Is this normal cat behavior?

Question

My kitten loves to run away anyone when they go near her. I got her sunday night. she lets us play with her but when she gets tired it is the only time she will let us pet her. yesterday i played with her with this fishing rod toy thing for like 2 hours then finally she let me pick her up and she slept on me for about an hour. Is this normal? also is it normal for them to chase their tails? and one last thing. How do i get her to stop climbing the couches. she wont climb the curtains, she stays off tables, she has never scrtched or bitten or clawed anyone. but she climbs the back of the couches. how can i make her stop? she is onlt 2 months old so she is to young to de-claw her and i really dont want to have to do that

for the record, i am not going to declaw her if i dont have to. if it gets the point where i can get her off the furniture and she starts attacing people, then i will try those things you put on the end of there claws. if that stil does not work THEN and only then will i declaw her.

thanksfor all your help so far

she has a scratching tree thing. she does not use it though.

Answer 1

You have a very good position to be in; a new cat person. Your little queen is perfect. You'll get used to each other, and like my relationship with Stimpy {13 1/2} ,you'll be reading each others mind allmost. God Bless....

Answer 2

That's all perfectly normal kitten behavior. Cats have personalities just as people do and some cats are a little skittish with humans. The tail is a fascinating part of a kitten's anatomy - it moves so seductively and elicits her instinctive prey behavior. She will probably soon stop them when she becomes aware that it is part of her own body. I have a 13 yr old cat who still occasionally "attacks" her tail for a little play behavior.

Kittens are just going to climb everywhere they can. They love the challenge of getting up high off the floor or ground. We live in a world that is always grounded and don't enjoy the pleasure of "up" like the cat does. You really can't "train" her not to do this. Keep her nails trimmed on a regular basis - she's not going to damage the couch unless it is leather. You will probably find her up on closet shelves, eventually on top of the refrigerator. Cats have a different concept of the world than we do. She would really love a six- foot cat tree, it will satisfy her need to explore "up" and also serve as an excellent place to scratch and trim her nails. If you get one right now she will use it and love it and never have to be declawed to save your furniture.

Answer 3

Her behavior is very normal! Cats are loners for the most part. Most kittens are somewhat standoffish for a while when they enter a new home. Cats also have an attitude where you will pet them when they want to be petted. I always feel like my cats own me, not the other way around. Cats don't thrive off affection like dogs. She will probably come around and be more tolerable of your affection more often. It will take awhile though. While she is young and has all that energy, just let her be her. As for the climbing the couch... its a hard thing to break. You can get spray repellents. I've found that they don't work well though. The best thing that I have found that works is to use some double sided tape and put tin foil on the places she is climbing. I know it sounds silly, but it works. Cats hate the sound of the tinfoil and the feel of it. They will avoid the areas it is set up. Good luck.

Answer 4

OK here it is:

1. Any small animal has seemingly boundless energy so, yes, it is normal for her to only allow you to pet her when she is tired.

2. It is 100% normal for her to be chasing her tail, dogs do it all the time as well

3. You can train her not to climb on the back of the couch by either getting a water gun and giving her a squirt with it everytime she tries to climb up the couch, or by rapping her across the nose with 2 fingers while she is climbing the couch(it sounds cruel, but it is not) this way you will discourage her from doing so in future.

4. DO NOT DECLAW her. That is just mean and cruel.

Answer 5

Everything you're describing is normal behavior for a kitten.
They tend to be shy around people they don't know, sometimes that even continues into adulthood.
I have four cats and three of them still run and hide when someone comes to the house, but after a few minutes they come out of hiding.

It's very normal for a kitten to tire easily, just like human babies it doesn't take much to sap their energy.

Yes, cats and dogs both chase their tails very normal.

Get her a cat tree to climb you can buy them covered in carpet and she will use that as a scratching post also...you'll just have to show her how to use it.

PLEASE DO NOT have her declawed, it's not just the claws that are removed, they amputate up to the first knuckle.
It's very painful and actually very cruel, in fact my Vet won't even perform that surgery...I was there one day when he turned a lady away,he told her if she was going to mutilate her cat she'd have to find someone else to do it...he also gave her pamphlets explaining just how painful it is.
declawed cats sometimes stop using the litter box because it's to painful for them to scratch the litter, they sometimes also become bitters...they don't have claws to defend themselves so they bite instead.
Trust me, you'd rather be clawed by a cat than bitten by one.

Good luck with your new kitten.

