my cat is growing, she's still a kitten i guess? but she tears down blinds, scratches leather couches, she yanks at curtians, eats my dog's food (she wont eat her own food), jumps and claws at my feet out from underneath my bed while i'm changing clothes or whatever, she's a Brat. when do cats grow out of this stage?
2006-09-12 16:44:48 · 19 answers · asked by Nikki 5 in Pets ➔ Cats
As an experienced cat owner, I think this sounds like desperate boredom. I think this kitten needs another kitten to play with, a scratching post, and some cat toys. I recommend getting the toy known as "Da Boid" (the bird), which is a cluster of feathers on a long string attached to a plastic rod. Give your kitten a workout with this toy a couple of times a day; this will give her something to do with her natural energy and help her be calmer the rest of the time. A squirt bottle filled with plain, room-temperature water will be helpful to extinguish behaviors like furniture and curtain destruction.
2006-09-12 16:54:27 · answer #1 · answered by silver.graph 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most cats mellow out a bit...but not completely, and it takes a while.
Make sure she has lots of things she's allowed to scratch, and shoo her away from things she shouldn't scratch. Squirt guns work well to "shoo", and are fun. Cats CAN be trained...a little.
Food - some cats are like that. I have two cats - one is infuriating when it comes to food, the other eats his dry food religiously and never complains or begs.
As for jumping and clawing at your feet - keep her nails trimmed regularly, and you'll lessen the chance of her striking an artery. As long as the claws aren't super-sharp, this is cute!
2006-09-13 02:43:08 · answer #2 · answered by Zhimbo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They'll never grow out of that stage. I have 2 cats and they're both more than 2 years old now, and they'll destroy anything that's in their way. We had them declawed when they were babies, but that didn't stop them. Now, they'll bite into things, especially anything with strings. So far, the ear plugs, phone chargers, vacuum wires and laptop chargers have been bitten into half. It's very costly, yes, and sadly, there's nothing much we can do to stop them. I guess that's the price to pay for having cats. But still, by the end of the day, you still love and cuddle them :o)
2006-09-12 16:57:41 · answer #3 · answered by Hanna 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wow, you do have a brat! LOL Cats have personalities, just like we do. A water gun sprayed at her when she is up where she shouldn't be works.
Does she have a scratching post? When she scratches somewhere she shouldn't .. take her to her post, get behind her and with a paw in each of your hands .. run them up and down the post telling her what a good kitty she is.
She may have separation anxiety too. Don't laugh .. when I am going out, my cat knows it and gives me a look like she is not too pleased! When my parents babysit her, she is really miffed for a couple of days that I have left her with them. She just sleeps, hidden in a closet, hardly eating. Then she ignores me when I return, until I make a fuss of her .. then I am forgiven.
She may be acting up to get attention too. When I don't respond to Frosty, she scratches the table cloth .. knowing that will get a response from me! LOL
At this age she will be very playful, enjoy it .. toss things around for her to chase, to wear off all that energy. In time she will slow down, probably at a year to two years old. :-)
Good Luck and enjoy.
2006-09-12 16:54:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have three cats...One is a kitten at this time...I named him Punky because of his punk attitude! He also shreds my toes from under the bed...and likes to play fetch!
I have another cat that I've had for three years...he is very, very smart, but when he was a kitten he drove me crazy!!!!
I started giving treats to the cats when I got home from work every day...but first I would check to make sure all was in place and so on...if there was any thing wrong...no one got treats! They all learned and now play by my rules.
You might try this for yourself..good luck and keep a stock of neosporin handy at all times!
2006-09-12 17:53:19 · answer #5 · answered by I love angels 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, cats do this as a hobby, no matter how old they are. Although my cat finally stopped clawing my feet after she became an adult.
Might I suggest buying her a scratching post? Or letting her outdoors, if you live in a rural area. Cats have to scratch something!!
2006-09-12 16:50:48 · answer #6 · answered by ashcatash 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She will stop doing this stuff when she is a little older. She may also be doing this because she knows that it annoys you. Be patient with her and she will calm down.
Show her lots of love and attention this may help. Cats love to play, does she have kitty toys? If so maybe you could play together and she might learn when play time is and leave everything else alone.
Good Luck
2006-09-12 17:18:23 · answer #7 · answered by Kym 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Train her. Get a plastic spray bottle and put cold water in it. When she does something bad, biff her on the nose, show her, and spray her with water. Say, "No! Bad kitty"
in a firm (not shouting) voice. Be firm but gentle with her.
Praise her ( a lot) when she acts well, and discipline her each time she misbehaves. Get her food she likes and put your dog's food where she can't get at it. Dogs are not to eat cat's food and cats are not to eat dog's. They need massively different things in their food.
2006-09-12 17:03:16 · answer #8 · answered by soxrcat 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
when my mom just got 2 kittens they jumped on everything, counters, scratched couches, everything. but then she bought this stuff you can get at any store pretty much. its a spray you can put on your furniture and counters anywhere really to keep animals off of it. it worked too. it didn't hurt them either they just didn't like it. you should try it
2006-09-12 16:55:10 · answer #9 · answered by jillrm_03 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Seriously....I have 4 cats and the older they get,the less destructive they have become!
Sure they climb on things I wish they wouldn't and they still do stupid things..........
But they are cats,come on...give them a break!
2006-09-12 18:54:33 · answer #10 · answered by Groo The Wanderer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