Hi! We have a one year old kitty named Jackson. We also have 4 other kitties. Jackson is a ball of energy. He's unlike any cat I've ever owned. He scratches my furniture instead of his posts, he's not attracted to catnip, he chews on everything, he's jumping on everything and breaking things and he most certainly does not behave. I've tried the double sided tape and he just chews on it. My husband and I have tried to play with him, to release some of that energy, but he's not interested in ANYTHING. You name the toy, we've probably tried it. My other cats LOVE "Da Bird", but not Jax. He'll look at it and walk away. His jumping behavior is just getting worse. I can't wear him out if he won't play. My husband and I are stressed out! He actually asked me tonight if I thought the shelter would take him back. And that's not my husband at all. We are at a total loss with what to do with this cat. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Misbehaving, rambunctious kitty not interested in playing
- Thread starter cemeterysiren
- Start Date
At one, Jackson is the equivalent of a teenager, and it certainly sounds as though he's being a particularly obnoxious one at the moment!
Excess energy seems to be the root of the problem here, and draining that energy appropriately is difficult if he won't engage in play with you. Da Bird really is one of the best toys for this, but not all cats go for the feather lure. There are lots and lots of different lure toys available, some from Da Bird (Amazon has a huge selection), and some handmade from smaller suppliers (e.g. on Etsy). Sometimes it takes a while to find the right toy, and the search can be VERY frustrating.
You say he doesn't respond to catnip. Have you tried him on valerian or honeysuckle? Some cats go for these in a big way, even if they're not interested in catnip (and some, like mine, love them all equally :lol3: ).
Another option would be leash training him and taking him for walks outside. This can be a wonderful way to burn off energy, as well as giving plenty of mental stimulation. If he's food motivated, clicker training could work well too - a tired mind often brings a tired body
Setting up a catio to give safe outside access might make a big difference, so that definitely worth considering if it's at all possible. Opening up appropriate vertical space could help too - it takes energy to go climbing and jumping, you know
It would certainly be worth talking to the shelter about your current issues. For example, they may know of a toy that really gets his motor going, and more background information may help you narrow down what play style will engage him best.
Hang in there. It WILL get better!
I'm linking to all these articles in the hope that you can find things you haven't though of or tried. I hope at least some of them prove useful
[article="0"][/article][article="0"][/article][article="32493"][/article][article="22407"][/article][article="33224"][/article][article="22537"][/article][article="32827"][/article][article="0"][/article][article="32758"][/article][article="30493"][/article][article="22426"][/article][article="22430"][/article][thread="297074"][/thread]
Excess energy seems to be the root of the problem here, and draining that energy appropriately is difficult if he won't engage in play with you. Da Bird really is one of the best toys for this, but not all cats go for the feather lure. There are lots and lots of different lure toys available, some from Da Bird (Amazon has a huge selection), and some handmade from smaller suppliers (e.g. on Etsy). Sometimes it takes a while to find the right toy, and the search can be VERY frustrating.
You say he doesn't respond to catnip. Have you tried him on valerian or honeysuckle? Some cats go for these in a big way, even if they're not interested in catnip (and some, like mine, love them all equally :lol3: ).
Another option would be leash training him and taking him for walks outside. This can be a wonderful way to burn off energy, as well as giving plenty of mental stimulation. If he's food motivated, clicker training could work well too - a tired mind often brings a tired body
Setting up a catio to give safe outside access might make a big difference, so that definitely worth considering if it's at all possible. Opening up appropriate vertical space could help too - it takes energy to go climbing and jumping, you know
It would certainly be worth talking to the shelter about your current issues. For example, they may know of a toy that really gets his motor going, and more background information may help you narrow down what play style will engage him best.
Hang in there. It WILL get better!
