Expert: Karen Craft - 4/26/2009

Question
Hi Karen,
I am a volunteer foster carer for an animal welfare organisation and mainly only foster kittens or cats under 6 months.  Up until recently I did not own my own cat so I decided to adopt one of the foster kittens, Frank, who is now 4 months old and is neutered male.  Kittens are always coming and going in my house and I felt that Frank lacked any long term companionship, so I am looking to adopt another kitten, Harry.  Harry is about 10 weeks old and is an un-neutered male (as he is not yet big enough).
My concern is that Frank and Harry spend quite a lot of time 'wrestling'.  Most of the time it results in Harry lying on his back screaming, with Frank lying on top of him, biting him by the throat/ears or face and not letting go.  It sounds so horrible that I break it up because I am worried that Harry may not be able to breathe and that Frank is genuinely hurting him!
After I break them up and speak sternly to Frank, Harry gets up and goes back for more.  This is very frustrating for me. Frank also bites the throat of one of the other foster cats who is much older and bigger than him. The other cat just wants to relax, but if Frank is in the mood he will just walk up to him and start biting him.
I guess what I'm asking is, does Frank have aggression issues or is he jealous of the new kitten? And how do I know whether or not to break up these fights, and whether they are getting out of hand?
Thanking you in advance,
Worried Mum - Beck

Answer
Hi Rebecca,

Frank is just showing normal territorial behavior. Since Harry is so young it shouldn't take too long for them to settle things out. You can try to follow a cat intro protocol. Or you could try Feliway Spray, (it mimics cat happy pheromones). The biggest thing they need is time. Give them a couple of weeks and all should be well. If it isn't you might want to ask your vet to put Frank on an antihistamine, cyproheptadine (Periactin). It has a prozac-like effect in cats. He can be on it for a little while to take the edge off till things are settled.

Make sure you get Harry neutered as soon as you can. I find that two neutered males get along the best. And then try to keep your fosterlings separate from your home boys. This will keep the stress in the household down. Good luck.

Ciao, Karen