Mojo doesn't know when to stop!

valanhb

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
32,530
Purraise
100
Location
Lakewood (Denver suburb), Colorado
I don't know if she's just being a kitten or if she's just really not the brightest kitty around.

When she gets to playing, she will play so hard that she starts open mouth panting. Now, when we're playing fetch this is pretty easy to control. We just wait a few minutes for her to settle down and chill. But this morning she discovered a new toy - a honeysuckle snake - and she played and played and played and played. Finally after over an HOUR of playing non-stop, hubby took the toy away (I was already at work) because she was panting and coughing because she was playing so hard. Less than 5 minutes later, she flopped down next to him and crashed - slept for over an hour.

Mojo is about 6 months old, and I swear she has ADHD.
She is so hyper and easily distracted. That wouldn't concern me at all, except that I'm afraid that she's going to play herself to death when we aren't there to make her stop.

Any ideas on how to teach her when to stop? Or am I just worrying myself over nothing? Will she outgrow this phase? Anyone else had a kitten like this?
 

snosrap5

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 9, 2004
Messages
6,802
Purraise
14
Location
Emerald Coast of Florida
Mia is exactly this way. There are times I hide toys from her because she just doesn't know when to take a break. She is the very reason I began looking into getting a bengal as a play mate for her. At least that's what I tell my husband.


She reminds me of the energizer bunny! There is some toy, I can't think of the name but it's on a wire and it has these little bitty rolled up brown paper things at the end that is her favorite toy. She can not leave it alone. Just can't! She will be breathing heavy, panting and still keep jumping up and down after this toy.

She drives my other cats crazy. Mia constantly wants to play and her very best bud is Takoda. Takoda will sleep with every one except Mia because then he would never get a break because they constantly play.

I'm hoping she grows out of it but she's only 9 months old so who knows.
 

carolpetunia

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
9,669
Purraise
17
Location
Plano, Texas
Some kitties are like that! When my Clyde was a baby, he would bat relentlessly at anything that dangled, never stopping even when he got all sleepy and blinky-eyed. One time I found him sitting under the curtain-pull tassel, snoozing away with one paw still in mid-air.
 

momofmany

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
16,249
Purraise
70
Location
There's no place like home
Originally Posted by valanhb

Will she outgrow this phase? Anyone else had a kitten like this?
I'm telling you Heidi - your Mojo is the twin sister of my Koko!!


Yes, Koko has done all of the above. She'll be 4 this April and while she has slowed down a lot, there are still a lot of moments that get her panting. Her favorite is to engage the other cats at play, even when they don't want to play. Doesn't stop her from pouncing on their heads and chasing them around the house. We never called her ADHD, just said that she needed a bicycle helmet.

If you take away her toys, she might just decide to play with your other cats. Trust me, they won't appreciate it. She'll outgrow it after a while.......

You can see the spunk in her eyes.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

valanhb

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
32,530
Purraise
100
Location
Lakewood (Denver suburb), Colorado
Thank you all for the reassurance!
She is a pipper, that's for sure! But at least I know she's not alone.


Eva, I don't think I could talk Earl into getting a Bengal, only because we had already decided that 4 is the limit for our space. But I like your way of thinking!


Carol, that image of Clyde passing out mid-swat is just too adorable!
And yes, that totally sounds like something Mojo would do. I'm just amazed that you have tassels of any kind with kitties around!


Amy, I think we do have twins! We don't take away all of her toys. Actually, the snake was the first thing we've had to do that with, but she will get it back.
Earl was just worried about her since she would not stop and was going nuts with it. She had it when I left for work, and she was so into the snake that she didn't even notice that I was tying my shoes!
And she already pounces on Ginger's head when she wants to play.
 

yayi

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Oct 9, 2003
Messages
12,110
Purraise
91
Location
W/ the best cats
Mojo is worse than my Go who is also overactive but not to the point of gasping or panting.
 

belongstoevie

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 24, 2007
Messages
1,329
Purraise
4
Location
USA
Evie is the same way, too. She will play and play (her favorite toy is feathers on a string, but she goes in to "crazy kitty mode" and runs around the house like a nut quite often, too) until she starts huffing and sounding like she has kitty asthma. Unfortunately, it doesn't take her long to start wheezing enough to worry me- maybe 15 mins? So I took her to a vet (I hadn't found this great site yet!) and my vet said it's perfectly normal. I'm begining to value the knowledge here almost more than the vet's, though!


Even though I was told she's fine, I still try to calm her down when she starts wheezing too badly, and she generally listens pretty well for a bit. Of course, when a kitten wants to play, the kitten will play!
 

momofmany

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
16,249
Purraise
70
Location
There's no place like home
Originally Posted by valanhb

Amy, I think we do have twins! We don't take away all of her toys. Actually, the snake was the first thing we've had to do that with, but she will get it back.
Earl was just worried about her since she would not stop and was going nuts with it. She had it when I left for work, and she was so into the snake that she didn't even notice that I was tying my shoes!
And she already pounces on Ginger's head when she wants to play.
So tell me, does she tackle your feet as you try to walk? Of does she attack your toes and lick them?

