Not quite "Hellish" but definitely a pain in my butt. (Cat behaviorist needed)

[bullybreed]

He drinks from your cups even when he knows your looking which has made him a bit of a coffee addict, he wont stay off the counters, he meows constantly and when you're trying to sleep he pushes on your face. He even bothers my dog when she's sleeping which makes her hop up and bark at him, usually in the middle of the night. On top of that, there is furniture climbing, wall scratching, food stealing... when you go to pick something up he jumps on it mid-air. If you've got something hanging up on the wall, my dream catcher for instance, he jumps for it trying to yank it off the wall.

Help. Please.

I've tried loud noises, water squirt bottles, then after several weeks of nothing working I tried a light pat to his behind. Throwing things near him (pillows). Clapping, which I guess goes along with loud noises. Playing with him doesn't work. I have a laser and he likes to chase it but I played for an hour the other day, he slept for ten minutes then went back to being hyper.

He's not even a year and I know that kittens are curious creatures but there has to be a line somewhere! ANY advice is needed, wanted, helpful, and any other way of vaguely saying "help me train him."

He's an American Short hair and his father is.... slightly wild. I mean, he's an outdoor cat but he's friendly. I don't know if that has anything to do with Max's behavior but I'm throwing everything out there. His mother is the same.

 

[olivegoesmoo]

my cat is an american short hair she is a pain! every thing you just said is the same. for drinking out of your cup you should fill his water dish when you get something to drink. pushing on your face while sleeping is just cause cats like attention and when your sleeping theres no attention.  staying off counters is hard to fix i put her in the bathroom for time out (remember seat should be closed) the meowing is the way ia cat expresses it self.  and since hes still a baby he will grow out of most of this .

 

[three cat night]

You sound like a new mama who is fed up with the little one and his antics. He is a bored kitten doing what they do, it's normal, frustrating but normal. I have a 8month old male, Stevie , and he raises hell around my house. I have had many kittens over the years and my experience is , have ALOT of toys around( like catnip mice, plastic straws, cardboard boxes from Cosco the dangling from stick bird toy and bouncy balls and a stuffed animal just a little smaller than he is, they love to wrestle with them and I rub catnip on them for extra fun). You definitely need a cat tree and something vertical for him to scratch and lay on(tall cat tree). And you need to wear his little butt out, take sometime for some real play time get him to jump( lazar toy good for this) up and run ( throw little balls of paper) , this is to be done in the evening before you go to bed . A routine of this will help ALOT with the nighttime crazzies!
You can tie a cord ( like a shoestring) on the doorknobs , they can get a workout playing. The best things my kitties love are the cardboard boxes, I keep two or three around. Also paper bags are a big hit esp if you throw some fuzzy mice in them. All will calm down the older he gets and someday you will wonder what happened to the active little maniac being so cute and now lying around the house like a fuzzy blob, lol BTW is he neutered ? If not , do it soon, ok
Good luck and keep us posted ok?

 

[bullybreed]

Thanks guys.I will definitely keep all that in mind. I just came into a bit of money so sometime soon I'm going to the pet store to get some new toys. He's not nurtured just yet but I am going to get him snipped. I understand that meowing is communication but he just walks around the house and meows all day and night. I've coddled him, petted him, fed him, I don't know what he wants. Anyway, I'll keep posting.

 

[Willowy]

Yes, he needs to be neutered SOON or he's going to start spraying. . .it may calm him down a bit too (but no guarantees there! :tongue2. You definitely do not want him to start spraying. I'd recommend spending the money on that before buying new toys, because it's so very important.

But, yes, lots of exercise! A fishing-pole toy, a laser pointer, tons of little batting toys (fake mice, springies, etc.), maybe see if he'll play fetch. Most people know they need to exercise their dog but so few people think of exercising their cat!

 

[bullybreed]

I would go get his stuff lopped off today but I don't have enough money. I only came into a little bit and it's not enough to get him fixed even at the low priced places.....

