Hi Yall,

I have a 6-7 weeks old kitten and my older cat is 8 months old. We followed the usual introduction process, scent swapping with toys and blankets, keeping them separated with barriers, etc. Yesterday, we decided to let them interact more directly.

For the first two days, my older cat was hissing and growling at the kitten. That has stopped now, and instead she mostly just stares and tries to smell her.

We’ve been keeping the kitten in the living room, where there’s a small table that only the kitten can climb onto, so it acts as a safe space. The kitten does come out to play, but when she tries to wander out of the living room, the older cat will go after her and kind of pounce, almost like she’s trying to keep her in that area. It looks like rough or possibly aggressive play.

Today, I was playing with both of them using a feather toy. The kitten went into the corner of the couch, and my older cat pounced on her and started biting. It looked more aggressive than playful (I do have a video of it).

The kitten also has her own playpen, which we usually keep her in. It’s secure, so the older cat can’t get inside, but she does sit next to it and seems very fixated on the kitten.

If anyone has experience with this kind of situation, I’d really appreciate advice on how to handle it and how to help them bond safely. I have since separated the two and recorded these videos to share. I did intervene right away as soon as she started bunny kicking.

Please help.