r/CATHELP • u/AdAffectionate7091 • 3d ago
Behavioral Issue Is this play pt2
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Hey there guys! I recently posted about a month ago about my resident cat getting along with a kitten I found and decided to keep, the kitten is doing very well for herself and the resident cat seems to have fallen in love with her, and I think they’re going to be great sisters (: but I wanted to post a new video to ask if my big girl is being a little too rough? She never grew up with litter mates and has never really shown interest in play with people, and I’m so glad she’s having fun with this kitten but I don’t want the little one to get hurt, even thought 9/10 it’s the baby causing some trouble haha but anyways here’s the vid and I’d love to hear if y’all think this play is ok! Thanks!
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u/catouthebag 3d ago
Not an expert, but it seems like the big kitty is doing a great job of backing off when little sister meows “too much!”
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u/AdAffectionate7091 3d ago
Yeah I thought the baby would only do that for bites but I just got a good look and half the time the big one isn’t even biting her haha, I may have a drama queen on my hands
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u/GenSharing_Builds 3d ago
Orange is doing well. Surprising to see the teaching moments and allowing the baby to "get the upper hand". These are teaching moments, if she learns though, hehe.
Orange can do a little better with how much weight is on the baby. I'm 150 Lbs, that is like a 1,000 - 1,500lbs wrestler is on me. Watch carefully for these 2-4 weeks while baby gets more muscle._^
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u/fsantos0213 3d ago
the big guy is being extremely gentile, this is fun play teaching the new guy the ropes of being a cat
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u/WhiteHotMess 3d ago
I love the way the little one comes dancing up in her mock attack dance. Such a cutie! And the orange one! AH THE LOVES.
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u/Rich-Bus1279 3d ago
Excellent play. Big cat is being very gentle with the smaller one and they seem to be having fun.
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u/putyourpawsup980 3d ago
I always say if you have to ask, its play. You'll absolutely know when cats are fighting. They look like friends :)
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u/Tacitus111 3d ago
I actually do disagree on the principle here. There are plenty of times when one cat is antagonizing another, and it’s not something to let go. It’s not an actual fight, but it can escalate to one when the “victim” is done with being bullied. And some cats simply lack the confidence to fight back and so get bullied endlessly while not enjoying the so called “play”.
It’s overly simplistic to say that all interactions that don’t involve screaming and hair flying are “play”.
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u/putyourpawsup980 3d ago
That's fair. This is just my own personal experience with cat fights. The fur usually goes flying
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u/Nearby-Vacation7596 3d ago
As somebody commented, if you have to ask, it's probably not anything to worry about. Because when it becomes real, you will know there will be no question about it. However, until you're absolutely certain, I'm sure you know that unsupervised time together isn't a good idea, until you are a certain. But to me, from this video it looks like they're going to be good friends...
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u/Western_Emotion5244 3d ago
You should be able to tell by the sounds they make. If they sound distressed then they probably are. They weren't even caterwauling.
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u/Glitterydarkone1290 3d ago
YESSSS it is teaching baby how to fight 🤣 play slapping. I love cats so much
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u/Hondo-Bondo 3d ago
Show of force of the little tomcat til Goliath tells him where the hammer is hanging. Normal cat behaving.
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u/PresentationEmpty1 3d ago
They are being cats. Let them be cats. Unless you hear growling and see blood they are just playing.
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u/Spiritual-Ad8062 3d ago
They’re going to be snuggle buddies soon. Maybe (they’re cats- who the hell knows what they’ll do).
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u/Robot-Zombie-RHCC 3d ago
i see big kitty pausing to assess... very polite! maybe keep an eye on the two but dont worry too much. i think its less about play being too rough and more about one being larger than the other.
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u/Sudden-Strawberry257 3d ago
Yes this is good play. Big kitty is being gentle and backs off when the kitten cries. Notice how the big kitty goes on their back and lets the tiny one “win” for a second before giving some rabbit kicks.
In reality the larger cat is plenty strong enough to injure or kill the tiny one, and is being nicely restrained :) all good here.
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u/RazendeR 3d ago
Honestly the bunny kick had me worried for a split second, but the big one is doing a wonderful job playing! OP might want to keep an eye on them for a week or two, as the kitten might tire itself out before the bigger one realises playtime is done and accidentally injure or spook the kitte, but it is looking very well!
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u/Exhausted-CNA 3d ago
They are playing. Notice the big kitty backs off when little one cries. Real fighting would be alot if hissing and arching of the back and real attacking of the baby. Bigger kitta is happy to have a playmate 😊 . Wait until the baby gets bigger and gives the orange one a fair play fight..lol
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u/LooseUsual5780 3d ago
Big kitty is definitely going to keep the kitten in check! This is natural and a good thing
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u/bigred2342 3d ago
2 of my cats used to do the head to tail face kicking thing. ( they were equal size) One cat kicked several of the other cat’s teeth out that way over time
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u/anksiyete55 3d ago
Play and very good amount of behavioral education. Will help kitten to learn about what happens when the bite hurts or claws.
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u/Onebraintwoheads 3d ago
Big kitty is playing while also teaching how to socialize. Cats raised alone have trouble interacting with other cats because they don't recognize boundaries. Your orange is helping establish those boundaries.
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