Terrible Teens

I adopted a kitten on New Years Day. He is cute, adorable and loving and is now a holy terror.
I can't stop him from tearing up my plants, I can't keep him off of anything. He can jump up on most everything in the house. He has a cat tree and regularly has fits of running thru the house, over the furniture and up the tree to the top. I tried carpet runners with the nubs and duct tape but he ignores it all now. The tape worked for a little while. He ignores most of his toys, of which he has many, and would prefer anything that happens to be on my desk or anywhere else in the house.
I have one good thing, he has not gotten on the kitchen counter or stove (knock on wood)
Any suggestions on how to calm this little monster down.
He is a very loving cat when he wants to be. He is very weird tho, he likes to have his face in my hand or my neck.

Aaw! Sounds like you have a happy,healthy little snuggle bunny!! Maybe if he had a playmate,he would wear himself out?

My cat is 13 weeks old and when he goes hyper, he jumps on everything. Luckily he is too small to get onto the counters but one day I turned around to put milk in my tea leaving the fridge open and he had managed to jump into it!! It's 3 feet off the ground.

When he gets like that I let him into the back garden for 30 minutes to an hour. He eventually runs the energy out of himself and comes back in when he's ready to calm down. If your backyard is secure it might save your furniture a little bit!

Is he spayed? This may or may not calm him but it's a good idea as he is likely about 6 months old.

I agree with a playmate (but read up here on intros and good choices for adding a second cat....I would go with a male perhaps a bit younger) as this will exhaust some of his energy.

However, for this period, just for your own sanity, I would clear everything off of shelves that you aren't wanting broken. Go around and kitty proof...
He will likely go through this zoomy period for awhile as he is still in the kitty stage..

Mine were crazy at multiple times of the day when younger but are now much more content to race around and cause havoc only once per day at age 4 !

ETA: One of mine must always have his face against my body or hand too...It's reassuring to him and I think feels like snuggling up against mama cat as a baby....I also think he thinks no one can see him that way ...

Originally Posted by Hermoine

I adopted a kitten on New Years Day. He is cute, adorable and loving and is now a holy terror.
I can't stop him from tearing up my plants, I can't keep him off of anything. He can jump up on most everything in the house. He has a cat tree and regularly has fits of running thru the house, over the furniture and up the tree to the top.

I tried carpet runners with the nubs and duct tape but he ignores it all now. The tape worked for a little while. He ignores most of his toys, of which he has many, and would prefer anything that happens to be on my desk or anywhere else in the house.
I have one good thing, he has not gotten on the kitchen counter or stove (knock on wood)

Any suggestions on how to calm this little monster down.
He is a very loving cat when he wants to be. He is very weird tho, he likes to have his face in my hand or my neck.

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Hi....sounds like a fun little kitty.....and he`s young yet...he`ll soon calm down enough that you`ll actually wish for these days again.
About getting him fixed...yes I`d do that if it has`nt been done.
Also try to be consistant, just like you do with kids. If there`s something you don`t want him on you`ll have to remove him and tell him "NO"(probably till you are sick to death of hearing yourself say it).....same with scratching....and then take him to where you do want him to scratch and make his little paws go up and down in a scratching mannor (whether he actually scratches or not) and then praise the heck out of him.
True they are different than dogs, as far as not being such "people pleasers"....but they do love us and want us to praise and love them back...he`ll learn.
We are going through the same right now with a year old kitten that we receintly adopted less than a month ago...and he is doing much better now than he was even a couple of weeks ago....it just takes patience and time.
Good luck to you.
Linda

Charlie is in the terrible teens (10 months old) - been there since about 8 months old! And he's just as bad - think they have selective hearing sometimes.

We have several interactive toys (fishing toys), laser light, etc. and try to give him some time to use that energy so he's more settled.

He's hard-headed right now about the table, counter and display stands (with breakable stuff on it)! Plus he still likes to pick on Ling

I hope he's out of this stage soon

Thanks all.
Yes he is neutered at about 12-16 weeks I think. I have nothing left in the house he can break or tear up. I just keep picking up stuff he knocks off.
He has an older cat and 2 dogs to play with. Just found out the older cat has feline leukemia. She had been tested and vaccinated but still got it somehow. Now I have to test him again Please pray he didn't get it. I really thought I was keeping her from that stuff but guess not good enough.

Thanks for all your interest.

Oh god, I thought this stage ended at a year......

Sophie is almost 5 months now...and he's a terror. Attacks the other cat, attacks us, attacks ANYTHING and EVERYTHING in the house.

At night, he turns back into a little baby who wants to sleep under the covers with Mommy and Daddy.

Our vet won't neuter him for another month, but we're *HOPING* when that time comes, he'll calm down a little.....

It seems we have a while to deal with this!!!

I love how playful he is, and we play with him, but it's the attacking the other cats that's a problem.

By the way, LOVE the Mulder quote in your sig Nancy!!!

Nancy, I hate to tell you this but your baby hasn't hit the terrible teens yet. That happens when they are about 9 - 14 months old. Yours is still all pre-teen and he will change when he actually hits his teens. They simply get more defiant then, but will be less rowdy.

You'll get thru it!! Put away the breakables for a while.