I know this question has been asked several times, and I've already looked at those answers so I'm pretty sure they're just playing, but I had an additional detail to throw in there. I have 2 ~5 month old kittens from different litters. Had the female for about 3 months now, and the male for about 3 days (recently got him as a playmate for her when classes start again).
Of course, there was the usual scared/threatened response by the female, including arched back, hissing, growling, etc. Well, they're now fighting. I'm pretty sure it's play fighting, but they do it a lot. I mean a LOT. And the female almost always hisses. They can eat from the same bowl, go to the same litter box, and be in the same room together, but when they fight it looks violent. Hissing, growling, scratching/biting. Is this normal? Should I worry about them?
Answers:
As long as no one is getting really hurt, with bloodshed, it's normal.
Kittens that age are obsessed with hunting and attacking. It's their instinct preparing them to kill their own prey...instinct hasn't caught up with the fact that cats are no longer wild animals.
The kittens, being from different litters, also have to work out their pecking order -- who is dominant -- and there won't be peace till they do.
Additionally, they don't yet know when enough is enough and when to stop, because they have no adult cats to teach them proper cat behavior, so one will get too rough for the other, and the other has no way to protest except by screaming and hissing.
All perfectly normal. The uproar should settle down in a month or two as they mature and learn to work things out.
Believe it or not, it's easier to have two kittens than just one. If you only had one, all that "killer kitten" energy would be directed at you.
I Have 3-5 month old kittens 2 from the same litter 1 from a different they fight alot , it looks violent , it's play fighting though.They've never hissed or growled at each other though.I don't really think they should be hissing and growling .
No, dont worry. I dont have any cats,(I'm 12) and I never have, but my Mother's best friend has 4 cats, and I've known them all sicne the yere 7 week old kittens. Your cats are just playing, its normal for their age.
I know dogs arent really like cats in many ways, but my dogs play fight all the time. I have a black lab puppy and a old yellow lab, and sometimes when they are playing they'll even snarl and bite each other every once and a while.
Maybe your female cat is just telling your male cat thats shes been there longer, shes older, shes dominant. My old dog did that to my puppy, and I dont see why cats cant do that to each other.
They are just fighting to determine who is the head honcho in the house, so to speak. I have three cats, and they all fight and it gets loud and it always looks a little scary, but they are just playing. But since one of the kittens is new, I'm sure it will end soon enough, and they won't fight as often. It may help to pet your new kitten on its cheeks and head and then with the same hand, pet the older kitten to help exchange their scents. This will help to familiarize them to each other. Hope this helps!
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