At the end of my rope

[Kiryon]

Before I get into it, I do want to mention that I'm currently suffering from major depression after being attacked at work, so I know that while these problems may not seem that huge to other people, I'm in an extremely fragile state where these issues are having a significant impact on my mental wellbeing.

So here's the full story. Few months back, my sister found a kitten on a busy street and brought him to animal services after he was nearly run over. No one claimed him in the end and she ended up adopting him.

Then almost immediately decided he wasn't the right fit for her (young daughter at home), adopted a dog and I ended up "inheriting" this kitten. This wasn't long after the attack at work. I'm not angry about this, I do love him, but in my current state, it's been extremely challenging for me to take care of such a rambunctious kitten.

He gets into everything. I had to get child locks for every cabinet, he somehow always manages to find his food bag and has this beautiful habit of jumping out of the box midpoop (yes, even freshly clean) and getting poop everywhere (and I do mean everywhere).

I've had to take showers with him in the middle of the night. He eventually got better with this but has recently started doing this again.

As of now, he still spends nights and whenever I'm not home locked up in the bathroom to avoid poop all over the place and conflicts with my older cat.

The introduction with my older cat went surprisingly well and they do actually get along like a house on fire despite the 7 year gap. The issue is that my kitten sometimes gets overly excited, grips onto his back and bites his neck so hard my older cat starts screaming. Even then I have to physically separate them, he doesn't seem to understand that what he's doing hurts.

He also injures me on an almost daily basis which is another major issue. He's a VERY affectionate cat and has taken to jumping at my arms with the expectation that I'll catch him. Obviously I don't always manage that so he'll dig in with his claws (ouch). I also have very long hair and he loves attacking it whenever I'm sitting so I have many scratches along my sides. At this point I'mconsidering getting it cut super short...

I love him, but he gets poop everywhere, physically hurts me and my older cat and I just don't know how to go about correcting these behaviors anymore. In my current state, I have very little energy and I'm heartbroken by the fact that this little bundle of love has started to feel like a burden. I don't want to feel this way, but at the moment I can't help it...

Any advice would be extremely welcome.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello there. Welcome to TCS. Sorry though for the situation that brought you here. About your depression, I hope you're getting professional help / counselling.

About the kitten, sorry if I missed it, but how old is he? Kittens will eventually outgrow their crazy, wild kitten antics, but it will take some time. Also, if he was separated too soon from his mom, he may not have learned cat etiquette, which means you and your adult cat will need to take over.

Here's a link from the Humane Society that might have some tips for you.
Teach your kitten how to play nice

Digging in with his claws can be helped a bit by keeping the claws trimmed. Even just clipping the sharp points will help.

And as for getting poop everywhere, is his poop normal, or does he tend to have diarrhea? Has he been wormed? That can cause diarrhea. Also depending on the food he's eating, he could have softer stools. If it's normal, except for him jumping out of the litter box before he's done, it really shouldn't be ending up everywhere.

Thank you for giving this little guy a home. I hope things settle down soon. Good luck.

 

[Alldara]

So sorry you've experienced that at work. You're not alone in your frustrations though. It can be hard for anyone with a young cat around. They are a ton of work!

A high pitched EEP sound when he bites it's good. You can also use your other hand to touch the teeth. If he responds well to this for you, you can make that sound when he jumps your other cat.

He will need more energy out than a 7year old cat likely can provide. Things like the flopping fish help.

I do use a colourful oven mitt to wrestle with my one cat. He gets too rough with the other boys and this helps to get that energy out without him hurting anyone. Since an oven mitt is not really hand-shaped, it helped to stop his hand and ankle attacks as well. I use a "play sound" to let him know I'm playing with him as well. "tikatikatik" like I'm tickling him. When we play with wand toys thats the noise we used at first also.

Some electronic toys for him to chase may help.

Also if you give any dry food, ensure he is getting that dry food through enrichment and movement based activities. This helps to prevent a sugar spike, and keeps him busy to lower his energy.

 

[CuteBabyBiscuit]

Hello, I’m sorry your struggling with depression. As someone who also struggles with depression and has my 8 month old kitten I sympathize with you greatly! I have broken down so often with her when struggling through the tougher teaching parts. Wand toys are a big key and play till they are worn out. That can help with the energy. If you can’t handle that long do it in shorter bursts. I have this tiny bouncy tree toy (see image) that has been really great as the motion entices her to play by herself. As for the claws, if possible you can have your vet or a groomer get their claws down real short and check in on them as often as you can. If you ever feel at your wits end its ok to close the door and step away to calm down or get a break. The other advice told here is really good too (though I would say in my opinion avoid using anything with your hand to play with even if its covered.)

As for the poop, I’m sure they’ll grow out of that. Biscuit for about a month and a few weeks when I first got her constantly stepped in her poop and had runny poop. I had to clean her so often but now her bathroom manners are perfect! Some things I’ve realized we just have to ride out.

In the end though, for your mental health and the cat’s well being it might also be a good idea to consider re homing if you don’t feel like you can manage. It doesn't make you a failure either if you have to! Your health is important.