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How can you tell when the play is TOO rough.

Sourek

Savannah Super Cat
Just wondering, is there anything I should look for before I break up my two kittens? Sometimes I can't tell if they are having fun or legit fighting.
 

Katniss

And her brother Crazy !
I too have difficulty at times. But when my poor Katniss is hissing, struggling and fur is flying, I grab Crazy and distract him for a minute to let her get her bearings. Most times helps, but sometimes he MUST really want her as he will go back to attack and then I put him in his room for five minutes.. This changes his attitude and then all is well. I sometimes wonder how she survives everyday when were at work!!!!:rolleyes:
 

Sunny

Loyal Servant
Good -- Bad

Pawing -- Swatting
Claws in -- Claws out
Tail curled -- Tail low
Tail up flicking -- Tail swishing side to side
Ears up -- Ears flat
Standing tall -- Crouched to lunge (not pouncing, cowering or defensive)
Hissing -- Growling
Leading with butt -- Cornering
Mounted (different gender) -- Mounted (same gender)
 

Trish Allearz

Moderator
Frankly, with two kittens- I wouldn't break it up unless there was fur flying everywhere. Cats, just like dogs, play and cats, just like dogs, need to work out dominance.
 

Sourek

Savannah Super Cat
Frankly, with two kittens- I wouldn't break it up unless there was fur flying everywhere. Cats, just like dogs, play and cats, just like dogs, need to work out dominance.

When I got them last week, the older one was very much more dominate. But the past few days the younger smaller kitten has been becoming more daring with how he's acting around the older boy. Don't want them to hurt each other by accident, so was hoping to find out what I should look for in particular to stop them before it gets serious. I've seen some of the bad behavior Sunny mentioned up there, but most of the time they get along really well.
 

Sunny

Loyal Servant
Sounds completely normal. When I discipline verbally is when one cat is simply out to pick a fight or when play continues to escalate into a fight. It's good the kitten is testing his boundaries. The older boy has an advantage when he wants to end it, he'll do it without much trouble. I would not worry.

My SV girl over the month has become very daring, when Anubis is not really in a playful mood he will stand his ground and defend against her pouncing and then sit up again. When he wants to end it, he goes on the offensive and pins her by the neck and shoulders into the carpet. I say pin, but it's more like crushing her into the carpet because he's doing it while bull rushing her. Like a sumo wrestler and a normal size person, if he gets a paw on you, it's over and she understands the 7lb vs 15lb very well.

Coming home once a month, maybe twice if unlucky, there are small little tufts of orange Ra fur downstairs or upstairs on the carpet and they are laying out together. There was fighting but they aren't drawing blood. I will never discipline a weaker cat standing up to a stronger cat.
 

Trish Allearz

Moderator
When I got them last week, the older one was very much more dominate. But the past few days the younger smaller kitten has been becoming more daring with how he's acting around the older boy. Don't want them to hurt each other by accident, so was hoping to find out what I should look for in particular to stop them before it gets serious. I've seen some of the bad behavior Sunny mentioned up there, but most of the time they get along really well.
What's their ages, again? For some reason, I believe they are both very much kittens, right? I'd let them duke it out- as kittens, they aren't going to seriously harm each other.
 

Sunny

Loyal Servant
To add, I am also of the camp be careful what you wish for. Meaning if one cat starts hounding the other by nipping at their back feet/legs, pawing their rump, or trying to tackle around the neck and encourage wrestling and the other cat goes on the offensive, that's fine. My SV won't wrestle with Ra because she knows he plays for keeps and there's no middle ground. They had to figure this out on their own. ;)
 

Sourek

Savannah Super Cat
What's their ages, again? For some reason, I believe they are both very much kittens, right? I'd let them duke it out- as kittens, they aren't going to seriously harm each other.
The F4 is 6 months next week. The F2 is 3 months as of 2 days ago. :)
 

Pam Flachs

Savannah Super Cat
Is the F4 spayed or neutered? There might be some hormones emerging at play here with the older kitten over the younger one if he or she is not sp/n. Also, you say you got them both last week...from the same breeder? Were they kept together? They may not really "know" each other, even if from the same cattery. I think it sounds like normal kitten play; I've seen some pretty rough play amongst litter mates myself. You've got some good advice about monitoring the rough-housing. When you see blood and clumps of fur, it's time to intervene.

In both of these pics, it was the smaller female kitten causing the "mommmmm, she's hurting me" reaction to the bigger boys;)

104_0410.jpg DSCF9405.jpg
 
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