Kittens are fond of exploring new territory.
They’re adventurous and curious, which is why it’s essential to keep your cat safe. If your favorite pet seems to be acting a bit differently, consider consulting your a veterinarian.
So, how to stop kitten from attacking older cat?
Cats are territorial creatures; they sleep and hunt in their own territories to avoid being attacked by other animals or individuals.
Kittens are no different; they prefer sleeping in certain locations and generally avoid staying anywhere near other cats or cats that they do not know well.
When it comes to safety and security, older cats generally know better than younger cats or kittens do.
This is a major reason why older cats tend to avoid young cats and kittens that they do not know well.
Contents
Why Does My Kitten Attack My Older Cat?
The Ranking of Cats in the House
Cats have their own method to choose their territories.
Posturing and verbal gestures can communicate to each other and convey messages.
If your elder cat is docile, the kittens will approach it and tolerate it, but if they see the kitten’s behavior as a threat, they will attack it.
The more your adult cat gives signals that it wants nothing to do with the kittens, the more they will push boundaries and challenge the seniority of your cat.
Lack of Social Skills
If your cat lives alone in your house with no other cats or kittens for company and interaction, your cat will lack social skills.
To properly engage with one’s environment, a cat needs to socialize with other cats and kittens.
Solitary Cat Behavior
Domestic cats descended with the hunting and gathering habits of their ancestors, which is why they have a tendency to be solitary in nature.
They preferred to seek individual shelter and relative safety rather than sharing space with other animals.
It’s likely that your kitten has inherited this tendency to prefer a solitary life.
Your kitten will put their athleticism into testing the boundaries to see just how far they can go without getting a response from an adult cat.
How to Stop Kitten From Attacking Older Cat?
There are a variety of reasons that can cause the aggression between a cat and kitten to develop, but the primary cause is usually unfamiliarity and fear on the part of the kitten.
It’s either territorial or predatory in nature, or a combination of the two.
Another explanation is that it may develop from a chemical reaction in the kitten’s mind to petting/handling by an adult cat.
The easiest approach to prevent your kitten from attacking your older cat is to take proactive steps to ensure that your cat is adequately socialized and your kitten is properly trained and socialized.
It is preferable to keep both your adult cat and kittens in separate rooms until the kitten reaches the age of 3 to 4 months.
Consider putting your kitty in a pen so he has more room to move around and can see the other cat and kittens through a sliding window.
It may be difficult, but you should not allow your adult cat to come into contact with your kitten until he’s an adult.
Keep Resources Separate
You should pay careful eye to how your kitten is acting toward your older cat.
That includes their litter, the food bowls, water bowls, beds, etc.
Consider giving them both a safe environment and space to play and sleep without direct contact between them.
Creating A Safe Distance
When you bring your kittens together without allowing them any contact, they will grow in a healthy way and your older cat will be less stressed.
You must slowly construct a barrier between the cats without making them feel threatened or attacked.
The kittens should slowly see the adult cats and learn to tolerate them without aggression or fear.
Kittens should slowly learn to accept the presence of the other cat without feeling threatened or fearful.
The older cat should watch them calmly without showing any threatening behavior toward the kittens.
Over time, your kittens will learn to explore and play without being fearful or reacting to the older cats presence.
Spending Quality Time Together
You must invest your time in such activity that your older cat learns how to peacefully co-exist with the kittens.
When kittens observe their owners being really friendly with the elder cat, they automatically start loving and tolerating the cat too.
The Kitten Will Not Leave the Elderly Cat Alone
Your kitten won’t leave the elder cat alone.
Kittens are fascinated by moving things, so whenever your kitty sees the elder cat move, he will definitely follow the elderly cat or follow him around the house.
When kittens are in the developing stage they learn through observing the behavior of other cats around them and family members too.
However, the same nature may be torturous for an aged cat as they cannot take time away from house work to catch its breath.
Patting is helpful in calming the kitten and keeping the kitten from jumping on and attacking the older cat.
Also Read: Why Does Your Cat Stretch In Front of You?
Conclusion
To ensure the safety of your cat and to make sure you are giving them the best care possible, it is important to give them adequate time to adjust to a new cat or kitten in the household.
Once your cat and kitten get used to each other’s presence, you can then start interacting with them more often and giving them more opportunities for play and interaction.
In addition , you should always monitor their interactions and ensure that their interactions are supervised so that any aggression or fighting can be avoided.
You should never advise to leave your older cat and kitten alone together; you need to ensure that it is a safe experience and that both your older cat and kitten are getting the care that they need.
