Please help! Kittens hate eachother

[MaddysKittens]

I have two kittens: Pumpkin (female) and Peanut (male). They are both fixed. We got pumpkin around 2 months ago, and we got peanut around a month ago. We did everything I could possibly find online about how to introduce cats. We swapped scents as often as possible and had them switch rooms often. We fed them on either side of a closed door until Pumpkin didn’t seem uncomfortable or hiss. We then used a baby gate to feed them on either side of until they could comfortably eat next to each other. After this we would let them into the same room while distracting them with treats and toys as long as we could until they started to make eye contact or seem like they might go towards each other. However we have gotten completely stuck here. We have been doing this twice a day followed by a meal and they just aren’t getting any better. If they aren’t eating or playing with a toy (which only works sometimes), they are on each other in seconds. Only during meal time can they be inches away from each other and totally fine. At first I thought it might be playing, but then I realized they had claws out and ears back so I stopped them as quickly as possible. They rarely hiss when they fight, but they chase each other around the house and try and scratch each other up. It is getting increasingly difficult to keep them separated because we live in a small apartment, and neither of them like being trapped in the bedroom, so when we open the door, whoever was in there sprints out and immediately starts a cat fight. I even bought two Feliway diffusers in hopes of calming them and it hasn’t helped. I love both of my cats very much and hate the thought of having to give one of them away but i don’t know what to do anymore. I feel like I am losing my mind! Please help!

 

[ArtNJ]

Can you take a video for us? Easiest to post it to something like youtube and just give us a link.

Reason I ask is because two kittens almost always become friends, and kittens play very roughly with each other. There are also some normal positions that might look like they are trying to hurt each other, even though they aren't. Its an easy mistake to make.

I never do a formal introduction process for kitten to kitten. Its not needed. You just give the kitten a few days in a safe room to adjust to the home and you (some can take up to a week) and then you let them work it out. And they always do. Maybe this is the rare exception . . . but I'd like to see video to better advise you.

 

[MaddysKittens]

Here is a video of what just happened the second I let peanut out of the room. When we first got him pumpkin would hiss and growl at him from under the door so they definitely weren’t friends from the start. This is what they do the second they see each other and I’ve never seen it go on until it stops. I’ve always separated them before they stop. There’s usually more chasing going on too.

 

[MaddysKittens]

Can you take a video for us? Easiest to post it to something like youtube and just give us a link.

Reason I ask is because two kittens almost always become friends, and kittens play very roughly with each other. There are also some normal positions that might look like they are trying to hurt each other, even though they aren't. Its an easy mistake to make.

I never do a formal introduction process for kitten to kitten. Its not needed. You just give the kitten a few days in a safe room to adjust to the home and you (some can take up to a week) and then you let them work it out. And they always do. Maybe this is the rare exception . . . but I'd like to see video to better advise you.

Sorry I posted my reply below as a new comment

 

[ArtNJ]

Yep, thats playing! Don't be upset with yourself, a ton of people get confused by this!

Cats are predators, so they play by practicing hunting and fighting behaviors. The thing where one lays on the ground paws up, waits for the other to attack and then rakes with the paws is the classic defensive position. If this was a real fight, the raking would be intended to produce wounds, but they do it all the time in play and you won't find wounds. Same with pouncing and play biting the neck -- in the wild, that is how they kill, but in play its just another thing they do. These kittens already like each other.

I know, its surprising, and I won't be offended if you need a few other folks to say the same thing before you feel reassured, but these guys are friends, you can let them freely interact.

 

[MaddysKittens]

Yep, thats playing! Don't be upset with yourself, a ton of people get confused by this!

Cats are predators, so they play by practicing hunting and fighting behaviors. The thing where one lays on the ground paws up, waits for the other to attack and then rakes with the paws is the classic defensive position. If this was a real fight, the raking would be intended to produce wounds, but they do it all the time in play and you won't find wounds. These kittens already like each other.

