Help! My kitten is driving me insane!

I got my kitten Misty when she was just a couple weeks old. Someone found her on the side of a highway with one other kitten. She is spayed and is up to date on all vaccines and is healthy according to my vet. She is now a little over 6 months old and her playing is at an all time extreme. I know that kittens are supposed to be very energetic, but she has gotten to the point where I am afraid to leave anything in the house that she can get to.

She has lots of toy mice and other random cat toys, but along with destroying them, she has managed to destroy lots of other things. Shoes, clothes, papers, bags, toilet paper rolls, cardboard boxes, books, plants, umbrellas, and many more odd things are among her favorites.

I have tried creating a safe spot in my closet for things that I don't want her to get, and I have made it very clear to her that she isn't allowed in there, but everytime the closet door opens, she dashes in. I can't leave cups around the house because she tries to drink out of them or knock them over. (Even got her head stuck on one once but still didn't learn!) I am to the point of going insane. I try to give her alot of attention, but she will just go after my hands or feet (or even my face) and bite. I will either stop playing with her or distract her, but it doesn't work.

She seems very needy, constantly meowing for attention, but runs away when I go to her. She will meow and nothing, and I have no idea what she wants. One evening, she sat on my bed for over an hour meowing at the ceiling....

Please help me get her on the right track. I am afraid that she is not going to grow out of this. I have had many other cats and none have been like this before. Is there anything that I can do to curb her behavior? Or is this something that I just have to deal with till she grows out of it?

What breed is she Ali? Some breeds do make for very active and mischeivous teenagers! My maine coon nearly drove me mad at the six to eight month stage, he was just the same as you're describing, nothing was safe! Jazzie's seven months now and charging about, duffing up the other cats and playing with anything that isn't tied down, and as a ragdoll she's fairly quiet, so I can imagine what you're dealing with! Cat proofing everything might reduce your stress levels, putting away absolutely anything in danger of being knocked over or played with that shouldn't be- it's a nuisance but it might make you feel less under pressure. And lots of playtime with interactive toys that mean she's getting a thorough work out and getting reinforced for appropriate play. Cardboard boxes with holes cut in the sides can be a good distraction because they can be climbed all over and a lot of energy expended on them, they help with very physical play and being safely destructive- she can shred those without that being a problem. I used to try to give Mark as much novelty as I could, cardboard wrapping, cereal boxes, cardboard tubes, corks, anything I found day to day that was new and that he could play with as he had a ton of regular toys but wanted new things to explore all the time. Pingpong balls in the bath (empty!) and on the stairs are other activities that used to keep him occupied when I needed to distract him from something that was driving me nuts. I don't know if anyone else would agree but I've often thought that the most mischievious and lively kittens turned out to be the most intelligent cats when they grew up, I don't know if the two things are related. I'm sure Misty will grow out of this eventually.

Yea, we once had cat like this and he was VERY tiny, found in a drain. He would start at the end of the hall, run and full force bounce off our backs and leave scratches. I TRULY think because he was so young, there was no training from his mom and possibly brain damage. I don't have much advice for you....we had to relocate the kitten we found..he was just too much and we had a young child in the house.

Sounds like something may not be right upstairs if you know what I mean.

But, is she healthy?? Have you talked to a vet about this?

I don't know what breed she is. She is all grey with very feint tabby markings on her and white feet and chest. Shorthair. I really hope that she doesnt have any mental problems. The vet said that physically she is ok.... I don't plan to relocate her no matter how psychotic she is because she is my family now. The ping pong idea seems like a great one. Any other ideas with keeping her from destroying my stuff. Alot I can keep out of the way, but sometimes I have to leave stuff out.... It seems like nothing is safe from her. She can get on top of, behind, inside of, or underneathe almost everything!

Originally Posted by 5catsandcountin

Yea, we once had cat like this and he was VERY tiny, found in a drain. He would start at the end of the hall, run and full force bounce off our backs and leave scratches. I TRULY think because he was so young, there was no training from his mom and possibly brain damage. I don't have much advice for you....we had to relocate the kitten we found..he was just too much and we had a young child in the house.

Sounds like something may not be right upstairs if you know what I mean.

But, is she healthy?? Have you talked to a vet about this?

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Sorry to go on, but that made me think - if both kittens were abandoned so young they probably missed out on the chance of physical play with mum and the exploratory play they should have had time to do when they were having to deal with all this trauma. I wonder if maybe both that poor kitten found in the drain and Misty are needing to make up for that physical play and exploration now they do have someone to bond with and be mum? Just a thought? Shutting up now, promise

This is fairly typical behavior for rescued kitties. They aren't allowed to be kittens when they are born outside, because a lot of activity will create attention, and attention brings predators. So momcats are quite strict. It really is a testament to your love and care that she feels comfortable enough to perform all this activity. I have a new kitten here that is also a holy terror. This morning, Prowler was perched on the side of the couch and Wink was laying by the heater- it's a distance of about 3 feet from the couch. Suddenly Prowler goes airborn and lands right on Wink's head! It was a spectacular leap as well.