 

[Willowy]

Honestly, spay/neuter for cats is one thing I'll tell people to borrow money for, even payday loans, anything! The consequences of not doing it in time can be awful. If he's over 10 months old, you're really pushing it. . .6-8 months is the latest I'd recommend.

How much is a neuter in your area? It's only about $75 at the regular vet here.

 

[tammyp]

Yep, neuter asap.  It's a priority before toys - you'll have enough stuff already in your house for homemade toys that he won't be able to resist (eg: current fave is the plastic ring from the milk bottle; tie it on a string and it's a new toy; change up the environment with boxes/bags/towels/pillows or go to a new room and it's a new game again! Or just go get some free cardboard boxes from supermarkets; cut holes in them if you get creative for tunnels, and my cat works out his frustrations by chewing and ripping the boxes which is awesome as everything else gets left pristine)

I can't remember how old you said he is - 10months? - then I'd say his wandering around incessantly meowing is hormones at work yelling to him to get outside and find a girl-cat!

Ok, some help on 'raising' a feline fur-baby.  The basic principle is to work WITH the cat.  He is not a dog to be disciplined.  He is a friend expressing needs - negotiate on how you will meet those needs.  Here are some links I found very helpful:

http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/the-uses-of-yours-and-mine/2251

http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/how-kittens-learn/4147

http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/the-energetic-cat/1310

http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/the-training-rule-that-is-always-broken/16436

 

[katluver4life]

Call your local spca and they should have a list of area vets/rescue clinics for low cost neutering, or perhaps they'd even do it. But yes you need to get that done asap.
 

 

[bullybreed]

I know I have to get it done. Ya'll can stop like... cyber yelling at me. lol. I'm not dense. I will get it done soon.

 

[katluver4life]

I'm genuinely sorry you feel like we are cyber yelling at you, that it is not the intention of those of us replying. We are just trying to give useful information and important information to help you with the issues you are having. I was also trying to maybe help you find places you could afford to get the neutering done sooner, and agreeing that this procedure would go far with solving alot of those issues. Again sorry you took offense.
 

 

[Willowy]

Sorry, those of us who have dealt with it just want to warn others :tongue2:.

Yep, cardboard boxes are tons of fun, and can keep kitties busy for a long time. And those blog links tammyp posted are good suggestions, too. If you feel like it, you might want to look into clicker training, it's good mental stimulation for kitties .

 

[casemarten]

We take in stray cats frequently and use the low-cost spay neuter place.  You might have one in your area - so check that out Ours is $35 for a neuter.

I had a male sire a litter of kittens at the age of 6 months! So yours may be misbehaving due to his hormones.  The meowing and pacing about, yes. 

Maybe you could place an ad in Craigslist or something similar saying you want cat toys, cat tree, etc.  I know with my cats, we have bought a lot of toys they didn't like...I bet you could get a lot of things cheap or for free if you placed an ad.  Just an idea.  We are about to get a puppy and have gotten a crate and other things for minimal investment using Craigslist. 

I like the recommendation of the clicker training toy...I think they are like $3.99 at Petco and you need SOMETHING to train him with and help stop unwanted behavior.  Chances are throwing a pillow at him is just going to excite/aggravate him more.  Cats dont really respond to discipline like we think they should!

I have one cat that we have to play with literally hours each day to wear out.  You could try getting an automated laser toy, but they are $25-30.  

 

[ligwa]

Play with your kitty right before bedtime. The best toy I ever got is one called Da Bird. It's a feather on a pole with a string. It's about $8 at any pet store. All you have to do is sit there while you're watching TV and flick that thing back and forth. The cat will go nuts chasing it and it'll exhaust him. After that, he should sleep.

About the neutering; Yeah, you can get it done for under $50. You'll both be happier after too.

Good luck! Let us know if play time works.

Oh, my cats love people cups too. I give their water in a regular short glass. I don't know what the deal is with that, but I never leave my cup unattended any more. I have to wonder how much kitty backwash I've swallowed. Eeww.