Already feeling over my head...

Norachan

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That's great progress. I'm so glad to hear everything is going well.

When he gets to 600 grams he should have his first round of vaccinations. Call around the vets in your area and see if you can get a deal on his shots and neuter surgery for when he's old enough. I know it seems like it's a long way in the future, but it's worth thinking about it now. A lot of places will do both rounds of initial vaccines and neuter when the kitten gets to 1 kilo for a discounted price.

We'd love to see some more pictures too.

:heartshape:
 
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evertiro

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I'm trying to get more pictures! He's either really camera shy or the worlds' biggest attention *****... as soon as he sees my phone he runs up and tries to eat it!
 
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evertiro

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Well, I can't complain about him not having energy anymore. He bounces off the walls. Literally. I've had to rescue him eight times today after he figured out ways to climb things he shouldn't be able to (seriously, how does a cat climb metal?) and couldn't figure out how to get down. He's also always underfoot. I'm perpetually worried about running over him with an office chair, or him trying to play superman off of a filing cabinet.
 

Norachan

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Yep, little kittens are amazing balls of energy, aren't they? You can get him a play pen to stay safe in while you're busy.

Amazon.com : Fabulous Pet Portable Doggie, Puppy, Cat, Kitten Play Pen, Small Medium Size : Pet Supplies

We have an article here on kitten proofing too.

Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips – TheCatSite Articles

Once he's been vaccinated you might consider adopting another kitten to keep him company. Kittens do really well in pairs, they help each other burn of their excess energy and they bond for life.
 
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evertiro

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Yep, little kittens are amazing balls of energy, aren't they? You can get him a play pen to stay safe in while you're busy.

Amazon.com : Fabulous Pet Portable Doggie, Puppy, Cat, Kitten Play Pen, Small Medium Size : Pet Supplies

We have an article here on kitten proofing too.

Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips – TheCatSite Articles

Once he's been vaccinated you might consider adopting another kitten to keep him company. Kittens do really well in pairs, they help each other burn of their excess energy and they bond for life.
He has a play pen of sorts... though it's closer to "house" than "pen". It's big enough for me to comfortably sit and lie down in (though I don't fit through the door too well), has its own litter box (which for some reason he prefers), and tons of toys. Problem is that I feel like a horrible person if I actually close him in it for any length of time. And unless it's REALLY dark, he cries for hours if he can see people but not reach them.
 
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evertiro

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He's also figured out how to get on my bed on his own... but it's a several foot drop onto hard wood. Should I be concerned?
 
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evertiro

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That's an easy fix for the wood issue... I was actually more concerned with the detail of learning to climb before we've learned to actually jump. His version of "get off of 'x'" currently consists of trying to walk down it and faceplanting. I'm not too worried about him doing that off of my leg, or the little box he likes hiding in, he's a cat and four inches isn't that far. If it's higher than that I always feel like I have to hover or he's gonna actually hurt himself walking off the edge of something higher (like the bed). Interestingly, he's only interested in the bed when I'm not on it. He only climbs on it on his own when I'm not there. If I'm in bed and put him on the bed, he immediately goes into "cuddle mode" (curled up against me, purring like a madman) for about half an hour, then finds the nearest appendage to bite to let me know he needs help getting down, before curling up in the little cat cave that's next to the bed. And it's not necessarily about demanding attention, he does it whether I'm otherwise occupied or not. There have been two times now that he's "gone to the litter box" and I've found him on the bed two seconds later. And the quotes mean exactly what you think they mean. After the first time, I kept an eye on him when he next "went to the litter box" mid playtime. He walked into the litter box, turned around, and made a beeline to the bed.
 
