We 'gave' each other two kittens (4 months old) this Christmas, they came to live with us the week before, and they have been a delight BUT one of them is a complete bully and snaffles all the food if I am not vigilant, claws and bites the other one far beyond the normal kitten play until there is real hurt crying.
I have enquired of the cat charity people whether they had noticed this prior to us taking them and apparently the bullied one was the runt of the litter which goes some way to explaining that a pattern of behaviour has been built up. I have taken to feeding the little one separately and have had to do this in a completely different room and out of earshot of the bully. The little one is starting to blossom and is a lovely gentle boy who is starting to have the confidence to come for a cuddle. When bully boy sees this he comes and attacks him. The bully boy lashes out at us too if we are giving the other kitten any attention with full claws and teeth.
We have had cats for over 50 years and have never experienced this before and wonder if any of you had similar experiences and how you overcame it. I don't like to admit defeat particularly as the bully boy is beautiful and when on his own he is lovely but I have to be careful with DH who is very susceptible to infection so I can't let him have much to do with bully boy. My own legs and hands are a mess just now and I am actually starting to dislike not only bully boy's behaviour but him too!. I feel that the little one would really come into his own if he was our one and only and I am starting to feel that I cannot police the situation as much as is necessary. Give up on him or keep trying? Anything that you found that worked?