I'm linking to all these articles in the hope that you can find things you haven't though of or tried. I hope at least some of them prove useful
[article="0"][/article][article="0"][/article][article="32493"][/article][article="22407"][/article][article="33224"][/article][article="22537"][/article][article="32827"][/article][article="0"][/article][article="32758"][/article][article="30493"][/article][article="22426"][/article][article="22430"][/article][thread="297074"][/thread]- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Thank you so much for the wealth of information!! When I get home, I will definitely be checking out all those links too. Jax is a weird cat. When we got him this past August, he had a bad ear infection and we don't think he hears so well now. Either that or he has extremely selective hearing. He doesn't really respond to his name. He doesn't respond to key words that we always use that the other cats flip over like "treats" and "nummies". He tries to play with the other cars, but he doesn't know when to stop with them. They get pretty pissed off. He also loves to try sitting on their heads. It's behavior I've only seen with dogs. We've thought about getting another kitten for him to play with, but that would mean SIX cats.
He has a cardboard box that I cut holes in for him to play with and he loves it. In fact, it's falling apart. He WILL play if he's in his box. It's so bizarre! He does like being up high, but we have no room at the moment for a cat tower.
He is a big sweetie and he loves to snuggle with me. We love him, but we're pulling out our hair!
He has a cardboard box that I cut holes in for him to play with and he loves it. In fact, it's falling apart. He WILL play if he's in his box. It's so bizarre! He does like being up high, but we have no room at the moment for a cat tower.
He is a big sweetie and he loves to snuggle with me. We love him, but we're pulling out our hair!
At one, Jackson is the equivalent of a teenager, and it certainly sounds as though he's being a particularly obnoxious one at the moment!
Excess energy seems to be the root of the problem here, and draining that energy appropriately is difficult if he won't engage in play with you. Da Bird really is one of the best toys for this, but not all cats go for the feather lure. There are lots and lots of different lure toys available, some from Da Bird (Amazon has a huge selection), and some handmade from smaller suppliers (e.g. on Etsy). Sometimes it takes a while to find the right toy, and the search can be VERY frustrating.
You say he doesn't respond to catnip. Have you tried him on valerian or honeysuckle? Some cats go for these in a big way, even if they're not interested in catnip (and some, like mine, love them all equally :lol3: ).
Another option would be leash training him and taking him for walks outside. This can be a wonderful way to burn off energy, as well as giving plenty of mental stimulation. If he's food motivated, clicker training could work well too - a tired mind often brings a tired body
Setting up a catio to give safe outside access might make a big difference, so that definitely worth considering if it's at all possible. Opening up appropriate vertical space could help too - it takes energy to go climbing and jumping, you know
It would certainly be worth talking to the shelter about your current issues. For example, they may know of a toy that really gets his motor going, and more background information may help you narrow down what play style will engage him best.
Hang in there. It WILL get better!
I'm linking to all these articles in the hope that you can find things you haven't though of or tried. I hope at least some of them prove useful
It sounds like he was a bottle baby to me - kittens that miss out on interactions with siblings in those first few weeks often grow up to have no play boundaries with other cats. After all, they had no one to learn from There's not a huge amount you can do about it now, but it helps to know these things. Hopefully he'll settle down as he matures :cross:
There's not a huge amount you can do about it now, but it helps to know these things. Hopefully he'll settle down as he matures :cross:- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
He was a bottle baby. He was found in a truck engine block when he was about a month old. The shelter did a great job of socializing him with people, but not with other cats. They said he was really sick with an upper respiratory infection for months. They didn't mention it, but I'm pretty sure it was a herpes outbreak. Not long after we got him, the respiratory infection came back. My vet said it was herpes. Then my oldest female got a HORRIBLE outbreak in her eye. It took months and a visit to a cat ophthalmologist to heal. It's been quite the rice since we adopted him! LOL I've had eight cats in my lifetime and he is definitely one of a kind!It sounds like he was a bottle baby to me - kittens that miss out on interactions with siblings in those first few weeks often grow up to have no play boundaries with other cats. After all, they had no one to learn from
