How To Stop A Kitten From Attacking Older Cat?

[kittenandcat]

Two years ago, I adopted an older cat (then age 5) and he is the most laid back animal you will ever meet. Loves car rides, loves meeting new people, loves kids, never brings out his claws or teeth. Last week, I adopted a new kitten (age 12 weeks old) and he surely is an active kitten! However, the kitten (named Pippin) loves to attack his older brother (named Cat).

When they first met, they made absolutely no signs of aggression towards each other-- no hissing, arched backs, puffed tails, nothing. In fact, Pip even let Cat come up and smell / groom him for a while. In the past week, Pip has gotten very used to Cat and really wants to play with him-- all the time. Thankfully, even when Pippin jumps on Cat or wraps his paws around Cat's neck, Cat does not react at all (unless he is also feeling playful, which they will then wrestle around a little. No claws or teeth used though, and no ears back or hissing). However, Pip wants to play much more often than Cat does.

Does anybody have any advice in regards to how to keep Pip from constantly jumping on Cat? Whenever they are in the same room, Pip will go for him. Like I said, there is no aggression and for the most part, Cat just takes it, but Pip will even try to jump on him when Cat is near the litter boxes, food and water bowls, etc. But I feel bad that Cat is constantly bombarded and subjected to Pip's hyper playfulness.

Thanks!!!

 

[Hellenww]

How is Cat handling it? Is he scared or hiding? Has he stopped eating, drinking, or using the litter box? If no to all then it's probably best to let Cat take care of it.

Ignoring a kitten is one way to stop unwelcome behavior and that might be what Cat is doing. Pip is very young and sounds like a very gentle soul so Cat might be holding back on tougher discipline right now.

 

[ArtNJ]

I adopted Clyde from a home with a 3 legged cat. I was there 45 minutes, the woman was very friendly and we chatted. I can 100% assure you that kittens don't give a hoot if an older cat wants to play or doesn't, or how many legs they have. That poor thing got jumped on 100x while I watched and was just stoicly trying to hop away. As Hellenww says, they only stop if an older cat learns them with some friendly but instructive force. Since many older cats are too afraid to put a kitten in its place, the kitten doesn't learn.

There is really no great way to moderate the kitten. Can't drain a kitten's energy with play, they have too much. Can't break up the play fight, because if you do it gently kitten will ignore you and if you do it harshly you might interfere with normal development.

Sooo....absent injuries, you watch the poor 3 legged cat get jumped on. Again. And again. Until the passage of *much* time reduces the kitten's interest. Its a big problem at times, if the older cat is really scared. If the older cat is really scared, you can try to help it through certain strategies...but not stop the behavior.

 

[kittenandcat]

Hi Hellenww, thanks for your help. Cat is not hiding, and he is still eating and using his litter box. I try to give Cat free reign of the house and keep Pip confined to the upstairs floor when I am not home: mainly because I want to give Cat a place to go if he really wants to get away from Pip, but also because I am worried about something happening to Pip if he had the whole house.

I bet you're right in that Cat should take care of it. Like I said, Cat is not aggressive at all and Pip just wants to play. I am assuming if Cat really cared or was mad, he would swat at Pip or something.

Again, thanks for your help!

 

[kittenandcat]

Hey ArtNJ, I appreciate your help. Thankfully, the older cat does not seem scared at all-- just sort of annoyed. But like I said to Hellenww, I am assuming if he really gets fed up with it at any point, he would give Pip a swat or something to indicate he is over it. I appreciate your help!

 

[susanm9006]

Older cats tend to have great tolerance for obnoxious kitten antics. But they do have a breaking point where they will let the kitten have it. Sometimes that doesn’t happen until the kitten is older but it really depends on the cat. I wouldn’t worry about it though, your older cat will take care of it.

One of mine was a horribly hyperactive kitten but my older cat just ignored her misbehaviors, at least for a while. I was reading the paper at the table one morning and the kitten hopped up, and was being very quiet which totally wasn’t her. So I finally glanced up at her as she just stood there and saw her problem immediately. Apparently the older cat has reached the point where she felt the kitten needed a serious lesson in manners. Coming out of the side of her nose, sticking up like a little horn was a full claw, in so deep I had to pull it out.

 

[kittenandcat]

Just an update: I put both of the cats in one room tonight for about 30 minutes. The kitten was constantly attacking the cat's tail, and after about 10 minutes, Cat started making a low rumbling noise and hissed at Pip. I figured this was fine, as I know Cat is getting fed up with the constant attacks! Cat swatted at Pip once, and this deterred Pip for about a minute, until he went back to chasing Cat's tail. Cat continued to make the low rumbling noise at him, until finally, I figured he had been through enough tonight.

Do you all think this is an okay thing to do, in order to get Pip to eventually stop attacking Cat every time he sees him?

 

[kittenandcat]

Older cats tend to have great tolerance for obnoxious kitten antics. But they do have a breaking point where they will let the kitten have it. Sometimes that doesn’t happen until the kitten is older but it really depends on the cat. I wouldn’t worry about it though, your older cat will take care of it.

One of mine was a horribly hyperactive kitten but my older cat just ignored her misbehaviors, at least for a while. I was reading the paper at the table one morning and the kitten hopped up, and was being very quiet which totally wasn’t her. So I finally glanced up at her as she just stood there and saw her problem immediately. Apparently the older cat has reached the point where she felt the kitten needed a serious lesson in manners. Coming out of the side of her nose, sticking up like a little horn was a full claw, in so deep I had to pull it out.

Thank you for the message, susanm9006. I have a feeling you are right and that the cat will eventually decide enough is enough and give the kitten a big swat, hopefully making the kitten understand the "serious lesson in manners!"