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Why Does My Cat Sit On My Kitten? (Is It Deadly)

If you have noticed that your cat has sat on your kitten you may be wondering why this has happened…

Why does my cat sit on my kitten?

There are several reasons as to why your cat may be sitting on your kitten such as wanting attention, showing dominance, or just wanting to play. Sometimes, it can be pretty tough to tell which one it is.

So, now you know. But, could your cat hurt it by sitting on it? What can you do to prevent this? Would a mother cat do this? Keep reading for these answers, and so much more…

4 Main reasons why your cat is sitting on your kitten

As discussed earlier, there are several reasons why your cat may sit on your kitten, here are some of the main reasons:

• Your cat isn’t happy about the kitten being in the house. They want to show that they are the dominant animal.
• The kitten is nice and comfortable. Cats love comfort, after all. 
• Your cat wants attention from the kitten. Sometimes, they will be sitting on the kitten with the hope of getting groomed. This often happens if you have a couple of kittens from the same litter.
• The cat wants to play, although this one is a bit rarer because there are better ways to instigate play than sitting on another cat.

Could your cat hurt the kitten by sitting on it?

Sometimes a cat can hurt a kitten by sitting on it, although this is rare. If it does hurt it then they intended to hurt the cat in some way. Most cats will rely on their instincts and not actually hurt the kitten.

However, you do have to remember that the kitten does have something far larger sitting on top of it. This could cause them a bit of pain, but you can bet your bottom dollar they will let the cat know.

Could a kitten get smothered by a cat sitting on it?

Kittens can get smothered by a cat sitting on them. However, it will rarely happen. As long as the cat is not sitting anywhere near the face, then it should be fine.

As I said, if the kitten is being hurt, then the kitten will let the cat know. Hopefully, the cat will do something about it. 

How can you prevent your cat from sitting on your kitten?

Your best bet to try and prevent your cat from sitting on your kitten is to understand why it happened in the first place. The majority of the time, it is going to be a display of dominance.

Show the cat who is boss

Therefore, if you catch your cat sitting on the kitten, make sure that you remove them right away. This will show the cat that you are the dominant one and, ultimately, they will stop sitting on the kitten.

Separating the cat & kitten

If you can’t resolve the problem, then you may have to resort to not letting the kitten and the cat in the same room. Thankfully, this is a problem that will quite often fix itself.

If it is a mother sitting on her own kittens, then you may need to try and work out why she is feeling uncomfortable in her environment. You may want to try and move her to a different part of your home. If the mother still isn’t stopping sitting on her kittens, then you will need to keep a watchful eye over them.

How to stop my cat from bullying my other cat

If you have introduced a new cat to the household, then you may find that the first cat is bullying the new cat. This is because they are trying to demonstrate that the new cat has entered their turf.

Now, in some cases, you will never be able to get your cat to stop bullying the new cat. It happens. It is rare, but it happens. If it does happen, then it is likely that the two animals have conflicting personalities.

Get them separate cat beds, bowls, etc

Your best bet is to try and ensure that both cats have access to their own space. This means their own bed (Click here to see my best one). Their own food and water bowls. Their own litter tray (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad). Their own toys (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad). This should deal with the majority of issues.

Avoid punishment

If you do catch the cats bullying one another, then do not punish them. Instead, provide them with a distraction. 

Over time, when the first cat gets used to the new cat, the bullying will likely start to die down.

Could your cat have sat on your kitten by accident?

It is possible that your cat could have sat on your kitten by accident. However, if the cat doesn’t seem to move right away, then chances are that they know that they are sitting on the kitten.

If they do not move when the kitten tries to catch their attention, then they almost certainly know what they are doing. Remember, cats have a very keen sense of smell. If they sit on another animal, then they almost certainly knew that the animal was there.

Would a mother cat sit on their own kittens?

A mother can sit on her own kittens and sometimes, sadly, it can suffocate them. Many inexperienced mothers will sit on their own kittens. Some may also sit on their kittens if they feel unsafe in the environment.

So, sometimes, if you have other animals in the home, the mother may sit on her own kittens.

Why is my cat being mean to my new kitten?

Cats will often be mean to new kittens because they are trying to establish dominance. Cats are very territorial animals. They do not like new animals coming into their space.

In some cases, the cat may also be jealous of your kitten. Remember, you have probably spent years and years giving a ton of praise to your cat.

However, now your attention is going to be split between multiple cats. Your original cat may feel that you do not like them in the same way. As a result, they will take this jealousy out on the new kitten which, of course, isn’t a good thing! 

Should I let my cat hiss at the new kitten?

It is completely normal for a cat to hiss at a new kitten. It is your cat showing dominance. Most people suggest that you do not interfere with the hissing. It is going to die down over time once the cat either realizes that there is no threat, or the kitten just agrees that the original cat is the dominant one.

The only time that you should be interfering in the hissing is if it is turning to aggressive behavior i.e. if the cat is looking as if they are going to attack the kitten.

At that point, you are going to want to deal with the situation. The best way to do this is to provide some sort of distraction for the cat. This could, for instance, be a toy.

Do not give them a treat, otherwise, it will appear as if you are rewarding them for their bad behavior which is not going to help you in the future! 

Is it safe to leave your kitten with your cat?

It may not be smart to leave your cat with the kitten. If you have noticed that your cat is aggressive towards your kitten, then you should not leave the two alone together.

If the two animals appear to be getting on well, then it is completely fine. However, I would not recommend that you leave the two of them alone for at least the first few weeks of them meeting.

This is because you won’t really have a good idea of their behavior at this point. Once you know that they genuinely get on, then everything is going to be fine. Otherwise, whenever you leave the room, separate the cat and the kitten.