Help with introductions, PLEASE!!

[Shea Simpson]

You need to post a video elsewhere (Facebook or YouTube or similar) and copy the link here.

You too, please! I seriously value your opinions because you obviously know our kitties' breed and predalictions!

 

[admin]

They look to be play fighting. I didn't see anything that would make me think they would kill each other. They are kittens... Kittens play like that. The 9 week old likely did not learn boundaries, since he was taken away too soon, so the older kitten will teach boundaries. Just keep an eye on them. Have a tall place where one or the other can go to get away. Do you have cat trees with little houses for them to hide?


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[Snakebike]

I watched the video. I also have a F1 and a F2 (and a Chausie). From the video it looks like they are roughly playing and figuring things out not seriously fighting. I would carefully supervise them when they are together. I would also make sure that they both have LOTS of hiding spots (tunnels, boxes, visual barriers, cat trees etc.) all around the house. I would also make sure that both of the kitties claws are always clipped. I also think that some interactive play with both cats at the same time would help them.

 

[Snakebike]

Also, I think that when you scared them at the end of the video to separate them that was good but I would use a can filled with rocks or something else loud not my voice. I would not want the cats to associate my voice with somethings that scares them.

 

[Shea Simpson]

We have cat trees in every room. They have plenty of places to run and hide, but it seems like they just want to fight and fight and fight some more. Thank you for the tip about yelling at them. That is very true. We have never let them go on like that for more than 5 or 10 minutes before we felt like we had to break it up. Unfortunately, I think the boundaries thing applies to both of them as the one i got when he was older (our F2 who is the bigger older cat) never really had other kittens to play with as far as I know.
I can not thank you guys enough for your help!!
Please, if anyone else can help, I would greatly appreciate it. I hesitate to say this, because I know there will be some judgments and backlash, but I have never had cats before. These two are the first cats I (or my brother who lives with me) have ever really had close contact or any kind of relationship with. We absolutely love them more than could have ever been imaginable, but we need all the help we can get.
Thanks again!!!

 

[Snakebike]

No judgments from me, I was given a F2 Savannah and a high generation Bengal together a long time ago when they were both kittens, and I never owned cats before either! Now I am hooked. The play fighting may be because they are so energetic and could lessen with interactive play. Chewy has some great interactive toys that you can rotate playing with. I exercise all my cats twice a day before feeding.I also highly recommend getting all the books by Pam Johnson-Bennet especially Cat Vs Cat and reading them. They have some great tips and tricks.

 

[admin]

Playing with them to wear them out at this age is very important. I have a singleton kitten right now who was born in my home. She learn boundaries from her mom and the other cats in the house. That is why I believe it important to keep kittens until they are 12-16 weeks. She will be staying, so it is important for her to learn and believe me, she is being schooled


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[John Popp]

I didn't see much alarming there, but it always sounds awful when they are vocalizing so much. Giving up the belly isn't a submissive pose, it's a defensive posture, so don't read much into it. I would also let them go until someone retreats, if they're trying to get away and are being relentlessl pursued, that's when you need to interject with some toys.

My boys go at it as displayed daily and are the best of friends. They are full F1 brothers from different litters and rarely are found more than 5' from another. In fact they are usually on top of each other, sleeping, playing or watching the bunny and chipmunk show out the window together. Perhaps once a week the younger brother gets a 5 minute lock up, and it's exclusively for wrestling at elevation.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I didn't see anything too concerning...they are both kittens and can play rough but they are also getting to know each other and hence there will be overreactions and hissing and retreats and attacks. But at the heart of it, they look like kids wrestling. I would let them be to work it out.

You could possibly give both a good vigorous play session before letting see each other to decrease the intensity of the initial interactions...

 

[WitchyWoman]

If they aren't neutered yet, you should have that done as soon as possible. I agree with the others. What you are seeing is 2 high energy rambunctious kittens playing the way cats play. When my F1 plays with one of my F2s, the F2 shrieks like he's being torn apart by monsters even he's barely being touched.