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evertiro

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He's finally eating mostly from a dish! It's kinda adorable; he always lets me know he's hungry about 20 minutes before his technical "feeding times." This is ok, but his way of letting me know is sitting IN his dish and meowing pitifully until he gets fed. Lapping food (and even eating transitional food... and my fingers) was second nature; literally, zero training required. As I said previously, he was lapping spilled milk (literally) off of hard surfaces ages ago. He grasped the idea of a "food bowl" the first time I made it available, without even any prompting. We're still working on understanding that food can't appear in the dish when it is being used as a chair. But if I try to move him so I can fill the bowl, he freaks out and plants on it again and starts spinning in circles expecting to see food somehow magically appearing behind him. So far, I have to actually pick him up to fill the bowl. But progress is progress. I still feel like a horrible person any time I have to put him in his "safe house" and do work stuff... even if he can't see me, he still knows I'm nearby and cries for hours (he'll stop if I leave the immediate area almost instantly, but restarts within minutes of me coming back into range). He also absolutely refuses to use any proper scratching things for their intended purpose. He'll climb them, sit on them, sleep on them, but not scratch them. He will, however, scratch me constantly (but only on my legs and my face; everywhere else he's very gentle). It's weird because if I'm playing with him, he'll bat at my hands with his claws retracted, then randomly straight-up attack my face or legs, then go right back to gentle playing as if nothing happened. Same with biting. The only things he actually bites (not nibbles, he'll nip at anything that moves... I'm talking actual biting) is my nose (when I don't see him coming) and my wrists (he'll play gently with fingers, but he'll randomly sneak up and chomp down on wrists if he can).
 
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evertiro

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Question... If he can see me, but not get to me, he whines. Non-stop. For hours. It makes me feel like a horrible person... is there a way to prevent it that doesn't involve literally closing him in another room? Should it just be ignored? If that's the solution, I'm good at ignoring annoying sounds, I live near a pond and deal with frogs after every storm.
 
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evertiro

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Note: I've discovered that if I hang a blanket between him and me, he stops whining and starts playing within minutes... but that also cuts off a LOT of his sunlight (though not all) with how the house is set up... so I still feel horrible and I'm honestly not sure which makes me feel worse.

Edit: The only window in my office is almost directly behind my desk and tinted... as soon as I put a blanket between me and literally anywhere else in the room, a quarter of the room loses about 80% of its natural light.
 

Norachan

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As he was separated from his mother at such a young age he is going to be very whiny and needy. All bottle babies are. Another kitten would help him a lot, but I understand that's a big commitment for you. Have you tried putting a large mirror just outside his play pen so he can see himself? How about playing some kitten videos for him? I think some shelters have a live video from their kitten rooms.
 
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evertiro

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As he was separated from his mother at such a young age he is going to be very whiny and needy. All bottle babies are. Another kitten would help him a lot, but I understand that's a big commitment for you. Have you tried putting a large mirror just outside his play pen so he can see himself? How about playing some kitten videos for him? I think some shelters have a live video from their kitten rooms.
Don't have a large mirror (or a mirror at all for that matter). I did an experiment with putting a tablet up with kitten videos on it. Sorta works but need to find a better way of positioning it so it can stay plugged in. He's also much less needy and more independent than he used to be. He's still a constant source of trouble, and thinks that playing equates to "bite the living heck out of people", but given the opportunity, he doesn't whine like he used to (most of the time) and entertains himself quite well. He's also eating wet food consistently now, and he's started to eat it in "shifts" always leaving a bit for later. Any thoughts on convincing him to not chew on people? He's actually breaking skin now...
 

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Hiss at him when he starts to bite. He’ll understand that.
 
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evertiro

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Hiss at him when he starts to bite. He’ll understand that.
Nope... He's well aware if I hiss at him... but it's no more a deterrent than saying "no" (in other words... none at all).
 

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evertiro evertiro
Hi,
I just popped on to see what if any updates but have not read all the posts.

I had a kitten found in the street and he was certainly too young to have left his mother and siblings. Luckily my adult cat mothered him and he learned how to play bite nicely (not bite me but the other cat).

Cats bite, bunny kick, chase etc as part of play naturally.
If no siblings or friend then you are the playmate.

Never use your hands in play, as then they are seen as fair game.

Use wand toys to distance play from you.

Kicker toys are great when in the bunny kicking mood:

MAD CAT Big Cactus Kicker Catnip & Silvervine Cat Toy - Chewy.com

He is too young to be attracted to catnip but the concept is still fine for biting and bunny kicking the toy.

This also:

PETSTAGES Crunchy Pickle Kicker Plush Cat Toy with Catnip - Chewy.com

Ideally, if you can I would adopt him a friend. It will help burn up his play energy and I find boy cats are great matches and friends for each other.
 
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evertiro

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evertiro evertiro
Hi,
I just popped on to see what if any updates but have not read all the posts.
Good to see you!

