# 4 month old cat dominates 2 month kitten. Any advice?



## Crofteesh (Feb 3, 2018)

Hello all. 
My girlfriend and i have a male maine coon X called Duncan, who although only 4 months is the size of a regular cat. 
We him a companion about 2 weeks ago, a 2 month old kitten called PJ (naturally) who is quite a small kitten. Neither have been neutered yet.
I have done alot of reading on the forums on how to introduce kittens. We have the seperate room for Pj, swapping scents, feeding either side of a door slightly open. 
We bring Pj into the lounge in a carrier. Her and duncan are completely happy with each other when one of them is in the carrier. They look like they are playing either side of the screen, pouncing at each other and licking paws.
When we let them into the room together, Duncan constantly swats her and doesnt leave her alone, PJ has her ears pinned back, hair on end, lays on her back and squeals and spits alot. We leave it for a couple of minutes and then put one back in the carrier where again they are immediately fine with each other.
It looks like hes either trying to dominate her or play with her but their size difference means she has no chance. 
We now have a feliway which we were hoping might calm him down but so far nothing.
Any advice would be most appreciated.


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## jill3 (Feb 18, 2009)

Hello and welcome to the forum.
Lovely picture of your kitten.
I think you are doing everything right. What you could do is when he starts acting rough with her. Maybe get a wand toy if you have one and start to play with it. He might be more interested in the wand then. Kittens also like to chase the light beam of a torch too. That might wear him out a bit. Sometimes you have to let them get on with it as the pecking order has to be established but i understand it is not nice when it gets too rough. When it does get too rough you must stop it. 
If you pop this on cat chat or training and behaviour a lot more members will see it and you will get some more advice. Please pop the picture of the kitten on there too


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## LeArthur (Dec 20, 2016)

I would also get them both neutered ASAP, Duncan could probably be done next week. https://www.cats.org.uk/what-we-do/neutering/enr/menu-early-neutering. You will probably have to wait a couple of months for PJ until she is 4 months old. Once Duncan has had his op, he will probably start to calm down over the next couple of weeks.

Great names by the way!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hello @Crofteesh )

You mention that Duncan at 4 mths old is the size of an adult cat so that means there's far too much of a size difference between him and little 2 mth old PJ to allow them to play roughly as you describe. Duncan may not mean any harm to PJ but he doesn't know his own strength. And PJ could get hurt.

You have only had PJ for 2 weeks and it's too soon to put the two of them together. Instead of leaving one kitten in a carrier when they meet, fit an inexpensive hinged screen door in the doorway of PJ's safe room so the kittens can see and smell each other through the mesh. This will give PJ safe exposure over the next few weeks to Duncan without him being able to get at her and pin her to the floor etc. (note - fit the screen door so it opens the opposite way to the room door).

The idea of the gradual exposure is to give both cats the chance to get the measure of each other at their own pace. After a few weeks you can allow PJ out of her safe room for short periods always under your close supervision. Do not allow Duncan to chase her. If he starts to, then intervene and distract both kittens with treats or a game. Pick PJ up from the floor and place her on a cat tree, table, or worktop as this act will put a stop to Duncan's aggression. Also, start to train PJ to jump up out of Duncan's way if she feels threatened by him.

Cats are not a hierarchical species so there is no 'boss cat' or chief in a multicat household. However there is often one cat who is more territorial than the others and more protective of their resources, and this can be demonstrated with aggressiveness to the others. The main thing is to try and reduce the competition for resources so Duncan feels less threatened by the presence of PJ.

So increase resources such as number of litter trays. e.g. for 2 indoor cats there should be at least 3 large litter trays and they should be spread out, not in the same area. While PJ is in her safe room she will of course have 2 litter trays of her own.

Food is a major source of competition and tension in a multicat household. So when the kittens are eventually allowed to be together you should give them their own separate feeding stations, out of sight of each other. Do not allow sharing of bowls or stealing of each other's food. Ideally buy them each their own microchipped feeder. Amazon is cheapest for these at around £66 each.

Also place water bowls around the home. And scratch posts or pads - several to every room of all different texture (cardboard, sisal, carpet offcuts screwed to wood).

Provide high up places for them to sleep e.g. tops of wardrobes and cupboards with safe ways up and down via shelves or cat trees.


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## Crofteesh (Feb 3, 2018)

Thank you all,

Some really helpful advice.
Duncan has been neutered now (a few days ago).
We have 4 litter trays and scratch posts around the house. Pj still has her own room to sleep in at night.
Its been about 6/7 weeks now and we thought we were making progress. Both of them can sleep a few inches apart, eat out of the same bowl (ive now read we shouldnt do that) with no bother, they tend to leave each other alone when using the litter tray too. But as soon as pj moves duncan is straight back to chasing her and pinning her, there is also biting from him too, she squeals and hisses. When we break it up, they go in opposite directions but then pj starts looking for duncan and the whole fighting thing starts again.


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Beautiful kitten....is that PJ or Duncan?
the fact that PJ goes looking for Duncan as soon as a spat is over suggests that their play is amicable although it can look otherwise to humans! @chillminx gives great advice above and it sounds like you are handling things carefully and managing the situation so I would not worry too much.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi there, if Duncan has only just been neutered a few days ago it will take several weeks for his hormone levels to fall. Once they have it may possibly result in Duncan being more tolerant of PJ's presence.

I imagine there is still quite a difference in the size of the two kittens, plus I recall you saying that Duncan is big for his age (being an MC kitten). Pj does need protecting from harm, Duncan may not intend to harm her, but he could do so with him being so much bigger than her.

Chasing each other and playing together is fine, but you mention biting. If the skin is actually broken there is a risk of a nasty puncture wound and an abscess forming. If Duncan is being quite aggressive with PJ it is not good for their relationship if PJ grows up feeling bullied by him. It could make her a nervous, wary adult, or alternatively it may cause her to become aggressive herself as a reaction.

Food is always a major source of competition between cats, and therefore a source of tension. If you haven't yet done so I would give them separate feeding stations out of sight of each other, and don't let them share each other's bowls at all.

Personally I would keep the two kittens apart for periods of the day (and at night as you do) until PJ is a bit bigger and Duncan has calmed down a bit. And continue to supervise them when they are together, intervening when you need to, to protect PJ. 

You can start training PJ to jump up off the floor onto a cat tree, table etc, if Duncan is chasing her, as this will break the line of sight between the two kitties and lower the tension.


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## Crofteesh (Feb 3, 2018)

Thank you all again.

To give you a size difference, duncan( pictured in the original message) is about 5 months and 6kg. Pj is about 3 months and 1.5kg. Quite a difference

I'll try a few of the things mentioned starting with the screen door for her room.


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