Playing or fighting?

Hape · Aug 28, 2022

A little background.. rescued two kittens at about 6 weeks old (Tux and Pew). One of my daughters already had a cat, who, at the time was 8 months old (Tiki). I had no intentions of keeping the babies, just giving them a place until my local rescue center could take them. Well not only could the local rescue center not help, neither could the six others I reached out to in the surrounding area. I kept these babies in my room to keep all three of them safe. Then my other daughter brings home a kitten (Fish).. Fish and Tiki instantly bonded. Eventually the two babies could not stay in my room any longer.. too curious and could jump on everything and were destroying my room. I had decided to just keep them since it was turning out to be impossible to find them homes. When I decided to keep them I started to work on introducing them to Tiki and Fish. Anyways, it’s been 9 weeks since I brought them home, and about two weeks since all four cats have free roam of the house-supervised still. I take the babies with me and lock them in my room when I go to bed.. the other two stay wherever. If we have to leave, I put Tux and Pew in my room. I guess my question finally.. Tiki seems to enjoy them.. they all cuddle together and nap, eat together, lick each other. There is moments though where Tiki is either trying to play or trying to hurt them. It’s so hard to tell, he is sooooo much bigger than them-he’s half Maine Coon. I go back to work in two weeks (summers off) and my daughters go back to school. I am wanting them to all be ok to be unsupervised when this time comes. Is there signs I should be looking for to tell if Tiki is playing or trying to hurt them? There is never blood or any limping after he “gets” one of them, but they do make noise though… never sounds like the kittens enjoy it. I interrupt this by clapping or stomping my foot by them and Tiki let’s go and runs away. Any ideas?

ArtNJ · Aug 28, 2022

Bigger + smaller cat is a tale as old as time. *Sometimes* the bigger cat self-moderates -- but almost never when the bigger cat is under a year and a half. Over enthusiasm is the name of the game. Smaller cat is made uncomfortable. Like a head noogie, if you know what that is. There are protest noises. Smaller cat may run off and hide.

Here is how you tell if its a problem: you "ask" the smaller cat. Is the smaller cat always afraid of the larger cat, hiding, and avoiding even when play isn't happening? Or does smaller cat seem to quickly forget, coming right back a few minutes later, acting like nothing happened, and maybe even initiating play sometimes? You can trust the smaller cat's answer.

As far as breaking them up, assuming the smaller cat "answers" the way they usually do (indicating that all is well), I'd reserve intervening for situations where the smaller cat is cornered or pinned and having a hard time disengaging on their own. And even that isn't something you really need to watch for or worry about.

Furballsmom · Aug 28, 2022

ArtNJ said:
You can trust the smaller cat's answer.

exactly

Thank you for keeping all these babies :cloud9:

Hape · Aug 28, 2022

ArtNJ said:
Bigger + smaller cat is a tale as old as time. *Sometimes* the bigger cat self-moderates -- but almost never when the bigger cat is under a year and a half. Over enthusiasm is the name of the game. Smaller cat is made uncomfortable. Like a head noogie, if you know what that is. There are protest noises. Smaller cat may run off and hide.

Here is how you tell if its a problem: you "ask" the smaller cat. Is the smaller cat always afraid of the larger cat, hiding, and avoiding even when play isn't happening? Or does smaller cat seem to quickly forget, coming right back a few minutes later, acting like nothing happened, and maybe even initiating play sometimes? You can trust the smaller cat's answer.

As far as breaking them up, assuming the smaller cat "answers" the way they usually do (indicating that all is well), I'd reserve intervening for situations where the smaller cat is cornered or pinned and having a hard time disengaging on their own. And even that isn't something you really need to watch for or worry about.

Perfect. The two babies definitely love the bigger cat. Thank you so much. This helps a lot.