Desperate Cat Dying for Attention? HELP!

[calcifer]

I'm fifteen years old and I got my first cat about a year and a half ago as a kitten. I was kind of clueless about cats until recently, but I finally figured out that you have to play with them or they'll get really obnoxious and destroy your house. It was the end of my 8th grade year when I got him, and I didn't have a lot on my plate. Now that I'm in highschool, though, and a sophomore, I usually don't go to bed until around midnight because of homework and other commitments. This isn't to say I don't have time for my cat, but I don't have time for his antics.

He doesn't like the toys that I have, at least not all the time. Sometimes, he loves them and wants to play. Others, he wants absolutely nothing to do with them and would much rather scratch my walls, rip off calendars and pictures, bite me or my pencil, scratch my notebooks or my textbooks, push cups off the table, his full food bowl off the shelf (which he literally just did about ten seconds ago.) or something else that really pushes my buttons and makes it difficult not to scream at him or lock him away in a dark tower where I will never, ever see him again. Though I don't really mean that, because he'll be sweet in the morning, when I have hours of homework ahead it's REALLY frustrating.

I need help. I'm desperate. What can I do to keep my cat off my back every night, because this is a nightly thing, and I'm at my wits end.

 

[smitten4kittens]

If you could play with him for just 20 minutes before homework time this could make a huge difference. He just wants a little attention. He's not being bad. Try a toy like Da Bird. You could also try feeding him before homework time. A lot of cats like to sleep after they eat.  Surely you can spare 20 minutes to keep your cat and yourself happy.

 

[calcifer]

I know, I feel awful for getting upset with him. I've tried playing with him before homework and even taking a break in the middle to play with him, but he loses interest after five minutes, tops, and then he runs off to find something else to do because he still has too much energy to just chill out. Do you know where I could find Da Bird?
 

 

[smitten4kittens]

I found Da Bird at Petco. They also sell them online. The same company makes a toy with a little mouse on a string that my cats go crazy for. Neko flies are a great toy too. You could hide treats in paper bags for your cat to find around the room. Does he like toys with catnip? How about a laser pointer? Just be careful not to shine laser in his eyes. Give him a toy to catch after you play with the laser. Usually if you play first (about 20 minutes) and then give him a regular scheduled meal he will naturally wash himself and then take a nap . My cats always do this. Of course not all cats are the same, but most tired out kitties are well behaved. Have fun with some new toys.