HELP! I need advice from you cat experts

[_Dr. Shades]

Folks, I'm really desperate from some advice. Here's my dilemma:

Our new kitten, Cookie, can't resist pouncing on our older cat Kiki's tail. Kiki doesn't like this, so she wrestles Cookie onto her back and bites her on the stomach, legs, etc. Her ears are folded back, and it looks like she's biting HARD. She looks SERIOUS.* Cookie lets out little yelps of pain. I've checked for blood or broken skin, and haven't found anything yet, but I'm really worried about Cookie's safety. I don't want Kiki to literally kill our new kitten!

Any advice? This seems beyond the normal cat wrestling you see. Tell me: Do we need to return Cookie to her original owners for her own safety?

*Kiki bites me too, and let me tell you, it's PAINFUL. I can't imagine how much worse it would be for something so proportionally smaller.

.

[_KimberlyAnn]

I'm not a cat expert. I just love cats.

Before I got Tarzan, I thought all cats could eventually learn to get along or at least tolerate one another. Now, I'm not so sure. Tarzan is evil. Seriously. We almost can't pet him anymore. The other day, I was looking out the front door waiting for my little girls to arrive home on the school bus. T-Man came up next to me. I greeted him, saying, "Hi, Little Man." He looked right at me and hissed. A full-out open mouthed hiss. If I pet him, he starts making loud huffing sounds and attempts to kill me. My arms are covered in huge bruises and scratch marks and bite marks. But I love him anyway. Vewy much.

I'd not get a new kitten, though. T-Man would kill it, I'm almost sure.

If you believe Kiki is serious about hurting the new kitten, and someone is not home to ensure Kitten's safety, then you may need to return Cookie to her original owners. I think Cookie and Kiki would eventually come to terms with one another, but until Cookie is older or finally learns her lesson and leaves Kiki alone, Cookie will likely need to be protected.

Just my opinion. You may want to call a veterinarian.

KA

[_JonasS]

Hey, Are both your cats neuterd? Sometimes, that can solve the problem. Sounds like you need to get your little kitten some toys, parhaps some that resemble a cat's tail, you know those snake things that you can wiggle.

[_JonasS]

P.s. It is normal for older cats to attack kittens that pounce on them. Eventually Cookie will learn that pouncing on Kikis tale has bad consequences and not do it. And that is what kiki is probably trying to tell cookie. But if kiki it hissing at cookie and not beng nice even when cookie isn't pouncing on kikis tale, then they may need seperating. But otherwise I think they will be ok. Cookie will learn not to do it. But other toys for cookie will help.

[_Gazelam]

A solution to your problem.. after a brief commercial...

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[_Dr. Shades]

Thanks Kimberly Ann and JonasS for the advice.

Both the cats are female. Kiki is spayed, but Cookie is not--she's only six (seven?) weeks old, so that's down the road a ways.

Kiki is patient with Cookie when Cookie isn't pouncing on her, so hopefully that's a good sign.

But the good news is that I think I found a solution: We have some of that "Nature's Miracle" stuff that tastes terrible that you spray on a body part--your own or a pet's--to keep an animal from biting or licking there. Last night I sprayed Kiki's tail with it, and Cookie quit attacking it, which meant that Kiki dealt out punishment far less often as well. I next sprayed a little on Cookie's belly and the back of her neck. So far, so good, for the most part.

Please keep your fingers crossed for Cookie!

[_KimberlyAnn]

Thanks Kimberly Ann and JonasS for the advice.

Both the cats are female. Kiki is spayed, but Cookie is not--she's only six (seven?) weeks old, so that's down the road a ways.

Kiki is patient with Cookie when Cookie isn't pouncing on her, so hopefully that's a good sign.

But the good news is that I think I found a solution: We have some of that "Nature's Miracle" stuff that tastes terrible that you spray on a body part--your own or a pet's--to keep an animal from biting or licking there. Last night I sprayed Kiki's tail with it, and Cookie quit attacking it, which meant that Kiki dealt out punishment far less often as well. I next sprayed a little on Cookie's belly and the back of her neck. So far, so good, for the most part.

Please keep your fingers crossed for Cookie!

That's great news, Dr. Shades!

I strongly suggest you watch this video, An Engineer's Guide to Cats. It's so funny. I particularly recommend the "corporal cuddling."

Also, if you'd like to join in the new "Cat Yodeling" craze, then check out this clip:Advanced Cat Yodeling

KA--Semi-Automatic Kissing Machine and Overly Friendly Sniffing Dog Simulator expert.

[_Dr. Shades]

I strongly suggest you watch this video, An Engineer's Guide to Cats. It's so funny. I particularly recommend the "corporal cuddling."

Ah, yes. I've got that one bookmarked. Yes, the section on "corporal cuddling" is definitely the best part.

Also, if you'd like to join in the new "Cat Yodeling" craze, then check out this clip:Advanced Cat Yodeling

I'd never seen that one--thanks! Oscar, Zoe, and Ginger ride again!

(In my opinion, the sequel is better than the original.)

[_Jersey Girl]

Sounds like you might have some alpha stuff going on there, Shades. Glad to hear you found a solution. I'm afraid I've lost any affection I once had for cats. The last straw was last spring when a new cat attacked our established cat every time it tried to eat. Turns out that the established cat was dying of cancer (we didn't know it until weeks later when it began a rapid decline) so maybe the new cat sensed that? I have no idea. Cats can be such utterly strange creatures.

[_msnobody]

Our new kitten, Butterbean (11wks.) does the same to our other cat. For a couple of weeks, we would put a litter box and Butterbean in a room to separate them while we were at work or school. Now, we leave them together and so far there hasn't been any problem. We just sort of eased into having them together, first when we were around to observe. Butterbean still attacks the older cat and it is much like you've described, but BB seems to go back and initiate their contact with one another. My opinion is that at some point they will have to establish their place within the household including those spats they get into with the other cat.

I like what you said you did with the Natures Miracle. I recently checked out the book Twisted Whiskers from the public library. It was somewhat geared toward cat behavior.