my agressive kitten attacks older passive (declawed) cat

I just got Alex a few months ago and he's very playful but my older cat is declawed and not playful. I am woken up everyday by the sound of my older cat hissing and growling at the kitten. Usually this means they want food in the bowl but I'm trying to get them on a tighter diet. I usually resolve this situation by punishing the little one with a smack, or I let the older one outside(where he prefers). Both are up to date on shots and both are fixed males. The younger one is not declawed but the older one who is being pestered has no alpha-defense. Help!

[PrettyKitty1]

I'm sorry............... but why are you smacking your cat? That is not right. Having already owned cats, I would hope that you would know kittens are rambunctious and playful. Because he has claws, the other one will evidently get hurt but as long as it isn't serious then there is no reason to worry or even punish your kitten.
Besides, you just got that kitten not long ago. You need to let them get used to each other and trust each other.

Please stop smacking your kitten. He will never understand why you are doing it. That is not the way to go. It is very, very extreme. If you need tips on how to raise young cats we'd be more than happy to help you. But smacking isn't right.

[LindaTX]

I'm curious why you decided to get the second cat?  How old is your older cat?  He may tolerate but never fully accept Alex.  I would try feeding them in separate bowls for a start.

[dawn41182]

Um, Pretty Kitty- I'm not abussive to Alex. I don't beat him up! You made me out to be a monster! You took that way out of context. Slap yourself on the wrist- does that hurt?
I love my cats but just don't want Alex to mess with the other one. Is it just unavoidable?
Is tell Alex "NO!" and he runs off--he knows he's doing something wrong but then he'll do it again 60 seconds later. The older cat (Venom) growls and hisses but has no claws. I just let Venom outside after a while of this.
LindaTX- Do I need a reason for wanting a kitten? Venon is 3. They have separate bowls.
Right now I'm watching them laying next to eachother. All is peaceful.

[opus88]

dawn are they both males??....one will always be the dominate one.

[PrettyKitty1]

It depends on how hard I hit my wrist. However you want to put it you have no reason to smack that cat. Then again you might think I'm taking this way out of context, but bottom line, just think of what you will accomplish with that: A cat who fears his owner. If you like that picture..hey...it's your cat and you do whatever you want. But because you posted here, it tells me you want to change it all for the better. Well....I'd start by NOT SMACKING THE CAT.

Be patient! Kittens have a lot of energy. It is a normal behavior and IT IS WHAT YOU WANT IN A YOUNG CAT. Aggression brings out more aggression...and fear. And NO...HE DOES NOT KNOW WHY THE HECK YOU ARE SMACKING HIM OTHERWISE HE'D STOP DOING IT. ...THINK!
You want that cat to be active and playful? Encourage good behavior with treats and petting. Discourage bad behavior patiently. Your tone of voice tells them a lot, as well as your demeanor. You don't have to yell at him either. You can also buy a training manual. But it doesn't seem like the situation is out of control.

P.S - Whatever I think of people who smack their animals is something I won't share. I feel better by giving you advice. You can take it or forget all about it.

[LindaTX]

Geez.....I think you've got more going on than your cats not getting along.  Maybe they're getting bad vibes from....somewhere?  You may not think you are abusing your cat, but you are.  You are showing him that he cannot trust you.  How can your cats relax when you are dishing out all this stress to the little one. Have you ever tried sitting and petting both of them at the same time?  That shows them that you care about both of them and it might help them bond through you. Maybe sprinkle a little catnip and of course some little treats. That would be positive reinforcement. Things can and will get better but not at the rate you are going.

[PrettyKitty1]

Linda.......I couldn't agree more...

[April2]

You may not mean to hurt him but smacking or hitting an animal will have the opposite effect that you want. The animal will either become fearful or agressive. Chances are you will make him more aggressive by smacking him and that's not the behavior you want! Kittens are very playful and yes, can be annoying at times but just try to be patient. He will settle down a lot within this next year, especially once you've nuetered him.

