Hi guys,

So we have a one year old boy, Kasper, from Bramblewood Bengals. We loved him so much, we wanted a silver girl. So a week and two days ago we brought home Luna.

Background information: Kasper does not have your typical Bengal personality. He's not overly affectionate and is a bit of a loner although does have a buddy we have named 'JC the Jungle Cat' that I have seen him 'hanging around' with. He doesn't 'hunt' and isn't overly fussed about spending hours playing with me. He also has no tail due to an accident about 8 months ago.
Luna is the COMPLETE opposite. She's the most affection cat I have ever had. She is also extremely playful and I have a feeling she will be the boss.

So, we introduced them. We didn't use a kitten pen, I've introduced cats before without one and it's always been fine. So we sat with them. At first Kasper was hissing and growling which I knew he would. Then they started 'play-fighting'. I know it's play because there is no hissing (until he get's a bit too rough) no staring matches and I've seen cats fight plenty of times! Sometimes Kasper looks like he just wants to sniff but she's too hyper to just stand still.

Now, a week and a half later, they still can't be left alone in a room together because of their rough play-fighting. Luna has started yowling while they're at it, and he's biting her neck (not in a mating way) whilst they're locked on. It looks awful to watch but I know I have to persevere and they're just trying to decide who's boss. But it's starting to look like he's really hurting her and she yowls, but then when I take him away, she meows and goes back for more.

So what do I do? I physically can't sit there for hours on end watching them but I also don't want to have to keep separating them and shutting Luna away. Do you have any advice on ways to calm things down? Or do I just let them get on with it? I'm terrified he's going to hurt her because of their size difference at the moment!

Also - as he has no tail, do you think this is causing a language barrier as it's hard to know what he's thinking?!

(Sorry for the essay!)
Charli x

There is a proper way to introduce a cat ... you're dealing with an older cat and a kitten. And I'm sure you know know that bengals are not like other cats. A new cat has been brought into Kasper's territory, bringing new smells. He feels invaded. Luna doesn't know what to think because she's new and probably hasn't settled in yet. I would not think you simply set the cats down together and see what happens. Like letting two fighters into the ring. You need to work on feeding them in close proximity -- together. Jackson Galaxy recommends on opposite sides of a gate. There should be no attacking at that time as each cat is concentrating on eating. I would also initiate play with both of them in the same room. Let them concentrate on toys and not each other. The other thing is to make sure these cats can get high up! Cat trees or shelves. Each cat needs their own space and Luna needs an escape route. Just letting two cats duke it out is unfair to Luna. She's small and probably cannot protect herself from Kasper. And you do not want him to physically hurt her. These two cats CAN get along -- but it takes training, time and patience.

As for Kasper not being affectionate -- my bengal is not affectionate. It sounds like you let him outdoors, so make sure he and the kitten are vaccinated against everything. The fact that he has lost his tail due to an accident proves that the outdoors is not a safe environment for a cat. Next time, Kasper may not be so lucky. Those nine lives go by rather quickly.

Try to reintroduce them slowly and please make sure Kasper is not overly aggressive which will put fear in Luna. There is a lot of great information online on how to introduce cats. Then you can post pictures of them snuggled up together. Good luck!

That all sounds real typical to me. I think what you actually have there is pretty much the best-case scenario, where both cats want to interact in a mostly positive way, but have to learn how. The answer is that for a period of time, while the kitten grows and gets on a more equal footing, where you probably can't keep them together unsupervised. So you have to plan for that. What I'd do is to keep them apart when you are not there, then when you come back, they get to interact, they get treats and food and interactive play with you as well as a chance to play together, and you have to keep an eye on them and "break it up" if it gets too rough for the kitten, or if you perceive any actual aggression.

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The little monsters 3

Sounds like fairly normal behaviour to me.

Have a look at this cat channel on you tube for some tips on cat body language and how to look out for real signs of aggression or if they're just wanting to play. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAUBL5 ... RXo-N0VBHg

For now, supervise them and keep them separate if you're not around.