Kitten loves running all over the place

[damiansevren]

I just got a new kitten a few days ago and hes so adorable . For now ive been keeping him in my bathroom. When hes in the bathroom hes sweet as can be. He cuddles with me, and doesnt bite me too hard anymore (ive been yelling NO at him whenever he does but he does still have a bit of a scratching problem. ) Only problem i have with him is he just goes absolutely nuts whenever i let him into my room or the living room. Ive been gradually allowing him into my room for a few minutes here and there every day and every time i do he just constantly runs and jumps all over the place. He also always gets spooked and runs away whenever i come near him in my room. Which is the opposite of how he is when I keep him locked in the bathroom. He also constantly trys to scratch up the furniture in my room even though ive bought him a scratching post! I tried spraying him with water but he just continues to do it again 20 seconds later. I know kittens have a lot of energy but he just never seems to run out of it! ive been playing with him all the time and he does get sleepy and sleeps whenever i put him back in the bathroom but out in my room he just never tuckers out! 

What can I do? I love him so much but i dont have time to constantly watch out for him and make sure he doesnt get into trouble.

btw he is 4-5 months old

 

[Columbine]

He just sounds like he needs to let off some steam! Kittens are always pretty high energy, and are renowned for getting themselves into trouble as a result. He will really benefit from lots of interactive play. This will allow him to run off that energy in a positive way, as well as helping him to gain confidence in his new territory.

I suggest you go through your home and 'kitten proof' it, so that he can't access anything that could cause him harm. Opening up safe vertical space will allow him to climb without hurting himself. Multiple scratching posts and trees are a must too.

Remember that he's still very new to your home, and he's still trying to work out the rules. Please don't use the spray bottle any more...all it will do is make hime afraid of you in the long run.

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[damiansevren]

How do i stop him from jumping on my face though? He always trys to pounce on peoples faces when they're sleeping. Also i forgot to mention that he is fixed. I thought most kittens lose their aggressive behavior after being fixed? 

 

[laidnadmss]

I'm a new kitten owner and my kitties do the same thing. This is what has worked for me and my boyfriend so far. We haven't limited our kittens to rooms, unless we aren't there. I would suggest letting him learn his limits, and don't restrict him to the bathroom. If you're not there during the day, shut the bedroom doors or any other rooms you don't want him getting into and kitten proof your house as much as possible to let him explore his new territory. The bathroom, kitchen, living room and dining room are fair game while we're gone. We also covered our couch with a big blanket while we we're gone. It's a fabric couch, but we still didn't want them to have that habit. They don't claw it anymore.

As far as scratching just say "No" pretty loudly and pull them off the furniture. For certain things however, I do spray them and yell "NO". Like clawing the leather recliner and trying to climb my curtains. If I have to spray them I'm sure to give them extra cuddles and love later on - or a little bit of soft kitten food. Actually for the recliner it got so bad - even them climbing on it would leave marks - we covered it in a fleece blanket and put tin foil all over the back of it that was still exposed. The kittens hate tinfoil for some reason. We also had the scratching post by the recliner and we moved that to a more central location. 

At night we shut our bedroom doors. My boyfriend tried to sleep with the door open once - bad idea. As they get older they'll calm down but right now they still like to play at night. As soon as we wake up we open our bedroom door for them to come in and play with us in the bed. And they'll run from the living room back to our bedroom. If you're trying to nap, start napping in your room and shut the door. Or nap on the couch and put lots of toys out and maybe ignore him? Our cats are pretty receptive to our body language. Like when I'm on the couch trying to nap or relax during the day, they typically come up and nap with me. I don't know how that happened. He'll learn though, give him some time! And let him blow off some of his energy. 

 

[damiansevren]

my problem is im a college student and im usually not home. My roommates told me that they werent very interested in helping me take care of him either. He also doesnt seem to learn very well. He loves to jump into my roommates dirty laundry hamper and tear it up. Ive tried yelling no at him, pulling him out, spraying him with water. Ive done it probably a hundred times and he still constantly tries to get into it! 

 

[damiansevren]

Also my kitten has give me quite a few scratches and bites. None have swelled up however my right hand is starting to feel a little funny. Is this normal or am i being paranoid? 

 

[daishain]

Ok, Damien, the first thing you need to figure out is that cats do not respond to negative behavioral adjustment. In other words, punish a cat, and all you do is make them want to avoid you, not stop the behavior in question. Yelling and spraying is therefore worse than useless.

Secondly, a kitten that age has a LOT of energy to burn. You're going to need to divert it somehow. The most appropriate response is to give the kitten a playmate, another kitten of approximately the same age. Failing that, multiple long play sessions over the course of the day using appropriate toys can tire him out.

