Cat sibling rivalry?

[Blackroseuk]

The cats sleep throughout the night anyway, usually after a mad play around. They're 7ish.
We are using the spare room when it's sorted as a relaxation type meditation room where we will sometimes have incense etc. I can't keep the smaller animals in a room with scented things.
With the cats it'll be ok as long as it's aired out before they venture in for a wander, play or sleep. We wont be having incense every day.my spiders used to be kept in the spare room before but my husband wants a room with nothing living in there full time so he can relax. (we both, mainly him, have anxiety and depression and we often have kids and people hanging around and targeting us etc and we can hear them a lot in the room). We live in a two bed ground floor flat so when they hand around it's right outside our window.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Why cant the ummmmmm other animals have the spare room so cats can have access to your bedroom?

How old are the cats?

[Blackroseuk]

Thanks. I would love to have ours in the bedroom again at night...they used to be in there a bit as kittens when they were tiny and new but they just kept climbing over us and were so tiny I was afraid we'd turn over and squish them lol. For a ling while when they were older we didn't have a bed so slept in the room with them which we still do now and then.

We can't have them in the bedroom now as we have all sorts in there such as a parrotlet, gecko, tarantulas and rats. We are sorting the spare room out soon so they can have that room too to run in.

I remember when we first had them and Rolo tried to get under the blanket with me (she loves doing that till this day to cuddle up or sleep on my belly). Back then though I was scared of their claws and pushed her away when all she wanted was to be warm and comfy next to her new mummy. Always feel guilty about that.

[emmmy_lou]

Agreed. I have siblings - 1 male 1 female.

The male is more dominant, but either of them can start a 'play fight'. Sometimes the other is not in the mood tho! They are letting off steam, but also figuring out which is the top cat.

Dexter will sometimes try to get Denzels sleeping place, but usually does it by licking/ annoying her rather than a confrontation! I have heard Dexter do that meow as well when he wants a chase/ fight.

I did worry about the fighting when I first heard Dexter growling - I never realised cats could make such a noise  but as long as they are not actually harming each other I wouldnt be concerned.

I couldnt bear not letting ours in the bedroom at night, although they dont really sleep on the bed that often (I think cos they know they will get disturbed through the night).

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

The chasing/biting or mouthing"/play fighting thing is quite normal.  Paddy and Flynn used to do it and Ross and Dickie do it, and it's just a way of playing and letting off steam.  Often though, one cat isn't feeling quite so playful, so seems to "bear the brunt" of the play activity.   I dont think it affects the affection levels unless the atttacks become more aggressive and domineering in nature.

I dont think its necessarily indicative of sexual behaviour either, even though it may look a little like that.
I've seen male cats playing in the same way.

Gill, makes a good point - if the cats have been used to sleeping with you, it may help to allow them into the bedroom at nights when you go to bed.

[Blackroseuk]

It may well not help matters, but we went without a bed for a long time and slept with the cats in the living room. The meowing wasn't an instant problem.

He has chased his sister etc..before we even slept in the  bedroom.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I am wondering if the clue is in the end of your post?

He loves you ands hates being shut out of your bedroom and if they previously were allowed in this could be the cause>

[Blackroseuk]

How co mom is sibling rivalry between two cats, male and female, both indoor?
Mine sleep a lot more now theyre older and although they often sleep together and they get on so well, they arnt sleeping tgether much latley after having found new favourite places that wernt there before. Anyway, just to give you an idea of how they normally are. They love each other very much and if one is on the other side of a door they will sit and wait, maybe even meow or scratch the door to get to the other one sometimes, even if that one was just beaten up by the other.

They like to play together and my girl is sometimes at fault for provoking such attacks from her brother but more often than not wether they're playing or not my boy Muffin will follow her trying to bite her bum and jump on her biting her neck, and stay there biting her neck and sucking/biting her ear.  Seems like mating/domineering behaviour. She will hiss and yowl. He will chase her and she will hiss and jump up away from him. Often she will be stuck there if he doesn't follow while he waits for her.

He will often kick her off her favourite places or out of bed, or away from toys even if he doesn't want to use any of them and he will often go out into the hall, meow like he's hurt and then pounce on her when she comes to see what's wrong. Then he chases her, turns round and does it again. She always falls for it.
He does this meow when he's come out the litter tray (mainly when I havnt done it yet thst day) and when he's just walking round too. He lies in wait for ages for Rolo to come out the litter tray to run after her and often she has to side step past him slowly with her ears to the side all wary.

He has become more cuddly and also started to meow for me most nights after I go to bed again. This, I know can mean a health issue which I will bring up with the vet when he next goes. He is a very sensitive cat that can act all macho but at heart he's a softie but also quite nervous snd insecure.

The playing/play fighting thing though has been happening for years and I think it cos he has a lot more energy than her overall and more steam to release, being a male indoor kitty. I give them both as much attention, love and exercise as I can with all their toys and smooths etc.
Maybe he's still bored and gets lonely after we go to bed. I don't like thinking of that , poor things.
I do sometimes still sleep in the room woth them like we used to all the time.