Should I discourage this behavior or is it just playing?

Question

I have been working on introducing my feisty 10-month-old cat to my new 8 week old kitten. Today I let them both out and the older cat kept chasing the kitten around and trying to swat him on the head. They never got into an actual fight or anything. I am worried that maybe the older cat sees him as prey.

Should I let them do this or should I keep them separated longer? At what point should I intervene?

Answer 1

I would keep the baby in a cage a little longer, and introduce them to each other by exposing the bigger cat, to the smaller cat while the baby kitty is in the cage. Protect the baby from the older cat, for the time being. Once they are used to each other in the same room, you might be able to let them roam freely together, but I think the baby is still too little to protect himself from the older kitty. Keep them separated at least for now, and let them look and sniff each other through the cage. The older cat wants to be dominate, since he's the older , and baby kitty will realize it eventually. But you have to protect the baby kitty a little longer by keeping them separate, yet together, so they'll tolerate each other well.

Answer 2

i believe they are just playing - but.....

you might want to watch them play together when they get feisty, just as a prevention if anything were to happen.

personally, i dont think its a big issue tho.

Answer 3

Its very natural for cats to do that. They should be fine. When one starts puffing up and hissing..or making a very deep sounding growl, thats when its time to get in there.

Answer 4

The big brother is tormenting the little brother it is normal and it won't hurt either one. They are both still kittens and if there is no blood let them go. If big brother gets to mean the little one will scream and invoke a instinctive response from the big cat. The big one will stop what ever he is doing and will try to comfort the little one.

Answer 5

its a territorial dominance display since the younger cat isnt old enough to have a real defined territory the other cat is just saying ahead of time im the biggest bass that you seen thus far, but if the older one starts puffing hissing and growling then its serious, still watch them though b/c an older cat can still hurt a younger cat accidentally

Answer 6

If neither of them are showing signs of claws-out scratches, they are likely just playing or practicing their craft.

Answer 7

As long as the older cat is not hurting the kitten, you don't have anything to worry about.  A ten-month-old cat is still really a kitten itself, but big enough to hurt an eight-week-old.  I would keep an eye on them while they are together until the younger kitten is at least three months old.  The older cat will swat at it at first out of curiosity, but he should eventually get over the fascination and leave him alone.  Your resident kitty is more likely to see the new kitten as competition than as prey.