Discourage young cat from playing with older cat?

Kittens are all like this; they learn through play and try to encourage adult cats to engage in play with them. If she were with other younger cats she'd rather play with them, but since she has no one else, her attention is put towards the next best thing. Do your best to play with her instead; direct her attention and wear her out. If she's tired and has engaged in enough playing, she won't be as interested in bothering the older cat. Separate them physically too; let the older cat stay in a bedroom while the little one is playing or create a place for the older one to escape too; like something high up that the kitten can't quite climb up onto yet.

As she gets older she won't be as eager to annoy the other cat; this is kitten's behavior, to play/learn/etc, although sometimes being energetic is simply a personality or breed trait. Just do your best to engage her instead; string, little toys attached to sticks, balls, paper bags, fabric tubes, wind-up mice on wheels for her to chase, etc, see what she likes and make time to play with her, have the whole family take turns and participate.

Don't try to punish her for playing with the older cat; she won't understand that you want her to stop what she's doing, all she understand is that you're mad/loud and that she's afraid and doesn't like it. Cats don't respond to discipline teaching the way dogs do.

Eventually the older cat's signals will clue her in that he doesn't want to play (my older cat hissed and scratched my other cat pretty good on her cheek and she didn't bother him again after that, although that's risky and you should avoid letting that happen as they can seriously hurt each other). Also, try to introduce them to one another while the little one is calm and encourage "quiet time", like both of them laying on your lap being petted, to try to discourage the idea of "he's my playmate".

But the play thing you should try; wear her out, get her kitten energy out, let her have a playmate and be a little hunter and all that and it should really help prevent her from annoying the older cat. She's already played and gotten tired, why bother the cat? She has a better playmate; you.

The kitten is just doing what kittens do: she's being a playful ball of energy.

Your kitten has to expend all of that energy somehow and she's made the older cat her toy. He's an easy target.

You must give the kitten a new target to play with and expend all of her energy.

You will have to play with her til she is too exhausted to even roll over. if you tease her with a string. That is how you'll know she wont tease your older cat.

Do this by placing several toys around your house, particular in those spots where she likes to ambush your older cat. The toys you leave in these ambush spots should interact with your cat and capture her full attention. Here are a few good ones: http://www.amazon.com/Petsafe-Frolicat-Flik-Automa... and http://www.amazon.com/Catit-Design-Senses-Speed-Ci... and http://www.amazon.com/Petstages-Cheese-Chase-Ball-... and http://www.amazon.com/Petstages-Tower-Tracks-Pet-T... most of these can also be found in your local pet specialty stores. One may be enough, but several different types of toys can be placed in those target areas and should keep her attention of the older cat.

While these toys are fantastic for entertaining her, they aren't going to tire her out...and to assure she wont target the older cat she MUST be to exhausted to bother. You've got to be the one to do that. Use a cat teaser toy or a laser or a simple string to play with her til she's out of energy. Do this a once or twice a day and whenever she has one of her "power surges" and is acting nuts.

Kittens will be super energetic and need lots of playtime and attention until they're about a year old, for certain cats... it could be a year more.