So, I’ll be honest, I’m a first time cat owner so there is a lot that I don’t know. However, I find myself getting frustrated with my kitten (About 6 months old) that I have had for almost 5 months. He was a found baby that likely came from a nearby farm or ranch, so I don’t know a lot about him. When I decided to take him in, I did my research on kittens and was up for the challenge (my family has had a few different pets in the past, just never a cat). I know cats can be spastic, and playful, and energetic and that is only multiplied by 10 when they are kittens... however there are just some things that he does that seem pretty extreme.
First, he is RELENTLESS. During quarantine, all we do is sit around the house and play with him. The only times we leave are to maybe go to the store for an hour. He is comparable to the energizer bunny. No matter how much you play, he will keep playing for hours on end. So far, he takes a nap around 12 noon and 12 midnight but is sprinting and jumping and wrestling the rest of the time. I’ve bought so many toys you would think this house has 10 cats living here. We also take him to play outside multiple times a day where he can chase birds and bugs (safely) and he seems to like it. It seems like with all of this stimulation he should be satisfied, maybe? But he never is.
Second, the way he plays is strange to me. He has no concept of boundaries.When he gets too aggressive playing with us, there is nothing we can do to deescalate the situation other than put a physical door in between us. For example, if he bites too hard and I remove my hand he will claw and scratch for it. If I stop playing and walk away, he will attack my feet and legs. If I sit in a high chair to remove my feet and legs he will claw up sometimes hurting me in the process. I end up in my room behind a closed door where he will stick his paws under. I can’t tell if this is play or aggression or both... but yelping and hissing to indicate pain doesn’t help either because it doesn’t seem like he cares.
There have been two instances where he has bit/scratched me very deep and drawn blood... I try to be gentile and calm with him but he legitimately hurts me. We had a play date with another kitten his age to see if that may help relieve some of his energy, but he was SO aggressive with that poor kitten, it scared me too much. Do I just need to get a grip? Is there something I’m missing? I do genuinely want to know because if I can be a better owner, I want to be 100%. Also, he has had sweet moments as well, so it’s not all bad times. I love him so much and I would NEVER dream of surrendering him or kicking him to the curb. I know he is happy here, I’m just not sure I’m keeping up like I should. Lastly, mostly wanted to just talk to someone about it, and vent some of the frustration. I could just have cabin fever from quarantine as well, so virtually slap me if I deserve it. Happy to accept any and all advice! Thank you in advance
First, he is RELENTLESS. During quarantine, all we do is sit around the house and play with him. The only times we leave are to maybe go to the store for an hour. He is comparable to the energizer bunny. No matter how much you play, he will keep playing for hours on end. So far, he takes a nap around 12 noon and 12 midnight but is sprinting and jumping and wrestling the rest of the time. I’ve bought so many toys you would think this house has 10 cats living here. We also take him to play outside multiple times a day where he can chase birds and bugs (safely) and he seems to like it. It seems like with all of this stimulation he should be satisfied, maybe? But he never is.
Second, the way he plays is strange to me. He has no concept of boundaries.When he gets too aggressive playing with us, there is nothing we can do to deescalate the situation other than put a physical door in between us. For example, if he bites too hard and I remove my hand he will claw and scratch for it. If I stop playing and walk away, he will attack my feet and legs. If I sit in a high chair to remove my feet and legs he will claw up sometimes hurting me in the process. I end up in my room behind a closed door where he will stick his paws under. I can’t tell if this is play or aggression or both... but yelping and hissing to indicate pain doesn’t help either because it doesn’t seem like he cares.
There have been two instances where he has bit/scratched me very deep and drawn blood... I try to be gentile and calm with him but he legitimately hurts me. We had a play date with another kitten his age to see if that may help relieve some of his energy, but he was SO aggressive with that poor kitten, it scared me too much. Do I just need to get a grip? Is there something I’m missing? I do genuinely want to know because if I can be a better owner, I want to be 100%. Also, he has had sweet moments as well, so it’s not all bad times. I love him so much and I would NEVER dream of surrendering him or kicking him to the curb. I know he is happy here, I’m just not sure I’m keeping up like I should. Lastly, mostly wanted to just talk to someone about it, and vent some of the frustration. I could just have cabin fever from quarantine as well, so virtually slap me if I deserve it. Happy to accept any and all advice! Thank you in advance