Major Cat Behaviour Problems, oh please god help!?

Question

My kitty is a little over 1 year old, female, spayed. Everyday around 3am-7am she will paw at my bedroom door and meow for HOURS to see me. I know she just wants to see me because once I open the door out of frustration and walk out and it shuts up and follows me, not caring about going in my room.

If I leave my door open or let her in she will knock over EVERYTHING and get into things she's not suppose to. Example: She knocked over a 5 lb. candle right on top of my PS2. Example: She jumps on top of my tv and tries to jump into the window sill.

Another thing she does is she will run right up to you and bite you really hard and jump off faster than you can say "OWWW!" She usually nips my legs or my arms. She even bit my elbow once!

This behaviour is making me so depressed and frustrated. I can't sleep. I can't walk around without her biting me with her little fangs. It brings me to tears because I can't keep living like this but I love my kitty.

She's strictly an indoor cat.
She's the only cat in the house.

Answer 1

You might try keeping a spray bottle with you at all times and spraying her when she nips you. If water doesn't faze her, shut her in a dark, quiet room by herself for a few minutes (maximum five minutes, unless the room contains her litter box and food) so she calms down. The bathroom is usually a good place for this; just put the toilet down and keep the toilet paper out of the way. If she's still crazy when you let her back out, just put her back in there for another five minutes.

As for the nighttime craziness, try keeping her absolutely awake from the time you come home in the afternoon/evening until the time you go to bed. Play with her a LOT, and wake her up if she tries to sleep. By the time you go to bed, she'll be ready for bed too! My kitty has actually started tiring herself out before bedtime if I don't play with her...she'll run around like a maniac until 10:00 PM, then she comes to bed and sleeps like an angel.

Answer 2

Try to spend various times throughout the day playing with your cat, petting her, cuddling her, or whatever she likes to do with you. To stop her from being so destructive, consider getting her a cat play pen or even a crate to keep her in when you're asleep or any other time she's destructive.

I'm not entirely sure about the biting, my cat seems to bite out of "love", as strange at that sounds (for instance, I'll be petting him and he'll be purring, and all of a sudden he'll randomly bite me or scratch me). I think it is all from wanting attention. Give your cat attention at certain times, but when she's misbehaving for attention, don't give her any or that will spoil her and make the problem worse. She needs to learn there are limits to the attention you'll give her, at certain times and places, not whenever she wants it. For instance, don't give into her scratching at the door or other bad behavior. Just put her in her own area so she knows it doesn't work.

Was your cat ever a stray? Sometimes feral cats have behavioral problems that are nearly impossible to cure even once they're domesticated and loved pets. Also could she have been abused at one point?

I agree with the others who have suggested getting her a friend, another cat or even a smaller dog that gets along with cats (my cat and corgi mix dog are best buddies and they entertain each other when I'm not around or busy). Good luck! ~Nadia

Answer 3

I believe you are in the same situation I was when I first got my cat. My cat was the same age as yours by that time. Sometimes he was shy, but suddenly he was all over the cabinets, he scratched everything but the scratching post... he even got in the sink and took the scrub sponges as many times as he wanted. But he stopped doing all that "fun" stuff when I bought a spray bottle and sprayed water on him each time he did something inappropriate. I also use a voice tone with him, just as a parent would do with their child when he does something wrong. Believe me, it worked! Now I leave the door open every night so he can enter as many times as he wants. Sometimes he jumps on top of the night tables to look out the window, but that's it. Most of the time he's in bed with us all night long, even if he's not asleep. You'll also have to talk nicely to your cat when she does something right, or when she's simply behaving. The key is to let her know when you like or dislike the things she does.

Answer 4

Try putting aluminum foil down on the floor in front of you door. Big pieces with some tape under. Cats love playing with it but hate stepping on it. (And dont open the door if she knocks.) As for the biting, pick her up by the back of the neck just like a mama cat with kitten. This will release a kind of dopamine that makes her relax. Also its how a mama cat keeps her kittens in line. She wont look very happy but i promise it will not hurt her.

Answer 5

Very interesting.
I really don't see the point of having an indoor cat and not letting them in the bedroom to sleep??
They're cuddly and furry!

Sounds like she needs to have dry food left out for her in the kitchen (in a bug-safe dish, you can get them at PetCo, etc.)
The morning "yowling" may just be telling you she's hungry.

If she's busy biting your ankles, a "quick fix" is just spraying a little cologne on your ankles---she'll back off.

Girl cats have aggressive personalities, it's typical. Since she is an "only" cat, it's tough for her, she must socialize with you, and is only treating you as she would another cat. Cats get very lonely with just humans around, sometimes.
Much of this she will out-grow, but she'll be much happier with a cat-buddy, esp. a neutered male.

Sounds like this cat loves you very much, and is trying to show it in her "cat" way, perhaps wanting you to play with her.
Get her some cat toys (KittyHoots "Catchables" line is fantastic, they're at the website: www.FatCatinc.com, also in grocery stores and pet stores)----and give her a hug every now and then.

Answer 6

It´s hard to believe but it is said,that kittens are biting out of love(ouch!). I know it from my cat.It´s an invitation to play!
Do you play enough with her?Could be she is just bored and needs more attention.
Cats are noisy little creatures and jumping on top of tv´s and from that to windowsills is pretty normal.
Would it be such a great problem for you to let your cat spend the night in your room. She might not "pestering" you and will curl up somewhere and sleep.And after a hour of playing she´ll be tired too.

Answer 7

Check out this website, you can buy her a device that will keep her off of anyplace you don't want her to be. I also recomend you let her sleep with you. My cat has to be where ever I am all the time. When I leave the room she has to follow me. When I'm at the computer she has to be either in my lap or in the chair behind me. When I sleep she lays down next to me and has to be in physical contact with me. I believe that this is just her way of showing love.

Answer 8

Get a plant mist sprayer and keep it full of water and at your side. When your kitty jumps where you don't want her or bites, give her a squirt in the face. It won't hurt her, just startle her and she'll quickly learn not to jump up on things or bite.

Answer 9

Your cat is nipping you trying to play that's normal cat behavior. Get one of those cat toys that is feathers attached to stretch line and has a handle. Every night before you go to bed. Play with her with this. She will love and you will wear her out playing.

Since you know she likes to climb you may have to cat proof your room.....

Answer 10

both my cats do that
in my case they want breakfast
try putting food in your cats bowl late as you can the night before and see if that helps
yes my cats nips me too if i try to put the pillow over my head to get another 15 minutes of sleep
they want their food NOW!