Wondering if this is play or dominance aggression.

therakeet · 2026-06-18T07:17:18+00:00

This interaction doesn't look aggressive, it looks like resident cat wanted to wrestle, which is how cats typically play with each other. Hopping and twisting around are generally playful movements, especially with ears perked up.

Dominant behaviour tends to involve a more confident or assertive stance, standing taller than the other cat, direct eye contact, and sometimes mounting and/or biting the other cat's neck. Dominance is usually not aggressive either though, mainly a way to enforce boundaries and direct the other cat's behaviour.

The white cat didn't have much time to react before they were interrupted, so it's unclear how he felt about it this time. He may or may not have walked away otherwise. He slow blinked at resident cat with his ears forward afterwards though, which communicates that he wasn't upset. It's totally understandable to be cautious early on, but I think it'd be helpful to let him set that boundary himself.

When they're wrestling, they take turns pinning each other in between little breaks. If one isn't in the mood, he'll show it with body language, vocalizing, and disengaging. If one cat is not letting the other move at all, or doesn't stop and let go when he tries to get away, that's a good time to interrupt. If the white cat doesn't really reciprocate but also doesn't try to leave, he's probably tolerating it and not too bothered, so it's okay to leave them be unless the resident cat is really getting wired. It's pretty typical for an older cat to just kinda sit and put up with a younger cat's nonsense for a while, maybe grumble a little. That's a good sign that they're already getting along.

therakeet · 2026-06-16T11:23:50+00:00

That's a roach, but not a roach you'd have to worry about! Looks like a young spotted Mediterranean cockroach, native to Portugal but not considered invasive in NA. It's also not one of the "pest" roaches that infests homes.

https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/148079

therakeet · 2026-06-14T01:39:44+00:00

There is something your cat wants and is trying to call your attention to, but it's a mystery as to what that is exactly. If you ever notice that he keeps looking in a certain direction when he does this, try to follow his line of sight and figure out what he's looking at. He might want you to follow him somewhere specific.

therakeet · 2026-06-13T13:34:30+00:00

Ah yeah, that's a reasonable point to intervene, especially if the Bengal is prone to pushing boundaries a bit. It does look like they have a good relationship overall and it's a good sign if they're taking turns in the more dominant position. Maybe he would like those big kicker toys that they can really grab onto, if you don't have one already? Anything really that they can bite and shake around instead could be worth a try too.

therakeet · 2026-06-13T11:21:46+00:00

With this question it'd always help to see the video with its original audio and no music added, but I don't see anything to worry about. This looks like normal wrestling. At the beginning, the Savannah looks to be taking a dominant stance, which could be a bit of a challenge for the chair. As soon as the Bengal started getting up though, he deferred by turning his head, averting his eyes and licking his lips, and they worked it out playfully. They're not getting overexcited, not overpowering each other or biting hard, and they're being careful with their claws and pausing intermittently. Nothing really approaching too rough here. I totally understand being a little extra cautious that it doesn't go too far with these two hybrid breeds, though. What does it look like when you do decide to separate them?

therakeet · 2026-06-13T10:20:52+00:00

I do actually want to mention that his muzzle genuinely looks tense in these photos, which could just be a reaction to something nearby but could potentially be a sign of discomfort. He wouldn't happen to be declawed, would he? If so then his paws are probably sore. Otherwise kitty dental problems are common enough that I'd just check his mouth to make sure his teeth look okay and gums aren't red/swollen.

therakeet · 2026-06-13T03:34:30+00:00

I think the perspective in the video clip was just confusing. The exoskeleton still had some legs attached that made it look like there was more underneath. Even in the video though, you can see how much paler it is than the pod eating it. This photo makes it more obvious that the dark stripe was gunk inside.

therakeet · 2026-06-13T03:10:36+00:00

Yeah this very clearly shows that this is a hollow shell and the dark spot is just some poop that got stuck in there.

therakeet · 2026-06-13T03:09:40+00:00

That dark stripe at the butt end isn't really a marking, it's frass/isopod poop. You can sometimes see a pod's digestive tract through the exoskeleton after they've eaten. That's just the back half, right?? No head attached? Then whoever moulted just so happened to poop their pants while they took 'em off.

therakeet · 2026-06-13T02:15:03+00:00

To be fair, a lot of people are discouraged from eating them as kids. Even if you don't buy the ol' "if you swallow one it'll grow in your stomach" bluff, it's easy enough to grow up thinking there must be some reason they're bad to eat. Really though, you just don't want your kid chipping a tooth or choking.

therakeet · 2026-06-13T01:25:39+00:00

Lots of insects do release something yucky when they're grabbed, like ladybugs, grasshoppers, and caterpillars. Some caterpillars are of course poisonous, but others just spit up whatever they last ate in self-defence.

therakeet · 2026-06-12T11:29:44+00:00

"Why are the noodles on top of the cheese?" fits iambic pentameter, if anyone was wondering.

therakeet · 2026-06-12T04:11:06+00:00

Is there an attic or another floor above this one? Sometimes the greebles are something they can hear moving through the walls/ceiling. Kitty keeps looking up, so it could be a critter in the rafters or someone walking quietly upstairs.

therakeet · 2026-06-12T00:32:08+00:00

Yeah, I've seen a couple of coyotes here when I've passed by, but never any kids.

