I have a 15 year old neutered male who has lived with other cats in the past, but has spent the last 7 years as a single cat. I was recently adopted by 2 female kittens (now 5 months) and though my adult spat and hissed at them at first, he now tolerates them and even licks them and plays with them from time to time. What conerns me is that he will sometimes go after one or the other of them and kind of slap her around and nip at her, growling as though he's just basically mad that she exists. This isn't in response to anything the kitten will have done - in fact, she could just be sleeping. Once in a while his victim will paw back at him, but more often she'll just stay on her side and deflect the blows. He never bites and the claws stay in, but sometimes he smacks so hard I can hear the thumping, so I am concerned considering he's so much bigger than them. After slapping her around for a while, he'll simply walk off. He'll also start smacking them if they move when he's grooming them
2007-01-13 14:18:19 · 12 answers · asked by Emily 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
He is establishing that he is the Alpha cat. Leave them work it out. They know what they're doing.
2007-01-13 14:23:30 · answer #1 · answered by blue.green_eyes 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sadly cats are very, very territorial.
Your older cat is behavior as my older can did years ago, when I brought a kitten home. I tried still giving him attention, but slowly he just wouldn't come back inside when I let him out, then he wondered off and never came back.
When I later asked a VET about this, he said it was becuase his territory had been infringed upon and when they get older they don't do well with another cat coming into the home.
GOOD LUCK, give him lots of attention and just try to pick him up when you see him going for the kittens, maybe that will help.
2007-01-13 22:26:40 · answer #2 · answered by Mountain Bear 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has happened with my cat and my sister's cat. My cat is three months younger than my sister's, but is way larger, they have what me and my sis call, a hissy fight. First they'll paw each other, then it's a hissing contest, then on to wrestling, tag, and so on. My cat, being the larger, is always the one that wins. It's probably that way with yours. It's a way of dominance.
Rather, it's also a sign of parenting, smacking the kits while grooming is like telling a toddler not to splash in the bath.
2007-01-14 09:10:00 · answer #3 · answered by Lil Nicki 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your 15yr old cat is just making sure the two kittens understand that he is the master of the house and this is his territory. You have to figure that his been the only one all this time and now suddenly his not. He feels a bit threaten by the new comers. He could be trying to teach them how to survive as well. It's in their nature to teach younger ones to fight and protect themselves. It is a bit odd that he is doing it because most all times it usually a female to take that role, but he must feel he is their mother to some degree and his doing the best he knows how. I wouldn't let him get to rough with the kittens if you can hear him smack them that loud. But if you were to scolded him for it he could turn on them instead and he might hurt them.You may want to separate them some and let him only spend part of the time with them. He is a much older cat and his bound to be getting grumpy as he gets older anyway.And one more thing is he could be trying to just play with them but he really doesn't know quit how to or knows how rough he can get with them, he may think you got them for him to play with like a toy.
2007-01-13 22:43:57 · answer #4 · answered by Countrygirl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's because he's starting to feel like they are his?
That's how my female adult cat does whenever she has babies. Of course she's all nice to them when they are just a few weeks but a few months later sometimes when she's cleaning them and they squirm and try to move away? she pushs them rudely toward her or shoves them away....i guess in a motherly way? lol. She's pretty strict.
One of her daughters (kitten ran away 3 days ago...:( ) we decided to keep, loves to play with the new kittens and sit around and watch them. i guess if the kittens aren't yours then you play with them and try to take care of them but it's probably not the same as your mother would have been. and your cat probably doesnt know how to act to the younger ones.
You should probably keep a close eye on them...They might die since he's not a mother and doesnt know what exactly to do.
My older cat accidently sat on one while trying to keep them warm....and yeah.
2007-01-13 22:49:04 · answer #5 · answered by ~*Peaches~n'~Cream*~ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He is showing dominance. When you introduce a new cat into a home with an existing cat, the existing cat wants to make it pretty clear to the new cat that he was there first so therefore he is the dominant cat.
2007-01-17 20:47:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have 2 cats it naturally
2007-01-13 22:26:09 · answer #7 · answered by wintergirl_bratz 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
hell yes its ok they've got to grow some kahones that and it'll teach them to defend them selves once they are big enough and 15 is old for a cat so he'll die soon let him have his fun
2007-01-13 22:27:30 · answer #8 · answered by staterules9 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's normal. Cats are just goofy like that.
2007-01-13 22:24:02 · answer #9 · answered by flamemaster_lang 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
tHIS IS A VERY GOOD RESULT BUT MAY NOT BE FOR YOU OKAY THE GOOD MAY BE THAT HE IS TREATING THEM LIKE HIS KIDS AND IF ANY THING TRIED TO HURT THEM HE WOULD HAVE A REASON TO PROTECT THEM
MAY BE BAD BECAUSE YOU MAY SEE IT AS THE OLDER CAT IS BEING MEAN BUT PERSONALLY I SEE IT AS THE FIRST ONE
2007-01-13 22:25:08 · answer #10 · answered by funkylilbrat 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