I have a very smart little 2-yo ginger kitty who loves to dominate our 17-yo. Sometimes it turns into him grooming the older cat, but most of the time it just makes senior kitty an even grumpier old man than he already is.
We work at home but can't even consider a vacation for fear of possible injury in our absence. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Jennifer,
This is a common behaviour between two of such different stages in life. The younger wants to have fun, be busy and enjoy life - whereas the elder one is content to just be cozy and daydream about his life experiences.
The best thing to do to remedy this is to allow some time during your day to have a one-to-one play session with the younger cat. Provide at least two 15 minute playtime sessions using a wand toy. This will allow for young cat to expel excess energy that he would otherwise use on older cat. But don't forget to have a separate playtime session with old guy to - he just maybe slightly less interested.
As for a vacation, perhaps have a friend or family member stop by every day to feed, have playtime and check in on your cats while you are away? Someone the cats are familiar with. Better yet, have them house-sit for the duration of your absence.
