I have a bicolor mask and mantle cat who has dominated my other larger male cat in playfighting since he was a small kitten. He's an MMA takedown artist and patient tactician, unlike the older cat who doesn't know how to take advantage of his size, length, or flexibility well at all.
You only get so much time with them, that's a part of it. I've had lots of dogs over the years, loved the hell out of all of them. My Bernese is around 7-8 now and those big breeds are lucky to make it to 10 or 11 years if that. I've lost a few to lymphoma before their time should have been up, just a chance to spoil the hell out of them and savor what time is left. They're okay with passing when that time comes, they have an innate acceptance, but parting company is always really hard on their human companions. It's still worth it.
