My Kitten Keeps biting my older cats neck and they have been with eachother for almost 5 months and when this happens my older cats Pins him down or hits him away and tries to clean him. Are they playing? Can the kitten peirce my other cats neck open? How rough can my older cat play till she genuinly hurst the kitten? They run around the house and play with eachother and they sleep and clean eachother is this how they are playing. Older cat is Female and kitten is male. Bother we abused previously. Is this a behavioural issue on the kittens part?
2007-03-01 18:06:57 · 12 answers · asked by I Love My Katz! 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
This is not a behavioral problem. It is fine. Your kitten, male or female, will probably do this for the next four months or so. Kittens are naturally curious and continually testing their predatory assertiveness. If the kitten gets out of hand, the older cat will let him know.
2007-03-01 18:11:26 · answer #1 · answered by onzanzabarsands@sbcglobal.net 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
This sounds like very normal cat play. Biting the back of the neck is very common in kitten and cat play. It sounds like they've become great friends. Congratulations. I love watching two cats who really love each other. I think cats who are raised with other cats are happier in general. That's not to say a single cat can't be happy, but they just seem to have so much fun when there are two that I always keep two cats.
It can be tricky to introduce adult cats, and some cats aren't as happy about companionship as others, but typically young cats and kittens adapt to each other quite happily.
I'm a behavior analyst, and I can assure you that these behaviors are not a problem. I would be extremely surprised if either cat did any real harm to the other. Once in a while you might see a minor scratch on one of them, but they're just playing.
2007-03-01 18:21:17 · answer #2 · answered by Behaviorist 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It's not a behavioral problems and I seriously doubt that they could cause any serious pain or damage. When the kittens are very young, the mother will carry them around by the skin around their neck. The skin is very tough and would take a lot to open up and cause serious harm. My 3 female kittens (aged 9 months, 5 months and 4 months) do this everyday. If they start to meow as if they are in pain, break it up.
2007-03-01 18:59:21 · answer #3 · answered by Elena 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The kitten biting the older cat's neck and pinning her down can be doing it as a form of play, however this behavior can also be a display of DOMINANCE. He may be telling the older cat that he's in charge now or claiming territory around the house.
I had a 5-6 month old kitten who would pin down my older cat and I would shoo him away when he did it. My older cat was VERY old and very sick and I didn't want the little one harassing him. He would do this often on my bed because that was the older cat's territory and he wanted it to be his. When it comes to my normal, healthy cats, I let them battle it out and play as rough as they want to as long as no one gets hurt.
2007-03-01 19:17:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
The kitten is just trying to play. If the older cats tire of it they will let him know. He will grow out of it in a few months. It's normal.
2007-03-01 19:00:40 · answer #5 · answered by hidingfrom_everyone 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
if your cat is like.... 3-6 months old... ITS MATING!! The first things male cats do in mating is bite on the female's neck. Then if the female accepts.. she does nothing.. So im guessing the older cat is saying.. BACK OFF ... or your too young for me.
Get him neutered or get her spayed or... just let the older keep him back. My 1 year old cat done this before.. Only with a blanket.. *shudder*
2007-03-01 18:55:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
They are playing. Kitten is practicing his pouncing moves - it is instinctual in predators. Cats never exert as much force in their bite and scratch when they are playing or having mock battles - that too is instinctual. The older cat bats kitty when he does that and grooms him becuase older kitty is the dominant cat (of course). He is teaching your kitten the tricks of the predator trade. Cats only draw blood in a real cat fight which is unmistakable becuase of the noise, the yowls, the hissing and screething and running and clawing... yu'll know one when you see one
2007-03-01 19:10:41 · answer #7 · answered by Phoebhart 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Believe it or not, your kitten is going to school. It's a natural thing for a baby animal to learn fighting and defending itself by playing 'wrestling' with an older animal.
I've seen it with cats and dogs both. Some times, they scared me a lot, but they were always OK.
2007-03-01 18:21:33 · answer #8 · answered by flywho 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Oh my God - my kitten is doing the same thing! He is terrorizing my other cats. At first I thought it was funny but he will pounce on them when they are sound asleep and bite their neck really hard. I have found scabs on their necks. But to answer your question, I do not believe they can REALLY hurt each other. I think the kitten is just testing his limits.
Good luck!
2007-03-01 18:11:25 · answer #9 · answered by cyndi71mom 5 · 3⤊ 2⤋
cats know when enough is enough. when your older cat gets tired of being harassed it will give the kitten a good slap, not enough to hurt it of course, just enough to get it to stop messing with it.
2007-03-01 19:08:04 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