Mood swings, Destructive behaviour and Agression.

[tiexgrr]

So first off Mozart is growing well, and is living his life as a kitten.

That being said he is becoming more, and more destructive. Nothing is safe. He is constantly up on the tables and he will literally destroy my apartment the moment I step into another room. He's torn pictures off the walls, broken dishes (which are kept as far out of reach as possible) knocked lamps of tables and almost knocked my TV clear off its stand.

It seems like he does this out of spite. I know that sounds crazy but if I'm in a room he seldom comes over on his own (unless we're playing) but he turns in to a total monster as soon as you leave him on his own. The worst part is he knows he's in trouble, when you go to see whats been knocked down or broken he hides out of site until you clean up and leave and repeats this process.

Also after these episodes if you so much as try to pet him he becomes VERY aggressive, and hisses or bites and scratches and this isnt a friendly attack either. I've tried everything from a firm "NO" just before he gets into trouble, to removing all items that he can reach, Im just not sure where to go from here. He's now 3 months old, I've had plenty of Cats over the years but he is the absolute WORST behaved animal I've ever had.

I've tried making these area's unpleasent with things he doesnt like (ie tinfoil) to a spray bottle, to placing him in a quiet place to calm down but nothing is working. Im at a loss and honestly am starting to feel as though he can't be house trained or hand trained. He is far from affectionate, if anything he's very aggressive if not vicious......

 

[sugarcatmom]

Sorry, I don't know Mozart's background, but it sounds too me like he doesn't have enough acceptable outlets for all his pent up energy. How much do you play with him? Does he have any other kitty friends at your home that he can race around with? 

You might have to actively engage him more with some interactive toys. Fishing rod or wand style toys are great for that. Throwing a pompom around for him to chase, or putting treats in a treat ball so he has to work for them could also help. A Turbo-track (blinky ball stuck in a circular track) or Cat-Dancer attached to a doorknob can also be entertaining for cats when you aren't there to amuse them. You have to provide him with more appealing options than the lamps on your table. 

Also, he truly isn't being "bad" out of spite. Boredom, more likely. He probably does it when you're out of the room cause he knows he'll get in trouble if you see him do it. At 3 months old, he's still figuring a lot of stuff out and over time it should be less amusing for him to knock your stuff off tables. 

One other thing: what does Mozart eat? Just like with human children, diet can play a role in behaviour.

 

[tiexgrr]

My apartment is infested with cat toys, he has everything from those awful balls with the bells in it, to mice. I have several wand type toys, a scratching post and his favourite seems to be the laser pointer he also has those little suction cup type toy that springs around (not sure how to explain it) the vibrating ones with the pull string. Regular scrunchy toys etc. I play with him as much as possible by using the laser pointer, playing chase with the wands ( I try to avoid play that causes him to bite or scratch me) I've been trying to train him to "sit pretty" for treats and reward good behaviour accordingly, usually by the time he's done playing you can see he's obviously tired which is my intention.

As for food he gets Dry Purina Kitten food as a staple, and everyday (sometimes everyother) gets soft food as well (neither are cheap no name brands) He's a very active kitten he's just VERY anti-social at times (which I know is normal cat behaviour), he'll also do these things in plain sight repeatedly. Last night for example I'd done the dishes they were set to dry, his immediate reaction was to be up on the counter knocking them down as soon as I left. I understand that this is a fun game to a cat and I can accept the occasional knock down,

what I'm looking for is more a possible solution, how can I help guide him in a direction that doesnt make this behaviour habit? What types of things can I do to show that this behaviour isnt rewarding as all cats have the "whats in it for me" mentality.  I'll see if I can find that turbo track I have a feeling he would greatly enjoy something along those lines!

He's also learned to associate the sound of a finger snap to something bad, this is so that there is nothing physical like a smack that is only going to make him hand shy. He's very good with that a simple "NO" with a loud snap will usually stop him in his tracks but again its only temporary......

Is there any methods I can try to instill the mentality that this behaviour isnt okay? I hardly mind if he's up on the tables or counter so long as it doesnt lead to broken dishes.... I'd hate to see him hurt by broken glass....

Sorry, I don't know Mozart's background, but it sounds too me like he doesn't have enough acceptable outlets for all his pent up energy. How much do you play with him? Does he have any other kitty friends at your home that he can race around with? 

You might have to actively engage him more with some interactive toys. Fishing rod or wand style toys are great for that. Throwing a pompom around for him to chase, or putting treats in a treat ball so he has to work for them could also help. A Turbo-track (blinky ball stuck in a circular track) or Cat-Dancer attached to a doorknob can also be entertaining for cats when you aren't there to amuse them. You have to provide him with more appealing options than the lamps on your table. 

Also, he truly isn't being "bad" out of spite. Boredom, more likely. He probably does it when you're out of the room cause he knows he'll get in trouble if you see him do it. At 3 months old, he's still figuring a lot of stuff out and over time it should be less amusing for him to knock your stuff off tables. 

One other thing: what does Mozart eat? Just like with human children, diet can play a role in behaviour.

 

[truffleshuffle0]

I am going through kind of the same stuff although mine is more mood swings and agression. I am glad to hear you are working on straiting yours out sooner than I did. Mine had always kind of had moodswings and agression even as a young kitten but resently has started getting out of control and she is now three so its a real up hill battle. Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you. Also do you have places where your cat can get up high? I have boundries that I don;t let mine on cabnets and tables but have other places she is allowed. I am also going to try and build a cat tree for her to clime and perch on.

 

[tiexgrr]

I am going through kind of the same stuff although mine is more mood swings and agression. I am glad to hear you are working on straiting yours out sooner than I did. Mine had always kind of had moodswings and agression even as a young kitten but resently has started getting out of control and she is now three so its a real up hill battle. Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you. Also do you have places where your cat can get up high? I have boundries that I don;t let mine on cabnets and tables but have other places she is allowed. I am also going to try and build a cat tree for her to clime and perch on.

Given the cost of the cat towers (several hundred dollars at times!) I've yet to get one for Mozart, being 21, and living on my own means prioritizing purchases, and $200 for a few pieces of wood and carpet is absurd especially when that's nearly 2x my grocery bill! I too have been trying to find time to make one.

 

[ritz]

I'm not sure where you live, but if you have access to second hand stores, you can often find inexpensive cat trees and scratchers.  I bought a $3 cat tree/scratcher and Ritz prefers it to the cardboard kind.  It's new to your cat.  The only caveat is to make sure the base is sturdy enough for a cat to jump onto.  I saw a really neat tree, multi-levels, for around $20.  I didn't buy it because the size was for kittens, not an adult cat.

 

[aeevr]

I got my cat tree on amazon for $100.


There are other cheaper solutions too. You could put up wall mounted shelves or buy a cheap bookcase at Ikea or Walmart and cut holes in the shelves (<$50). 

Try clicker training. It keeps their little minds occupied. Rambunctious/smart/curious types of cats seem very fascinated by cause and effect; they are the ones who love to knock stuff over and take to clicker training really well.