Answer 6

Yes, this is normal behaviour. You haven't had your kitten that long, so you have to give her a chance to get used to her new surroundings. Kittens LOVE to play, climb, jump, anything goes, they have alot of energy. It is important to play with your kitten, so I am glad to hear you played for 2 hours with the fishing rod! It is normal for your kitten to sleep alot. All cats sleep alot. Cats sleep half their life away. Kittens will chase anything that moves. Even their tails. If your kitten keeps climbing the couches, get a spray water bottle and spray her each time. She will get the point that everytime she climbs, she gets sprayed, and she will not like that, so chances are she will stop. If she does not, then you probably will have to get her de-clawed. It is best to de-claw them while they are young. By 6 months old they can be de-clawed. All cats have their own personality, and your cat may only let you pet her when SHE WANTS to be petted. My cat is the same way. She will only cuddle when SHE wants, and will only let a person pet her if SHE wants to be petted. Good luck with your kitty.

Answer 7

Your kitten may not be used to you yet...she might feel a little uncomfortable in her new surroundings.
I have two questions I'd ask about your kitten...was it a feral/stray cat? Did she come from a home with other kittens or cats? My kitten was one of four kittens, and he was a feral. Your kitten's behavior sounds very, very similar to my kitten's. My kitten loves to run when someone goes near him too. He doesnt like to be petted unless he's sleepy either. He's very independent and not a lap cat at all.
When they run, I think kittens are just playing. Then, if you dont chase, she'll probably come back and sit near me. I think its normal kitten behavior.
As for the clawing/climbing/stratching - it will improve over time. Also, your kitten honestly doesn't sound too bad. You can use soft paws, but I just clipped the ends of my kitten's claws instead. Oddly enough, once I clipped them, he learned that he isn't supposed to claw at certain things. I think that kittens will climb, as they are not used to jumping and leaping yet. Plus, kittens love to explore.
Other way to deter bad behavior: I have a water bottle, and I would sprizte him when he was misbehaving. Another thing that worked even better to discipline him is a mesh box - I would drop it over him and he'll just start to clean himself. After a few minutes, he'll be relaxed. He doesnt seem to mind this "punishment" - he actually goes in the box himself sometimes.
Good luck with your kitty.

Answer 8

She is normal, she's shy. cats are like that at first (not all, but 75% of mine are) Just be calm and patient. As for the climbing, I'm guessing you mean you do not want her claws tearing up the back of your couch (she is allowed on the couch, though? I hope...for snuggling) Try a cat tree, those carpet covered climbing tall house things. Rub some catnip into the carpet to attract her to it and presto! Also, this sounds mean but if you don't abuse it, it works: keep a spray bottle with water near to couch and if she tries to climb it, give her a squirt. Be quiet and still so she won't think it's you doing it. It's the couch...get it?

Good luck. Remember Patience and calm.

Answer 9

Your kitten is very normal. It can be hard to get them to stop climbing furniture like that. When they are small, it is easier for them to get up rather than jump the distance. They also love to climb. You might be able to get her to stop by using a water bottle. First shake the bottle as a warning.....then spray/mist her if she continues. After a while she will only need the warning (hopefully). If you are worried about getting the furniture wet, you could use a can of air - the kind used to blow dust from your computer. Just be sure to not aim it at your kitten. It is the sound that startles them. Good luck!

Answer 10

Cats are proud and majestic creatures and each cat has its own characteristics as far as their behavior goes.

They pretty much set their own rules, with regards to how and when they'll let you interact with them.

If you're a real cat lover then you'll probably be buying new furniture every once in a while... but don't let that bother you, I mean that kinda' stuff is not really important.

( I never DE-claw my cat,... never liked the idea.
She has her own little quirks but I wouldn't change a thing about her ).

Just enjoy her the way she is, over time her behavior will change
but there's not much you can do about it. In the mean time she'll definitely be giving you a lot of fun experiences.


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Answer 11

Normal, yes. Desirable, no. Don't let anyone get close enough to her to make her run. Let her come to them on her own terms. (Tuna helps.)

You may try trimming her nails short If you do it right, the "hook" part that she uses to climb will be gone. Go very slowly. Trim only 1 nail a tiny bit each day until all of the "hook" is gone. Each time the clippers make a sound, give her a piece of tuna.Then she won't be able to climb.

If you do it wrong, she will track blood all over your house, and/or she won't let you do it again. Wrong includes trying to cut too much at once, and not using tuna.