I know, its surprising, and I won't be offended if you need a few other folks to say the same thing before you feel reassured, but these guys are friends, you can let them freely interact.

Sometimes Pumpkin will hiss at him during it too. Is that normal? Thank you for the response! It wasn't until recently that Pumpkin stopped hissing every time she saw him so it is a bit surprising to hear that haha.

 

[susanm9006]

Absolutely, positively playing, and pretty gentle and quiet at that. It can get much much louder and they are still playing. There can be hissing, yelling and puffed out fur. This is natural normal behavior for kittens and the best thing you can do is not to interfere. They don’t understand why you are stopping them from having a good time.

It may make you more comfortable if you watch a bunch of YouTube videos of cats play fighting.

 

[shyandfaith]

I have two kittens: Pumpkin (female) and Peanut (male). They are both fixed. We got pumpkin around 2 months ago, and we got peanut around a month ago. We did everything I could possibly find online about how to introduce cats. We swapped scents as often as possible and had them switch rooms often. We fed them on either side of a closed door until Pumpkin didn’t seem uncomfortable or hiss. We then used a baby gate to feed them on either side of until they could comfortably eat next to each other. After this we would let them into the same room while distracting them with treats and toys as long as we could until they started to make eye contact or seem like they might go towards each other. However we have gotten completely stuck here. We have been doing this twice a day followed by a meal and they just aren’t getting any better. If they aren’t eating or playing with a toy (which only works sometimes), they are on each other in seconds. Only during meal time can they be inches away from each other and totally fine. At first I thought it might be playing, but then I realized they had claws out and ears back so I stopped them as quickly as possible. They rarely hiss when they fight, but they chase each other around the house and try and scratch each other up. It is getting increasingly difficult to keep them separated because we live in a small apartment, and neither of them like being trapped in the bedroom, so when we open the door, whoever was in there sprints out and immediately starts a cat fight. I even bought two Feliway diffusers in hopes of calming them and it hasn’t helped. I love both of my cats very much and hate the thought of having to give one of them away but i don’t know what to do anymore. I feel like I am losing my mind! Please help!

i would set their food dishes away from each other like one in one room and the other in a different room then day by day the food dishes get closer

 

[MaddysKittens]

Absolutely, positively playing, and pretty gentle and quiet at that. It can get much much louder and they are still playing. There can be hissing, yelling and puffed out fur. This is natural normal behavior for kittens and the best thing you can do is not to interfere. They don’t understand why you are stopping them from having a good time.

It may make you more comfortable if you watch a bunch of YouTube videos of cats play fighting.

That is very reassuring! I was so certain they were fighting all this time. Thank you!

 

[ArtNJ]

Sometimes Pumpkin will hiss at him during it too. Is that normal? Thank you for the response! It wasn't until recently that Pumpkin stopped hissing every time she saw him so it is a bit surprising to hear that haha.

Yeah, some cats hiss pretty frequently. It can indicate not being totally sure, not being in the mood to play at that moment or that one made the other uncomfortable in the last round, etc. I had an indoor/outdoor cat that would hiss at the rain, or hiss at me if he dodn't want to go out or come in. It can definitely also occur with cats that don't like each other yet, but that isn't the meaning here.

 

[shyandfaith]

Here is a video of what just happened the second I let peanut out of the room. When we first got him pumpkin would hiss and growl at him from under the door so they definitely weren’t friends from the start. This is what they do the second they see each other and I’ve never seen it go on until it stops. I’ve always separated them before they stop. There’s usually more chasing going on too.

their just playing

 

[lollie]

Yes, total playtime. Very cute. Just make sure you keep their nails trimmed so they don’t scratch each other by accident.

 

[pmv]

Yeah, that is normal kitten play. I have two littermates (brother and sister) and they absolutely adore each other, and that sort of play-fighting is completely routine for them. About the only time I really tried to get them to knock it off was the first two weeks after they had been spayed and neutered, because I wanted to give them time to heal before they roughhoused. (Emphasis on "tried" - they did get too rambunctious but they healed fine anyway).