Hyperactive Kitty, Scared Kitty?

My new kitten, Binx, is a thirteen-week-old feral I adopted one weeks ago today.  We're working together on getting comfortable with one another, but he's still very scared of me.  That being said, he has gotten comfortable enough in his new home that I can say he is LITERALLY bouncing off the walls.  He seems to chase imaginary mice around the bedroom I'm keeping him in, and he runs around in circles around the room, hops in and out of his litterbox (getting letter everywhere...) and climbs around the wire shelves I have in the room.  He's also started jumping at the shoe rack I have hanging on the door.  

All of the info I can find online about tiring out active kitties makes the assumption that these kittens are comfortable around humans, and they suggest things like playing with him with a thing on a string toy, or some-such.  While we have gotten to the point that I can glance at him during his explorations without him fleeing to underneath the bed, I have to be sure to avert his eyes quickly or slow blink for that to work.  Any movement towards him, or even staring at him too long, and he's hiding under the bed again, completely still.  So tiring him out by playing with him is still out of the question.

Anyway, here's what I'm wondering: are there any ways to help with hyperactivity that would work with him still quite scared of me?  Is it okay for me to let him explore like he wants as long as I'm not worried about him breaking anything (should I be worried about him getting hurt?)  Should I give him more space to explore in the apartment, since he's so active, or should I keep him in the room, since he's just getting used to the space?  Are there any ways I could change the space to give him more things to do?

And also, my guilt about taking him off the street comes in here... does his being so active mean he's an outdoor cat at heart, and I shouldn't have brought him inside?

At 13 weeks he is all kitten and full of play.  This type of energy may last for months!!  Kittens love to play and will literally bounce off the walls.  What type of toys have you tried using with him?  Have you tried a laser pointer?  Wand toys that have very long handles with a feather on the end work well too.  Simple long shoe laces tied together and placed under a towel and then slowly pulled out often catch the eye of a feral.

Never doubt the decision to bring him inside.  His energy is not based on wanting to be outside, but instead pure kitten energy.  He will have a wonderful and safe life inside.

Has he been neutered yet?  

He was neutered last week, the same day I adopted him.  

I have tried to play with a wand type toy with him, but he gets scared of it and hides--if I'm holding it that is.  if I leave it on the ground he goes right ahead and plays with it by himself.  He also has a treat ball, a crinkle ball, and a little stuffed fish with catnip in it.  He likes to play with all of these, but only if I'm sitting still and not interacting with him.  Honestly his favorite thing to play with is the yoga mat that I put down on the floor for when I sit with him.  It's still a little curled up at the ends and he likes to roll and unroll it, hide underneath it, jump around on it.  It sounds like he's been scratching at it too, but I can't see any scratch marks so it seems pretty sturdy... I ordered a scratching post for him online but it hasn't shown up yet.

I'm going to get a laser pointer toy, because I think that could be a good bridge for getting him to play with me.  I expect at least initially he won't realize the laser pointer is coming from me and feel like he's playing on his own, but maybe he'll realize it is me, and feel safer eventually playing with me with other toys?  I'm not an expert on cat psychology, but the idea seems promising...

Ceruleiasaurus said:

 
I'm going to get a laser pointer toy, because I think that could be a good bridge for getting him to play with me.  I expect at least initially he won't realize the laser pointer is coming from me and feel like he's playing on his own, but maybe he'll realize it is me, and feel safer eventually playing with me with other toys?  I'm not an expert on cat psychology, but the idea seems promising...

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  It's certainly worth a try.  I always feel a bit sorry for the cat as they never get to catch anything , but they seem to enjoy it, and a kitten who is all over that place will probably love it.

Let us know how you get on.

Depending on *how* scared he is, you might try wiffle ball style golf balls, which you roll past him.  My cat loved them,even when she'd just come home and was still scared.

The laser pointer toy has not arrived yet BUT Binx played with me today! (sort of, I guess?)  He was lying down on his back stretching out (another first!!!) and playing with a little crinkle ball, and every time it got far away from him I nudged it back over to him and we sort of played "catch" for a little while.  He moved so much farther forward with his comfort level around me today--making eye contact with me without running, showing me his belly and his back, not bolting when I shifted around (as long as I didn't stand up).  And I'm not sure whether he was intentionally rubbing, or if it was part of his grand scheme to figure out what my feet are and if they're safe to play with, but he seemed to sort fo gently do the scent face rub thingy on my ankles.  

Also is it possible that he's gained weight already?  It's only been ten days but he looks practically chubby (at least compared to how skinny he was when I took him in).  Maybe I'm just imagining things.  Who knows

Anyone have any thoughts on what would be the right time to let him out of my bedroom and into the rest of the apartment?