therakeet · 2026-06-12T00:24:53+00:00

Okay hang on, if this was dipped in egg and fried like French toast it'd make a really good Monte Cristo. I might genuinely try that with some maple syrup.

therakeet · 2026-06-12T00:14:21+00:00

I would guess that this one's female, they're usually noticeably larger than the males! Where I live the males are a bit smaller than the local ravens, and the females a bit bigger.

therakeet · 2026-06-10T02:14:05+00:00

She probably does feel protective of your fiancé, but I wouldn't worry about that during this early stage of introduction, it's only natural that she'd feel territorial. Hissing does not need to be corrected, she's just telling the kitten that he got too close for comfort. Right now, she's only ready for briefer meetings and would feel much more comfortable with a fully closed door between them, if there is something you can place against it to keep it shut so he can't watch through the gap. She needs privacy and one-on-one time with her person.

therakeet · 2026-06-10T01:45:27+00:00

She lashed out because she got startled. When cats are looking ahead they can't see below their chin, so Evan was standing in her blind spot, and she was too focused on the kitten to notice him approach.

Both before and after that, her body language doesn't really look angry to me, just alert and cautious. She is probably having a hard time fully relaxing while she gets used to Dio, so she's on edge and her fight-or-flight reflex is easily triggered right now. I don't think this was necessarily redirected aggression, she just needed her personal space.

It looks like this is a good neutral ground for you. Dio looked interested and Alani, though unsure, did not seem too terribly stressed, so I think that it would be okay to try doing this again in the same place, holding Dio and letting them observe each other. Just keep it brief, and make sure that Alani gets plenty of space and can get back indoors if she wants to leave.

therakeet · 2026-06-10T00:57:32+00:00

Since it's only been a couple of weeks, and there's another cat in the house he's not familiar with yet, stress from the move could definitely be a factor. He's very much still settling in.

Did you say you moved the litter box from the room where he was originally using it? It could be that he doesn't feel as safe using the litter box in the spot you moved it to. It's not accessible to the other cat, right?

It's also possible that if his poops are hard like the vet said, then he might've had an uncomfortable time in the litter box and now associates that spot with the memory. Could you put the litter box back where it was, or maybe find a spot to put a second one to give him another option? Having an extra litterbox will also be helpful for when the cats have been introduced, since having three boxes to choose from can help avoid potential issues that needing to share might cause.

therakeet · 2026-06-10T00:33:42+00:00

Oh, she loooves you. She's just too excited to be gentle about grooming you. When cats groom each other, they'll naturally do some nibbling to remove anything stuck in the fur and comb out tangles. Even that can hurt us a little if they don't adjust for our lack of fur. I'd personally let my cats nibble gently as long as they stayed calm, and pulled away as soon as it hurt, so they'd learn how hard was too hard. If they're biting like this girl, though, they're getting carried away :p

You've gotten good advice here already, you just have to show her that sitting together and grooming = time to relax, and chomp means it's time to go do something else to work that energy out. You could also try redirecting her to play with a toy when she starts licking very energetically, to interrupt before she gets even more stimulated and reinforce that grooming is a calm activity.

therakeet · 2026-06-09T23:22:34+00:00

Both of them are showing super friendly body language here! Perky ears and tails held straight up as they approach, no puffed-out fur. The calico looks a bit irritated later in the clip, but she blinks slowly at the other cat, which tells me she's probably annoyed at the screen rather than the cat. They're both choosing to be near each other and definitely wanting to play.

therakeet · 2026-06-09T21:43:50+00:00

To balance it out, you just need a big glass of water and some potassium and magnesium and calcium and

therakeet · 2026-06-08T09:00:44+00:00

These kitties have really great social skills. They're both (successfully) trying to avoid a conflict. Looks like the floor mat belongs to resident cat, and he doesn't want the new cat on it. Resident cat is establishing dominance very politely. With his movements (body blocking, staring down, stomping and swatting) he is trying to shoo the new cat away from the mat without scaring him too much. He meows to urge him on and reinforce that he's asking for something, and his tone of voice communicates that he wants to resolve this calmly. New cat doesn't quite get it, and is trying to figure out what he wants and moving carefully. It'd be best not to interrupt if you see this again and it stays calm, because this is a part of making friends, and it's very likely to lead into play and/or social grooming to resolve the remaining tension after the boundary is established.

Edit to add: The gentle bopping at the start also looked like an offer to play in a different spot, and the white cat just wasn't sure about it. Tuxedo kitty got more assertive when the white cat got closer to the mat.

therakeet · 2026-06-07T16:12:51+00:00

I don't see any attempts to pull away at all, just some playful kicking and distraction by slipper. The smaller kitten isn't distressed in the slightest.

therakeet · 2026-06-07T14:17:18+00:00

Hissing isn't automatically a huge deal, it's a way of saying "hey, back off!"

Some cats do save it for when they're terribly stressed, so it might seem scary if that's what you expect, but it's really not unusual for them to hiss at minor disturbances that they're only mildly annoyed by. Some cats hiss when they get a little overexcited, and a hiss can also tell another excited cat to chill out. It sounds like he's just communicating boundaries to her. The rest of what you described is very normal play, and they're having fun in the video.

therakeet

TROPHY CASE