When you introduce a new animal into the home it will take time and patience for the animals to learn to get along. It's best to just leave them alone and let them work things out. Trust me, even with your older cat not having claws he still outweighs the kitten and can get him in a headlock and bite him if he wanted to. I have a declawed cat that will do that with the puppies I have. They're probably about the same weight but my cat will literally get one of the puppies in a headlock if they're playing too rough or if she's tired of being jumped on and she will grab them around the throat with her mouth. The first time she did that it looked a little alarming but I realized she was not actually biting them just holding them still. And it works. The immediately become submissive when she does this.
Your older cat needs to teach the younger one that he's the Alpha cat so try and let him do this without interfering too much (unless things get really out of hand and someone's getting hurt).
Always make sure that your older cat has a safe place he can escape if he needs to get away from the kitten but give him some credit. Unless he's elderly or sick he should be able to stick up for himself and put that kitten in his place but if you try to help and fight his battles (which is understandable!) you will be sending confusing signals to both cats. The older one will not get the chance or confidence to feel he can take care of things and the younger one will feel like he can do whatever he wants to the older cat (especially when you're not around!) because the older cat isn't sticking up for himself. Unfortunately, it really is best to let them work things out themselves. They will, trust me! All animals living in the same home eventually figure out a pecking order and allows one of the animals to be the Alpha animal.
If you are going to be gone I'd probably keep them seperated but when you're around do let them sniff each other and get used to each other. The kitten really just wants to play but he will figure out soon enough to leave the older cat alone if he won't play and hisses at him.
In the meantime, provide lots of toys and play with him and try to help tire him out so that most of his play time is with you or his toys.
When I first got my kitten I didn't know if I could keep her. She was like a little wild thing! She's race all over the house, knocking things over, annoying my older cat and never seemed to sleep! She also wasn't all that cuddly. But after we got her fixed she calmed down a lot! And now that she's 2 years old she can still be a bit of  a brat, lol, but she is fun to be with and she has gotten much more affectionate. Time really does make a difference!
I hope any of that helps.

[dawn41182]

Thank all of you for your imput. I will not interfere or stickup for the older cat any longer. I will just let nature take it's course. I will just have to separate them more. Thank you.
I have toys and catnip, treats and a pretty cool lazer light they both go crazy over. I do pet them at the same time and let the little one know that both cats are loved. For the most part they are fine together-they'll even sleep in the same bed. But when feeding time is near, all hell breaks loose and the kitten attacks Venom. I turn the corner without saying a thing and the little one runs. Then he'll come out cutely talking to me telling me to put food down. It's like his way of getting my attention. I just wish it didn't involve attacking poor Venom.

[LindaTX]

You've gotten some excellent advice here......looks like you're good to go.  Good Luck!

[opus88]

would feeding them in different spots help?....the older one wants to be the alpha male and rule the little one,  feeding time is his domain. good luck. let us know how it goes.

[pj154]

hitting cats only confuses them and makes them afraid and untrusting of you. I have the same problem with my kitten and older cat , I tried to let them work it out by them self but it has only gotton worse, lately I've strarted useing a squirt gun aimed ony at the kitten it seems to be working and my older cat appreciates it to.

[laurel4444]

The problem I have is 2 days after we got our kitten, our 17 1/2 yr old cat fell off the bed and badly hurt her hip and couldn't walk. She is better now but still walks with a limp but is much weaker physically and now that our male kitten is bigger he jumps her and tries to bite her neck. The older cat cannot protect herself and is constantly getting bothered by the kitten. I get upset and put the kitten in another room for quiet time. When I take him out, it starts all over again. I don;t know what to do about it. I wish I had not got the kitten

[LivingInHope]

I'm sorry your older cat is having such a rough time!  If it is not possible to keep the kitties separate all the time in your home where they can each still get all the attention they desire, do you have a relative or friend who might be willing to adopt the kitten?  That way, if you've grown attached to the kitten already, at least you might still get to see it.