Did you introduce the two kittens to the other kitten slowly? Sometimes when an introduction goes too quickly it can take longer for the swattiness to die down. Also try a plug-in cat pheromone diffuser. Keep in mind that kittens learn boundaries from their mother and littermates. If a kitten is separated at a young age, he does not learn these. It will take time for the first kitten to learn from the two kittens that biting and other behaviors are not appropriate. Finally, you can neuter the older one now if you like. The rule is generally 8 weeks and 2 pounds, especially in shelters and with feral colonies. In our household, we wait until 7 months so that the urethra is fully developed, hopefully eliminating future urinary and marking problems.
I had a cat years ago who had a hiding spot between the wall and my pedestal bed. One time I covered the entry so she couldn't get in, and the next time she got into something, I started scolding and chasing her. She ran straight to that spot only to find it blocked. The look on her face was priceless. Of course I just laughed and picked her up, and opened her hidey hole back up. I think she was more embarrassed than anything that I got one over on her.
I've never understood the cat thing....but thats probably just me. You call a cat and they take a message and will get back to you. Call a dog and they come running, jump on your lap and dog kisses to chin follow.
We have 6 cats and 2 dogs. At.one point we had 11 cats and 4 dogs. Mrs Pugman is a CVT and every stray ended up at my house. She is a cat person I'm a dog guy. I will admit I've been converted. Some of our cats took years to warm up to me but I can say now we will always have at least one or 2. I discovered I have a talent for placing animals so our pack has been down sizing to become manageable. We have one cat who acts like a dog. While some friends have cats who are aholes all ours are very social. Just make sure the food dish is full before you go to bed or they will wake you at 2 am. To the OP we recently lost our alpha this past summer and it did cause a rumble in the pack. Spraying became an issue..how do you solve this? Put a.litter box there. A.cheap way we fixed our problem..calming collars. It will eventually resolve itself but the collars did help.
My cat's come running, jump up, hug my neck, and kiss my ears. You'd be surprised how affectionate a cat can be.
At Brother J's place, we've learned over the years that the best cats are litter mates that have bonded well with each other and with people. They settle their differences, learn how to properly defend themselves without taking it too far and become very mellow together. Also, when another cat is introduced into the mix, the newcomer either learns the ropes from the established cats and settles in or self-isolates. 2-1/2 years ago, we adopted two brothers when they were about 7 weeks old. They live on the back deck, control the rodent population and are maintenance-free. 8 months ago, a stray cat decides he wants to move in with us. He's welcomed by the brothers and fits right in. Takes his time with warming up to us, but after 2 months it's like he's always been with us. He turned out to be the best hunter of the 3, developing a particular taste for squirrels. View: https://youtu.be/lkLcnmKG2UE
Thanks for all of the tips. Hopefully they can iron out their differences. Last night I was able to entice them all to come out and chase twine and a laser without attacking one another. In just a few days the younger male has started to get more comfortable and will defend himself at times. If the older kitten sneaks up from behind, it is game over though. The younger one just lays there and submits, like "I lost, my life is over, finish me". The older kitten definitely has boundary issues. Judging from the shelters records he was separated from his mother and litter makes very young. He was brought in alone and only a couple, maybe 3 weeks old. He is sweet when not a savage.
Thanks for the update Csv. That was a good move getting them to play together. Hope it works out. They are a good looking bunch.
Cats are independent. They don't need us and we both know it. That appeals to a lot of us independent types. I think there is an insecurity that causes people not to like cats because they are independent. When I had a job that required travel, I could leave out a few days of food, water dripping in the tub, and a radio on a timer. And I didn't have to worry. But when I started packing to leave, my cat would get all clingy and vocal.
Years ago a member here said that if they could, his cats would kill and eat him. He said he liked that.
Feline politics are fascinating to observe. Unlike dogs who see other dogs as friends (mostly), cats are the opposite. It takes them time to establish their pecking order, and they can be real *******s. A lot of the behavior is just dramatic. Unless you see blood I would not worry too much.
If they still make battery powered squirt guns, they are a lot of fun. Think battery powered uzi for some storage capacity.