Kittens have a high activity level, and you should really celebrate that they do. Even though it makes you tear your hair out in frustration. Kitten proofing your home is always a good idea, and the stuff that clutters up your counters and shelves can be placed back when the kitten grows up and mellows.

Until then make a makeshift ball bin by going out and getting a large cardboard box (I use the appliance store in town) and then cut holes off the sides of the box not at ground level that are big enough for the kitten to jump in and out of. Throw some ping pong balls inside, shove the box into a corner and let the kitty discover it on her own.

If you have a tall cat condo, start hiding treats on the top level.

Buy an interactive cat toy like Da Bird and play with your kitty on a schedule every day several times a day if you can-

Look into rescue remedy to calm her down a bit, or like I said, just let her celebrate her kittenhood, because it doesn't last that long (it just seems to)

Also look into comfort zone room diffusers and start burning a few of those

Shoes, clothes, papers, bags, toilet paper rolls, cardboard boxes, books, plants, umbrellas, and many more odd things

You just described a partial list of what cats love most!!!

Add to that, Q-tips, plastic bags, furry slippers, dirty socks stolen from the laundry, straws, and lids peeled from the cat food cans and you have the stuff that is played with in my household.

Some cats are more playful than others, and they never grow out of it. Some are more curious than others! I have noticed that my cats who came from multi-cat households (or foster homes) are extremely playful and curious. Loving and adventurous, too, but very playful!

I keep cardboard boxes in just about every room of my house now, because my oldest pretty much lives in boxes. He also drags my Tickle Me Elmo slippers all over the place in his mouth. Hammie steals plastic bags, TP rolls from the trash, and if I leave lids laying out too long -- the lid from the food cans.

And nighttime is certainly interesting... if I'm tossing around too much a few of my 6 will go play & talk & fight during the night!!!

Re: leaving cups lay around, that's something I learned many years ago NOT to do. We just cannot. If we do, Hammie gets his head stuck in the cup and/or they just knock the drinks over. Hammie also knows how to open closet doors (pulls the bottom with his cupped paw) and gets in where the shoes are kept, he likes to chew on a few choice shoes.

Mom had this problem too so she rubberbanded the knobs together so her cats couldn't get into the closets. Maybe you could do that? As far as her dashing in --- been there, too --- Hammie as a kitten would run into the fridge each time it was opened. He learned his lesson after my daughter shut the fridge door on his head, knocking him silly. He used to jump up on the stove, too, and any open door was a door to adventure for him!!!

He has calmed down a lot. Still a feisty, loving lil guy but a lot less 'kittenish' than he was (at age 3). I'd say to just give it time and embrace and love this time of kittenhood. It's cute and sort of exhausting, but that's how kittens are!

The attention the kitten would have gotten with its mom would not have been jumping around freaking out play, but social interaction with the mom. The kitten got TONS of attention..but was just always bouncing off the walls once it was large enough to do so.

We foster kittens...and have always had cats. This is NOT typical cat behavior.,..something was definitely wrong. It could have something to do with not having the mom, but we have plenty of kittens in the same situation that do not act like this at all.

Originally Posted by 5catsandcountin

The attention the kitten would have gotten with its mom would not have been jumping around freaking out play, but social interaction with the mom. The kitten got TONS of attention..but was just always bouncing off the walls once it was large enough to do so.

We foster kittens...and have always had cats. This is NOT typical cat behavior.,..something was definitely wrong. It could have something to do with not having the mom, but we have plenty of kittens in the same situation that do not act like this at all.

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Poor little soul Did it settle down any when it grew older, or did any more problems show?

We don't know! We found the kitten a few days old...and had it for almost a year. The dang thing was just a terror. As a kitten he was sweet and fine. But once he felt like he owned the house ...I guess at about 3-4 months and had free reign, he would, honestly, start at one end of the hall, run as fast as he could, dig his claws in someones back, like if they were sitting on the floor watching tv, bounce back off and run. He would leave bleeding marks in our backs.

He would then turn around and curl up in your lap and sleep..then wake up and bounce off the walls again.

We have had many cats in our life and this was the ONLY cat we ever had to rehome.

I had a 1 year old daughter and he would play with her just fine and then turn on her...he went to a home with a young college guy who thought the cat was cool. We moved out of town soon after that so I am not sure:/

It was just REALLY odd.

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Originally Posted by 5catsandcountin

We don't know! We found the kitten a few days old...and had it for almost a year.
I had a 1 year old daughter and he would play with her just fine and then turn on her...he went to a home with a young college guy who thought the cat was cool. We moved out of town soon after that so I am not sure:/

It was just REALLY odd.

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Poor little thing That must have been a very hard choice to make but with the baby at risk you didn't really have a choice. I hope he did settle down as he got older in his new home.