I had a kitten found in the street and he was certainly too young to have left his mother and siblings. Luckily my adult cat mothered him and he learned how to play bite nicely (not bite me but the other cat).

Cats bite, bunny kick, chase etc as part of play naturally.
If no siblings or friend then you are the playmate.
Yep, I'm aware of that... I've had quite a few cats over the years, and all loved to nibble (gently for the most part) and kick (which I actually find adorable).

Never use your hands in play, as then they are seen as fair game.

Use wand toys to distance play from you.

Kicker toys are great when in the bunny kicking mood:

MAD CAT Big Cactus Kicker Catnip & Silvervine Cat Toy - Chewy.com

He is too young to be attracted to catnip but the concept is still fine for biting and bunny kicking the toy.

This also:

PETSTAGES Crunchy Pickle Kicker Plush Cat Toy with Catnip - Chewy.com
He's got quite a few toys that are similar to the ones you linked (including one that's identical to the second one but isn't a pickle). He'll bat them around, and swipe at them if they're being held, but won't chew on them. He will, however, go out of his way to chew on fingers. Like... he'll ignore all other things in a room and climb my leg (literally) just to bite me. He plays plenty on his own (actually, I'm surprised he doesn't sleep more), but as soon as I'm accessible all other toys get forgotten in his quest to eat me alive.

Ideally, if you can I would adopt him a friend. It will help burn up his play energy and I find boy cats are great matches and friends for each other.
I actually have another cat already, she's two years old and prefers to stay in our back yard to the house (where the lil demon is confined). They've met, he likes her well enough, she hates him. Makes me nervous to just get another cat that may or may not get along with him... I can probably afford another cat, but I can't afford to get infinite cats until one likes him!
 

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evertiro evertiro

Pop the toys in his paws when he tries play biting you.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0787KRMXC/?tag=thecatsite

I have brought these for shelter kittens and they liked the bananas and did bite and kick them. Other toys I have seen for chewing don't seem to get used much that way.

Maybe your little guy would like a cardboard box, they seem to be popular with my two for biting and ripping. Whenever I get a package, I save the box for a bed or fort and keep till well ripped apart and destroyed.

To generalize, I find females less interested in play with other cats as they become adults.

If your girl isn't keen on the kitten, she wouldn't be keen on another I think. But two boy kittens I think would not have had issues between them and would have provided entertainment for each other. Though, I wouldn't add a third, if your girl is not enthusiastic about interlopers.
 
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evertiro

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evertiro evertiro

Pop the toys in his paws when he tries play biting you.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0787KRMXC/?tag=thecatsite

I have brought these for shelter kittens and they liked the bananas and did bite and kick them. Other toys I have seen for chewing don't seem to get used much that way.

Maybe your little guy would like a cardboard box, they seem to be popular with my two for biting and ripping. Whenever I get a package, I save the box for a bed or fort and keep till well ripped apart and destroyed.
I'll try anything once, ordered! He has access to both cardboard boxes and a really heavy-weight paper bag... he'll go hide in them, I've found him sleeping in them a few times, but that's it. For some reason, things that provide actual shelter seem to be "off-limits" for scratching/biting in his mind. After getting him, I replaced my old steel-frame bed with a solid wood platform bed (it's easier for him to safely get on/off of, and the old one was a nightmare anyway). It has several "nooks" that he's found are big enough to hide in (they're supposed to be used for books), and they escape the wrath of the claws too.

To generalize, I find females less interested in play with other cats as they become adults.

If your girl isn't keen on the kitten, she wouldn't be keen on another I think. But two boy kittens I think would not have had issues between them and would have provided entertainment for each other. Though, I wouldn't add a third, if your girl is not enthusiastic about interlopers.
She isn't keen on anything that moves and isn't human. But... she's also a "farm cat" by choice. She prefers being outdoors despite having been raised indoors, and only comes inside if the weather is cold or occasionally to get water (she has food and water both inside and outside... she prefers the outdoor food and the indoor water). Point being, the only reason the two have been able to interact has been because it was specifically arranged for him to be in the living room when she was inside. Her bowls are in the dining room, his have been in my office since day one since he was so young and needed more direct supervision. If I got another kitten that was closer to his age, there's a really good chance they wouldn't even notice each other for a few months.
 
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