I tied one of Koko's wand toys to the top of a door frame where she can bat it from the floor. It somewhat curbs her ability to move around a lot and she doesn't get to panting quite so much. When she is done she finds someone's head to pounce on.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

valanhb

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
32,530
Purraise
100
Location
Lakewood (Denver suburb), Colorado
Originally Posted by Momofmany

So tell me, does she tackle your feet as you try to walk? Of does she attack your toes and lick them?

I tied one of Koko's wand toys to the top of a door frame where she can bat it from the floor. It somewhat curbs her ability to move around a lot and she doesn't get to panting quite so much. When she is done she finds someone's head to pounce on.
We have a door frame toy, but I don't think she's discovered it yet.

She doesn't actually tackle feet, but she does consider my feet (with shoes on) to be good scratching posts.
 

beandip

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 1, 2007
Messages
2,322
Purraise
2
Location
under a pile of cats
Originally Posted by Momofmany

So tell me, does she tackle your feet as you try to walk? Of does she attack your toes and lick them?

I tied one of Koko's wand toys to the top of a door frame where she can bat it from the floor. It somewhat curbs her ability to move around a lot and she doesn't get to panting quite so much. When she is done she finds someone's head to pounce on.
This is starting to sound like my Paisley. She brings me her little furry mouse (gotta be the orange one) and drops it at my feet. If I don't notice her right away, my feet become fair game. The thing is, I try to discourage that...but it's real hard not to pick up the mouse and throw it again when Miss ScissorPaws has her talons dug into my feet!

Does Mojo ever sleep? Paisley only sleeps while I'm sleeping...so there's no reprieve. But I love her.


Your Mojo sounds like quite a handful!!
 

katiemae1277

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 28, 2005
Messages
20,445
Purraise
17
Location
NE OH
I am so glad I have lazy cats
they get a little spunky every now and then, but they mostly sleep.... I could never get a Bengal!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

valanhb

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
32,530
Purraise
100
Location
Lakewood (Denver suburb), Colorado
Originally Posted by beandip

Does Mojo ever sleep? Paisley only sleeps while I'm sleeping...so there's no reprieve. But I love her.


Your Mojo sounds like quite a handful!!
You know...now that you mention it...

She doesn't really nap when I'm home and awake. Well, rarely anyway. She may lay down and rest beside me when I'm on the computer, but sleep? Nah!

Last Saturday was an exception, though. Earl was downstairs cleaning and organizing DVDs and stuff, and she played with balls and such almost non-stop for 3 hours!
She slept for a while after that.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

valanhb

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
32,530
Purraise
100
Location
Lakewood (Denver suburb), Colorado
Originally Posted by beandip

This is starting to sound like my Paisley. She brings me her little furry mouse (gotta be the orange one) and drops it at my feet. If I don't notice her right away, my feet become fair game. The thing is, I try to discourage that...but it's real hard not to pick up the mouse and throw it again when Miss ScissorPaws has her talons dug into my feet!
I knew I was forgetting something when I replied the first time...

I about spit out my coffee when I read "Miss ScissorPaws"! That is sooooo funny!


Mojo has the patience of a gnat, but also has the attention span of a gnat. So if we don't notice that she wants to play with us, it's OK because she's forgotten that's what she wanted in the first place and is off playing with the ball (it's almost always a ball) by herself.
 

laureen227

Darksome Duo!
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 3, 2003
Messages
19,260
Purraise
387
Location
Denton TX
Originally Posted by valanhb

Actually, the snake was the first thing we've had to do that with, but she will get it back.
Earl was just worried about her since she would not stop and was going nuts with it. She had it when I left for work, and she was so into the snake that she didn't even notice that I was tying my shoes!
ahhhhh, the honeysuckle snake... a favorite toy around my house, too. so much so, that Cable actually ate part of one, then upchucked it. i tossed that one, but there's a new one floating around now.
 

beandip

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 1, 2007
Messages
2,322
Purraise
2
Location
under a pile of cats
Originally Posted by valanhb

I knew I was forgetting something when I replied the first time...

I about spit out my coffee when I read "Miss ScissorPaws"! That is sooooo funny!
That's my goofy cat!

Originally Posted by valanhb

Mojo has the patience of a gnat, but also has the attention span of a gnat. So if we don't notice that she wants to play with us, it's OK because she's forgotten that's what she wanted in the first place and is off playing with the ball (it's almost always a ball) by herself.
LOL...that's more like my Junior. Paisley is persistent!!!
 

ldg

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Messages
41,310
Purraise
842
Location
Fighting for ferals in NW NJ!
Crazy cats!
Of our six, we have two that sleep 16 - 18 hours a day. All Gary said for a few months last year was - I thought they were supposed to love napping so much? What happened to THAT?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

valanhb

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
32,530
Purraise
100
Location
Lakewood (Denver suburb), Colorado
Originally Posted by laureen227

ahhhhh, the honeysuckle snake... a favorite toy around my house, too. so much so, that Cable actually ate part of one, then upchucked it. i tossed that one, but there's a new one floating around now.
I think we're going to have to get a new one here soon. It's not coming apart yet, but I don't think there's much honeysuckle left in it! And it is really starting to look ratty, and I'm afraid someone will do exactly what Cable did. I'm going to try to catch her in action with the snake this weekend because it is hilarious to watch!
 
Top