I need some advice and reassurance on whether I should leave my 2 cats home alone together now..

Inca the kitten is now 5 months old but is still very very small for her age (c. 1.5kg). Gizmo is a 2 year old female moggy who up until now has been a lone cat.
Both are indoor cats and we have a 4 bedroom 3 storey house with a run in the garden.
I have been gradually introducing the cats over the last few weeks (delayed up until then as Inca has been poorly), and we are now at the stage where the cats have been together all the time while we're at home for the last 4 days.
They are tolerant of each other, but do (play) fight - they chase each other around the house and then Gizmo will pin Inca to the ground, wrestle her and bite her until Inca squeals. Inca is not scared at all, in fact she then goes back for now and will not leave Gizmo alone.
Everything I have read points to that this is play fighting not true fighting as theres no hissing and no blood but it is very rough.

How do I know when they're ready to be left alone when I'm not there? I'm out at work for about 10 hours a day so I need to know they'll be ok before I leave them.
The alternative is shutting Inca into one room which I feel isn't fair now as she's been out for 4 days or shuttign Gizmo into the lounge & run while Inca has the rest of the house (again not really fair).
So I need to get them fully integrated as quickly as possible btu equally I am very nervous about leaving them alone in case Gizmo hurts Inca.
How do you know when they're ready? Should I just take the plunge?

I won't say yes or no cause it depends how you feel only you will know, but it seems that they are fine, mine play fight all the time and they full on wrestle until one squeals lol

I would be more concerned about leaving them if they just hissed and growled at each other they are actually interacting

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I think they will now be ok to be left alone together. As RD says, they are not hissing or spitting which means they are no longer 'upset' with each other.

What you are describing IS playing - that is Abby & McGee all the time. I know it looks rough to us but cats are different creatures and their play is different to ours.

You have got more than enough space for them to be apart if they do not want to hang out with each other.

Have you left them alone together at all? We did two sets of 'alone time' - the first one for about 90 mins & then the 2nd one the following day for about 4 hrs. Due to there being neither blood nor fur around on either occasion when we got home, we knew we were good for longer periods of time.

Hope that helps.

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MB is right there the play they have can look pretty rough, my kittens can knock down my grown up cat what does that tell you lol

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Im sorry I am new to all of this so cant really give any advice, but I wanted to say that this advice seems to be very sensible.... try short times and build up, may not make any difference to them but you will feel more reassured

Thanks for all your quick replies, you are certainly reassuring me! In my head I think I know they are ready but in my heart I think I will always be nervous during the first few days, no matter how long I leave it before doing it!

Over the last 4 days they have been together most of the time (except at night) and yes we have left them completely for very short periods of time - say an hour while we went to the supermarket etc. And they were fine..
They are comfortable in each others presence, ie one will sleep in the hammock on the cat tree and the other at the top.
The fighting usually either starts when they first see each other in the morning and then settles down or when Inca tries to "play" with Gizmo when Gizmo is trying to sleep and she gets annoyed and tries to attack her!

They are also sharing food and sharing litter trays - is that a good sign?

I think you'll be fine you have left them alone before then whilst shopping so if you want to reassure yourself then try for a couple of hours then again like that but i think you will be alright.

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This is generally a good sign. Sounds to me like everything is cool & chilled.

Nothing to worry about.

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It all sounds good to me, I also think they sound fine to be together. I leave my kittens with Harry for short periods (ie a couple of hours) when he's settled in the house. I don't leave them together overnight or when I'm at work because Harry needs access to the catflap and the kitties can't go out.

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Harry: Ginger & White b. September 2002
Oscar: Black b. 7th May 2011
Kitty: Grey Tabby b. 7th May 2011

Our lovely cat family

Sounds like they are getting along just fine. Not only play fighting but sharing food and litter trays.

I think it would stress them out more if you kept them apart! So try not to worry. Just make sure there's nothing lying around that could get damaged (or damage them) with their rough and tumble.

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Rescue cats for many years, currently one moggie and 3 young Maine Coons.