If you cannot provide an outlet for this energy and desire to play, then I'm afraid my recommendation would be to find another caretaker who can. Its never easy to do this, but you could scar this animal if you keep doing what you're doing.

P.S. Concerning your hand. Feline bites and scratches get infected very easily. If the skin gets broken, especially if it begins to redden and swell, treatment with antibiotics is highly recommended.

 

[LTS3]

 
my problem is im a college student and im usually not home. My roommates told me that they werent very interested in helping me take care of him either. He also doesnt seem to learn very well. He loves to jump into my roommates dirty laundry hamper and tear it up. Ive tried yelling no at him, pulling him out, spraying him with water. Ive done it probably a hundred times and he still constantly tries to get into it! 

I think adopting an older cat would have been a better choice. Most adult cats are pretty well trained and aren't as active and mischievous as a kitten, even a 5 month old one. While adults do need play time, they're usually pretty comfortable spending their days sleeping and bird watching. Kittens are cute and everything but A LOT of work and need A LOT of time and patience, something few college students have.

Ask the shelter if you can return the kitten if it just doesn't work out for your situation. The shelter should be able to find a more laid back well behaved older cat that would work better for you. Or even a completely different pet who may not need as much attention as a cat, such as a rabbit or guinea pig.

 

[damiansevren]

well by what age do kittens usually start to relax? or is there any training tips you guys could give me to make him more calm and relaxed? I really do not want to return him I love him so much. And he has been learning very quickly to not bite me anymore. Today he hasnt bit me at all (other than a few small love bites). My friend got a kitten at 5 months too and told me that after a few months she eventually became very mellow and just wandered around their house .

Ive also heard of those phermone relaxing collars. Will that help him in his kittenhood or is it bad to use? 

There are a lot of local cats here who normally like to come into my apartment. I was thinking of letting one of them maybe play with my kitten ( though last time i tried that my neighbors cat hit my cat on the head and hissed at him) 

Im sorry for all the silly questions im very new to owning a pet so thank you for all the responses! 

 

[daishain]

The first year is the 'worst' in regards to problematic energy levels, but it can take until 3 or more years of age to completely work it out of their system. (So far as I'm concerned, it is less of a problem and rather among the most endearing aspects of kittens, but I don't think I would ever try to care for a single kitten in a household with no suitable playmates.)

Beyond unhealthy levels of medication (or completely ignoring the problem for long periods which often leads to poorly developed behavior), there isn't anything that will change this. High energy activity paired with active play that simulates hunting behavior are an essential part of growing up for a young cat.

Imagine for a moment adults insisting that human children never socialize and play with other children, that is a lot like what you're asking this kitten to do.

Which is why I was talking about diverting the rough play in a more desirable direction rather than trying to actually stop it. For instance, try to divert the biting to a suitable toy rather than your hand for instance, something rather rodent like often goes over well.

Getting a neighbor's cat to act as the occasional playmate could work, or it could blow up in your face. Cats are highly territorial, simply throwing a pair together is almost guaranteed to end in a confrontation, with the only question being how violent it ends up becoming. This does not mean that the idea won't work, just that the introduction must be handled carefully. Also, an adult cat may not have the patience to deal with a rambunctious youngster for long.

Concerning pheromone treatment. I am actually unaware of whether or not it is safe to use with kittens. What I do know is that it is used for the sake of dealing with problems caused by undue levels of stress and/or fear, neither of which (I sure as hell hope) are the case here.

 

[damiansevren]

Im realizing now i think i may return him and try an adult cat. He is just too much for me to handle. One minute hes sweet and cuddly and the next minute hes jumping off walls and knocking everything over. I dont think i can handle it. 

 

[mani]

 
Im realizing now i think i may return him and try an adult cat. He is just too much for me to handle. One minute hes sweet and cuddly and the next minute hes jumping off walls and knocking everything over. I dont think i can handle it. 

If you do this, when selecting another cat consider what you can offer and choose accordingly.   Remember too that cats get very used to their homes and so you need to be prepared to meet the cat's needs should you have to move.  It's important to think about the future.

Look around this forum and read some of the articles like the ones Columbine posted.  Get to know what cats are like and what sharing your life with one entails.  And of course, ask lots of questions here!  We love to help people who need advice and want to do the right thing by cats.

Then if you think you have the time and you can offer a good long-term home, there are many, many older cats who would love to be cared for if you decide that the energy of your kitten just isn't feasible right now.

And if you feel that it may be too much, I think LTS3's suggestions about a pet that needs less attention is the way to go.