Is my older cat tackling our new kitten play or aggression?

This is an excellent question, and I love that you're being proactive about their relationship. It's hard to tell just looking at pictures, the first and last one look like good play and the middle looks a bit less playful. Meowing is not necessarily a problem, but if Loki sounds distressed or unhappy - he probably is. Signs of good play: Taking turns chasing/being chased Relaxed body posture Taking turns initiating No hissing Ears mostly up, not flattened on to the head Breaks in play occasionally You could ask your vet if you could email them a little video to get their input, since we don't have the video capacity here. Have fun with the new kitty!

Playful kitten behavior would be more common in a cat this age than true aggression, but it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference! :) In general, there are a few guidelines that can help. Play behavior in cats is virtually always silent, whereas growling and hissing are common with aggressive behavior. Cats who are playing will often crouch down and flatten themselves against the floor before leaping at you (or your other cat). They may also put their ears back and arch their backs, and walk sideways towards you. If it's play, the cats may wrestle, grab each other and chase each other, but there should be no injuries. If you're still unsure, you can request a one-on-one consultation and upload a video of the behavior for me to look at - I would be happy to try and help.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem! I would be interested to know more about exactly what the cats are doing that concerns you, as true "aggressive" behavior or serious fighting would be unusual to see in a kitten this age. Normal play between two cats (including wrestling and biting) is often mistaken for fighting by owners, so I'm wondering if your cat may actually be playing normally with the younger kitten. If this is an aggression problem, this is quite serious at such a young age and would best be handled by a veterinary behaviorist - he/she can evaluate your cat to help determine what is causing the aggressive behavior, and put together a detailed treatment plan to work on the problem. This would likely include some methods to redirect her to some other activity if you see warning signs of an attack such as stalking, growling, etc. as well as possibly medication of some kind to help treat her aggression. Your veterinarian should be able to refer you to a behavior specialist in your area, if you ask.

This can be very normal behavior for some kittens. You should continue to stop playing when Shade begins to bite and give him an appropriate toy to play with. Make sure you are never using your hands to play. This article has some good information: https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/play-exercise/aggressive-cat-play

This sounds like a typical play behavior. In general watch for signs that one cat is trying to avoid the other cat. Watch for the cats hissing at each other. Watch for any signs of intentional bites or scratches that leave marks. If the cats are willingly interacting and you don’t notice any hiding or avoidance behaviors, this is likely consensual play. You may also look into reading a few books about cat behavior as it is not only informative but also fun! I hope this helps.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I don't think that hissing during PLAY means that Ivy will be aggressive as an adult. My cats will hiss, at age 9, when we are playing with a feather stick toy. But it could be that she is warning you that she has had enough or she is annoyed with the type of play. When she gets very rough I would stop playing with her so as to not encourage that level of aggressive play. I hope this helps!

It is OK behavior but not great. I am worried that this could escalate into a serious fight. I suggest you try using some Feliway diffusers in the house and do some environmental enrichment for them. Those two things should help. ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-MultiCat-Diffuser ) ( thedrakecenter.com/materials/environmental-enrichment-indoor-cats ) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AejmrLa_Cs4 )