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- Oct 12, 2017
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So I have two cats, Pepper the non-orphaned cat for about 5-6 months now, and Snow the orphaned, bottle baby, for about a month now. Pepper is about 10 months now and Snow is about 6 months. I'll try to make this short and concise as possible!
At first, I thought this was normal cat behaviour, that Snow pounces, chases, bites/scratches Pepper but he's been truly relentless and if I let them 'go at it', Pepper becomes a completely different cat. A skittish, fearful kitten who will hide most of the day. He even got bit/scratched by Snow to where I had to treat him medically because he no longer was eating (he got an infection). Since then I've been switching from letting Snow go at Pepper, and basically protecting Pepper from any engagement of play from Snow.
Snow is trying to play with Pepper but since he wasn't socialized by other kittens at an early age, I don't think he understands when to stop. Any time Pepper walks by, uses the litter, licks himself, tries to climb anything, Snow will go into play/hunt mode and will chase Pepper and wrestle with him non-stop even, sometimes even stays motionless and cries for him to stop. Snow even then will still keep going.
I'm exhausted since when I think I'm just being too protective and do play with Snow for 15 minutes before every meal(he will be huffing and puffing, and then still go at Pepper right after play-time) and let them go at it, Pepper gets beaten up and chased to the point I won't even see him (unless it's meal time) because he hides all-day and when I do see him, his tail is down/limp at all times. If I intervene then Snow is fearful of me, I'm angry/annoyed all the time, and he will obviously continue to pursue Pepper if I'm not around.
I don't think it's anything but play aggression since when Snow and Pepper are sleepy they will groom each other and sleep together- this is only possible when I'm constantly punishing Snow for 'playing' with/bullying Pepper.
Am I doomed to being Pepper's protector? Should I let them go at it again till Pepper gets another infection? How can I teach Snow to stop always trying to fight Pepper? Is he too old to be socialized to other cats?
At first, I thought this was normal cat behaviour, that Snow pounces, chases, bites/scratches Pepper but he's been truly relentless and if I let them 'go at it', Pepper becomes a completely different cat. A skittish, fearful kitten who will hide most of the day. He even got bit/scratched by Snow to where I had to treat him medically because he no longer was eating (he got an infection). Since then I've been switching from letting Snow go at Pepper, and basically protecting Pepper from any engagement of play from Snow.
Snow is trying to play with Pepper but since he wasn't socialized by other kittens at an early age, I don't think he understands when to stop. Any time Pepper walks by, uses the litter, licks himself, tries to climb anything, Snow will go into play/hunt mode and will chase Pepper and wrestle with him non-stop even, sometimes even stays motionless and cries for him to stop. Snow even then will still keep going.
I'm exhausted since when I think I'm just being too protective and do play with Snow for 15 minutes before every meal(he will be huffing and puffing, and then still go at Pepper right after play-time) and let them go at it, Pepper gets beaten up and chased to the point I won't even see him (unless it's meal time) because he hides all-day and when I do see him, his tail is down/limp at all times. If I intervene then Snow is fearful of me, I'm angry/annoyed all the time, and he will obviously continue to pursue Pepper if I'm not around.
I don't think it's anything but play aggression since when Snow and Pepper are sleepy they will groom each other and sleep together- this is only possible when I'm constantly punishing Snow for 'playing' with/bullying Pepper.
Am I doomed to being Pepper's protector? Should I let them go at it again till Pepper gets another infection? How can I teach Snow to stop always trying to fight Pepper? Is he too old to be socialized to other cats?
