of our house... but now I have two females and I'm scared they hate each other.
And I do already have a Feliway diffuser. Tak seems a lot calmer, but Pixel still jumps her and that drives her nuts.
Any thoughts on what I can do so that they will like each other and not antagonize one another? Or is it just playing and I don't understand that...?