brother kittens

Question
I have an 8 week old boy kitten and my boyfriend has his 8 week old brother. We don't live together yet but have had a few play dates with them. They rough house the entire time they are together and seem to really get along which is great but at the same time I feel like the bond I have with my kitten disappears when they are together. He doesn't sleep on me at all which he always does. Do you have any suggestions for this situation? Could he be acting this way only because they don't spend all their time together? And also on another note, how do I know if they are hurting each other rather than just playing?  Thanks!!

Answer
Danielle,

Don't worry about the bond with your baby, he still loves you but there is more to do when he and his brother are together. Right now he is focused on play and rough housing as well as exploring and testing limits. Kittens will want to play and spend time together more than interact with people simply because they are learning important social lessons from each other. Your baby will come back around in time and settle, you just have to be patient. As you said he doesn't get much time to interact with his brother and he enjoys it.
As far as telling whether kittens are hurting each other be alert for signs that the rough housing doesn't stop when one or the other submits to play fighting. If there is blood involved then it is not a good situation. All in all though kittens don't generally hurt each other in play. They will normally growl, hiss and tussle with each other, like I said though you must watch for signs that the game is going too far. If one kitten leaves the rough housing and seems fearful or anxious and the other will not quit it is time for the humans to intervene by picking up both kittens and calming them down. You do not want to nurture bullying or fearful behavior, you need to approach it in a calm assertive manner and not allow your personal anxieties to enter the picture. All in all if it looks like normal kitten play it probably is, have fun with it, watch them chase each other and bounce as well as figure out who is bigger and stronger. Two kittens playing is better than TV and they can provide you with hours of entertainment. Enjoy!
If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again.