Cat Behavior I am Confused By + Looking For Ways To Help My Cat

[SomePersonOnline]

I'll set the context for everything as of recently. A while ago, we got Lucifer (our first cat) a while back, and we moved to an apartment (when he was still small). There was stuff happening but otherwise things were normal for him. Then, we recently introduced a new cat into the household, a kitten we named Grace, and she was introduced rather roughly because apparently it was an adoption (even though I insisted we introduce them slowly).

Recently, there has been behavior I haven't seen too many cats do, and I have been looking for it online, and I haven't found any behavior like it anywhere online. Lucifer transitioned from being a relatively chill cat into a somewhat anxious one (I could tell), and the kitten always chose him as her playmate, and so that's where this recent behavior has come in. Lucifer is relatively chill most of the time and likes to watch out our windows, and he rarely really plays. We have places we let Lucifer jump up to, and we generally let him be a free-roamer around our household.

However, whenever Lucifer is on the floor, Grace will always chase him down (It feels like she hunts him down and him only, as she finds him a more tempting target than the toys or even us) and start messing with him and essentially trying to play with his tail (no matter if it's twitching or not) or mess with his ears. Then, Lucifer will turn around and pin her to the ground and bite her by the scruff of her neck or around her neck area, and usually Grace meows at us when this happens, or screams, in which I or someone else in our household usually separate them. Otherwise, if he doesn't retaliate, he'll run away or strike her (no claws) and run away.

In addition, Lucifer has began recently spraying stuff. He did that especially with me (I think he might be protective of me in particular), but luckily we had an enzymatic cleaner to deal with that whenever he does that.

Just recently (past six hours), this behavior has come to a head. Lucifer now approaches Grace and tries to scruff her or he'll do what I think is some sort of attempt at asserting dominance, or he'll bite her neck and hold her down hard. I gently separate them from eachother in order to prevent Lucifer from pinning the kitten, and I put her up to where he won't go (because I'm watching), and he'll just stare at her general position. The first time I did this and I tried to walk back to my room, Lucifer ran really close to me (I felt his paw brush the back of my heel, but he didn't have claws out and it didn't sound like he was charging me), but otherwise didn't do anything. The next time this happened he meowed at me while I was holding the kitten, and it was a loud sort of meow, like he wanted something, and he did that twice but I put the kitten back where he wouldn't go and ushered him out. The third time (recently), I simply hid the kitten on her bed and got her to stay on her bed, and I picked up Lucifer (who was weirdly docile and didn't even resist, he just meowed at me and that's it). In all of these situations, usually his eyes were very wide and he'd often patiently sit on a chair, waiting. When he approaches, his tail would be level to the floor. In addition, weirdly enough, Grace wasn't hurt through all of these. No marks, no nothing except the kitten making sounds. I made sure he didn't have access by closing the door, or putting him in his room (Which is a closet with a few [3] height levels, originally for shoes and other stuff that couldn't be hung up conventionally, but now for him specifically, and we generally don't bother him there). I don't like doing that though because I'd rather them be able to walk around (But I'm starting to think that the Kitten shouldn't be near Lucifer too often because she constantly hunts him down and attacks him in a play sense).

I feel like I should also mention the fact that we don't have any 'cat-specific' furniture. However, I've recently gotten some energy stored up from the Coronavirus and I'm considering just going and bringing our cat along to take a look at the furniture with us, as well as get some toys we think he might like (but are also durable enough to survive how he plays). I'm thinking getting a few cat trees, scratching posts (He seems to come into my room as a safezone, probably because I don't get too actively involved with the kitten, and only reactively interact with her).

For now, Lucifer is content with the height levels he can get to (He can get ontop of the hanging cabinets if he wants to), or atleast as far as I can see. He didn't seem discontent with his environment before we brought our kitten in.

Whenever he doesn't have access to Grace but was out of his room, he'll just lay on our table and stare at the door Grace is behind.

I know I and the rest of my family are part of the problem, we may even be the clowns who unintentionally started this circus. But I want to know what this behavior is all about and if it's completely normal for cats to do this. If it's not or if it's a trademark of aggressive behavior of an adult cat versus a kitten, what's the best way for me to go about attempting to remedy this situation, as I know that there's times where a relationship between cats is unsalvageable, and I (unfortunately) feel like that might be the case.

FYI - Lucifer is about a year or so old now, and is not neutered (despite my constant insistence to get him neutered, and I'm hoping we can get him neutered at some point).

This took a lot of confidence to post.

I hope this isn't dangerous behavior. I'm looking for potential answers, similar stories, or recommendations.

[Mollycat]

You did the right thing to ask, and you're doing a lot of things right or at least trying to.

Neutering is really helpful but probably not the number one issue here. More likely it's introductions having been rushed. The good news is, you can go back and start the introductions over again, I guess the family is going to be the obstacle? But you are right on both those things.

What Lucifer is doing to Grace is normal cat behaviour, and Grace provoking Lucifer to play is also normal. But it's clearly escalating towards aggression, and you're also right that it needs to be stopped before it turns nasty as that can be a point of no return. That includes going back to square one with introductions.

Kittens do squeal and scream to signal too much, too rough, and Mamma cat when they are small would rush to their aid, or as they get older more often start to shrug and say meh stand up for yourself little one. So far Lucifer has been respectful of the squealing, but now he has "told" Grace unprovoked this is a step more serious. Kittens also wind up their mother, pouncing on her tail and patting her ears, but Lucifer isn't Grace's mother and his patience - whilst it's very good - is shorter.

This is a good example of a mother cat finally telling her kitten enough https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTQVDzFItLs though the kitten is hopefully younger than Grace (looks about 5-6 weeks) so it would be appropriate for an adult cat to have a little less patience with a slightly older kitten. This one, the kitten is a little older, is learning self-control, and you can see the relationship between mother and kitten already changing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVPZdN8if34. But this is all very normal and natural, hope it helps you assess whether your cats have a problem or just need watching.

[Michele B]

Just a wild, random guess here, but judging from your description of Lucifer's behavior, it sounds like he wants to be - uh - "amorous" with the new one!

Is he neutered?

I've seen that kind of behavior in one of my boys. Even tho he was neutered at a very early age, ocassionally, he gets that "look" in his eye, and for the next day or so, one of the other cats will have NO peace, as he attempts to "jump" them, bite them on the back of the neck, and such behavior.

The one he particularly picks on is also male, but they were all neutered or spayed at a young age, so there should be lingering hormone issues, but he does it! But not all the time. Just once in awhile.

Weird.