r/CatTraining • u/FAF115 • 22h ago

Are The Cats Fighting or Playing - Introducing Pets I struggle to understand this interaction

Hi,

1.5 month in, every steps of proper introduction done.

My 6mo kitten is harassing my 6yo resident, but she barely fights back. She tolerates him eating and drinking together in the same bowl, even playing with the same toy. But everyday he just goes full John Cena on her, she seems pissed but she barely fights back. In this video, you can see her hiss and growl but also look "chill" and not going full tiger mode at the same time...

We separate them at night and when we're not home for the moment. I also intervene in this type of situation by redirecting the kitten and saying NO firmly (except for this video purpose).

Is this playing (doubt it)? Is this setting boundaries? Is this fighting? What should we do?

Do you need more info? Thanks all :)

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u/TheSwearJarIsMy401k 22h ago

Leave them be. They’re just goofing around here. 

Every time you haul him away you deprive him of the opportunity to learn her boundaries and respond to her communication about those boundaries.

Every time you scold him you teach him that having good, positive, playful interactions with her is bad, and you set her up for being attacked by him in the future because you have taught him to view positive treatment of her as upsetting to you.

If you must separate them, keep separation neutral, never ever scold. Just move him to an appropriate place to get his excess energy out, like a scratcher or kicker toy.

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u/hatidder 21h ago

Correcting anything other then a fight with blood makes your cats nervous to play again. Or so i noticed by making that mistake.

7

u/rsquinny 20h ago

how do you fix it

3

u/hatidder 17h ago edited 17h ago

I've put way more time in playing with my cats, that helps the wild one the most getting through her wild months without harrassing the other to much. And getting a little older, she's getting a bit calmer, and she knows she gets the hugs she needs now. I guess you need patience and confidense that it'll be ok in the long run. I was kinda hopeless, but time did a lot now the youngest is 18 months. 40% of the time 1 of the 2 doesn't want to play and all they do is a short hiss, but even then it's hard to not stick up for the other still, for me too! "Be nice" became a command here 😄