# 4 month kitten vicious towards new 8 week kitten



## Fratent (Apr 23, 2019)

Hey everyone. First post here as I've searched the internet and getting a mixed answer to what's actually going on.

We got a male kitten in February who is now 4 months old. My partner wanted to get another so he has a friend to play with during the day when we're at work . She just got an 8 week old female kitten from the same breeder. Our two kittens have the same dad and their mum's are sisters. 

Anyway, our oldest has always been a really active kitten pretty big too, when we got the new kitten home he arched his back up and raised his hair then sniffed the cat carrier the kitten was in. We're keeping them in seperate rooms until they get used to one another. We've slowly introduced them for a few minutes at a time but everyone they're in the same room our older one won't take his eyes off the little kitten and follows her about, jumping on her at first he was sniffing and licking her but now he's smacking her and biting her neck, the little ones smacking back which is adorable but the bigger one is getting pretty rough to point he hisses and the little one wells. 

We can't have them in the same room without him attacking her. When he gets too rough we spray him with a water bottle which makes him run away then close the door to seperate them but then he just meows at the door. 

Are they just playing or is he actually attacking the little kitten?


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## MilleD (Feb 15, 2016)

You must be introducing them too quickly - you need to go at their pace.

And please don't spray your cat with water. They don't make associations about the punishment and the crime, it will just make him scared/aggressive.


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## Fratent (Apr 23, 2019)

Thanks for your reply. Do you have any experience introducing cats? If so any tips? 

Didn't know about the water. Won't be doing that anymore .Thank you .


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hello @Fratent and welcome 

It is best if the new kitten has her own safe room at present with her food, water, litter trays and cat bed. It needs to be a room where you can spend plenty of time with her, playing with her, or just keeping her company, so she can get to know you and develop trust. As there are two humans in the household it means one of you can sit with each kitten and keep them entertained, while you take time introducing them to each other, at a pace that suits both of them.

If two kittens of a similar age and similar size have a bit of rough and tumble that is one thing, but there is a big difference in size and strength of a 4 month old male compared with an 8 week old kitten and you are right to be concerned if the male kitten is very rough with the little one. She is used to play-fighting with her litter mates and she does not understand your male kitten could hurt her.

Nor does he probably intend to hurt the little one, he is just being protective of his territory and resources. Which is why as MilleD said, you must not punish him for showing normal cat behaviour.

Bear in mind that at 4 mths old he is approaching sexual maturity and this is likely to make him more aggressive towards a new "intruder' in his territory, even though she is only a little kitten.

The best and safest way to introduce 2 strange cats to each other is by use of a screen door fitted in the doorway of your new kitty's safe room. You can fix it to open the opposite way to the wooden door, so that both doors can be used independently.

This kind of thing:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/vidaXL-Hinged-Insect-120x240-Curtain/dp/B01G3R6T26/ref=sr_1_1?crid=125R3TF9NUAW2&keywords=hinged+mesh+door+screen&qid=1555706892&s=gateway&sprefix=hinged+mesh+screen+door+,aps,135&sr=8-1

(You'll need to fit a hook and eye fastener to keep it closed. )

The two kittens can then see each other through the screen door, so they can get the measure of each other at their own pace. A bit of hissing from either kitten is Ok, even a bit of growling at first, but if there is full on yowling you should shut the wooden door of the newcomer's safe room, and try again next day.

When you reach the point of your male kitten being able to look at the female calmly through the screen, then it is time to let them meet face to face without the mesh, always under your close supervision at first. Aim for short periods of time for the 2 kittens together, and then let new kitten back into her safe room.

Do not allow the male to chase the female at this stage. They are not friends yet, and the risk is the female will feel bullied. Step in immediately to stop any bullying or chasing by the male. Use distraction techniques such as arms length rod toys, or pick the kitten up out of the male's way and place her on a cat tree or table etc, as this will break the tension.

Make sure the male is not missing out on your attention as this would make him feel insecure and even more protective of his resources.

Continue with the process day by day gradually increasing the time the two kittens are together under your supervision. I think it is going to take a couple of months, because of the discrepancy in their sizes before you will be able to leave the two of them together unsupervised.

But when eventually the kittens are OK in the same space you can start leaving them unsupervised and the female may no longer need her safe room at that point. You will need to give each kitten their own separate feeding spot. Do not feed them side by side, and don't allow sharing of bowls or stealing of each other's food. The feeding spots should be out of sight of each other - e.g. feed one on the floor and one on a table or worktop. The point of this, is to avoid competition over food resources. Feed the older kitten first so he is reassured there is plenty of food for him.

Litter trays are a major resource for cats (after food and water) and for 2 cats you need to provide a minimum of 3 trays. This applies whether they are to be indoor or outdoor cats. Spread the trays around the home, not bunched together.

Water bowls - place several around the home.

it will be a good idea to plan to have the male kitten neutered soon before he becomes sexually mature or he could start behaving sexually towards the female. Not that she would be sexually mature herself until around 4 months but she would not appreciate being jumped on and pinned down or grabbed by the back of the neck as your male kitten might do.

4 months is now the experts' recommended age for neutering of pet cats. If your own vet is reluctant to neuter at 4 months there will be other vets in your locality who will, if you phone around. You can always return to your current vet for future treatments.


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