My Kitten Is The Most Destructive Animal I’ve Ever Met

[SerenaRae]

I suspect the problem is your 6 year old cat was born calm and stayed that way, so when the new one turned into a rowdy teen you were shocked.

Kitten proofing is the easiest thing to do is to put the breakables glass, ceramics, all of it, away until he's older. When he has calmed down you will have all your breakable things and he won't have gotten hurt on them. You might consider doing the same with heavy objects like bookends that he might accidentally push off onto your other cat.

As for your wires, coat them in Tabasco sauce (use the red then you can keep track of where you are) or bitter apple. Tabasco sauce smells better. Use a paint brush get a couple of cheap ones and throw them away when you finish.

I’ll be sure to do that this weekend, thank you for the advice! I also bought some wall shelving for my plants in the hopes that hanging them out of reach will help save them (they’re all cat safe anyway just Incase!)

I agree that Benny has always been a gentle soul and I just got so lucky with him that he totally ruined my expectations for what kittens were really like

 

[SerenaRae]

Also just so you realize it can always be worse....at least he's not spraying or peeing all over your stuff

So so so true!!! Not yet, at least! When I introduce him to new people I like to say he is strong willed and determined haha

 

[SerenaRae]

Ours love bottle caps. Had I known they loved bottle caps so much I wouldn't have spent money on toys
If the TV is bolted to the wall and you're absolutely sure he can't make his way up there, cat TV (on you tube) might be a good mental brain buster for him, kind of like a good crossword puzzle for us. Burning up physical energy is good for all species but burning up that mental pent-up stuff can make you much more relaxed.
There are also just "videos for cats" available, it sounds hokey and dumb but our cats really get into them. Plus, it's entertaining to watch them and watch them enjoy themselves.

I would love to say that I’m sure he can’t get to the TV, but who knows with this guy! Benny loved watching TV though, so for sure if he calms down that’s a great option for the future!

 

[SerenaRae]

could you put him somewhere confined, but not a crate when you’re away? say the bathroom, or a large closet. give him plenty of toys, best if there’s also a window he can look out of... just until you can teach him what is okay, and what is not, because when you’re not around he does watever he wants and there’s no one to tell him off. Keep treats about you, reward him when he does something right, like use the cat scratcher instead of the armchair. HISS at him followed by a “no” instead of just sayin “no”, you want to talk to him in a language he understands along with the language you wan him to learn.

A pet sitter is very cool ( I wish I could afford one), But with the case of your kitten, I would advise against getting a pet sitter for him. The reason being, you don’t know what kind of habits the pet sitter is reinforcing. personally I would prefer to not give a new kitten (who is not that familiar with your habits and home) a chance of engaging in conflicting behavior training.

For example, in order to teach my cat patience, I taught him to “sit” until his food is placed before him. Because my cat is still quite young, I don’t let anyone feed him unless they’re totally on board with how it should be done.

But say if I let someone else in my household feed him (reward him) however she wanted, feeding him when he’s rubbing up against her legs all needy, then *That* kind of conflicting information would make getting him to wait for his food impossible.

Training a kitten takes quite a bit of patience, and training a rowdy one takes even more patience than that. I can’t remember how many time I have to pick my cat up and plop him on the ground, and then ultimately giving him timeout in the bathroom before he stopped jumping on the dining table and counter. Eventually he got the message, he doesn’t try to eat my food either. You know how a cat will stick their paws in your face when they want you to stay away from them? I did the same with mine when he tried to stick his face into my food, it was funny but it worked. lol. So keep trying, be consistent, cats are creatures of routine, they will learn!

Of course, on top of actively encouraging your cat to do the right thing, there are definitely passive reasons for your cat’s behavior. It is likely he is not getting the necessary stimulation he needs. Give him tonnes of toys ( Scattered bottle caps and hairbands work with mine!), alternative places to scratch and climb, and hunt! I would also recommend harness training and walking him - get as much energy out as you can!
,

If I do harness train him to go for walks is there a chance he could start wanting to go out on his own? I live in the city and would just feel absolutely awful if he got out

 

[SerenaRae]

I, of course, only want what’s best for him and to keep him safe above all else. I really appreciate all of the help and patience towards me. Im hopeful that someday I’ll be able to look back on this kitten stage and laugh. He is currently curled into a little purring ball on my throat and it really does make up for the fact that I just had to go around and move all of my plants up for the night, unplug all non-essential appliances, and clean a lip wound he gave me an hour ago. We just have to get into a better routine for our family! Thank you all again!

 

[Kflowers]

Okay, here's a little suggestion that came to me out of nowhere, right. Get a big cushion, the kind you sit on, or a dog bed (Chewy.com will deliver in 2 days) and put it on the floor in front of your tv. That way if the TV goes off it's resting place odds are great that it won't break and send glass all over the place.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I, of course, only want what’s best for him and to keep him safe above all else. I really appreciate all of the help and patience towards me. Im hopeful that someday I’ll be able to look back on this kitten stage and laugh. He is currently curled into a little purring ball on my throat and it really does make up for the fact that I just had to go around and move all of my plants up for the night, unplug all non-essential appliances, and clean a lip wound he gave me an hour ago. We just have to get into a better routine for our family! Thank you all again!

We had this beautiful (not inexpensive) floor lamp when Baby Girl was a kitten. We were outside, didn't hear a thing, I walk in, and see the lamp frame on its side, and the entire room is wall to wall shattered glass from the bulb, the globe, everything. Dogs and cats are tromping around in it, I was screaming at them to go away (when I scream it usually attracts them, go figure) and I can't believe no one got cut up! I know it was her, she climbs like a monkey and I know she's the one who knocked it over.
I liked that floor lamp but I love her more. We've had some nightmare doozies from kittens and puppies but it's easy to laugh it off later

 

[Kflowers]

I believe it's a flippin' instinct to run as close to danger as you can. If your human is willing to give you a shout out, so much the better. Especially with broken glass.

 

[susanm9006]

I believe it's a flippin' instinct to run as close to danger as you can. If your human is willing to give you a shout out, so much the better. Especially with broken glass.

Yup. I used to believe my wild girl lived to horrify me and make me run to save her.

 

[beckbjj]

I never had wild-behaving kittens until two years ago when I adopted two younger siblings of another one of my cats (they were all born to the same feral barn cat of an acquaintance, now thankfully spayed). All the other kittens I've had over the years were no trouble. These two are pretty wild even at two years old!

As others have said, kitten proofing was key to making these two little devils tolerable. We put split loom tubing on all our cords (not an easy task!); blocked off places they shouldn't go (especially around our home entertainment gear OMG) with whatever we could...cardboard, pillows, taped up newspapers, whatever worked; and put away the breakables. We still have a couple of routes blocked off (behind the big family room TV especially), but we finally took down the last of the taped up newspaper sheets that were on the sides of our AV equipment shelf just last week! FWIW, we have a second story loft...they *still* jump up and walk along the railing, just to terrify their hu-mom.

I will make one suggestion that it's probably too soon for you to try and could be controversial, but *IF* once your kitty gets older (he's definitely not old enough yet) you think he may have an actual personality disorder, you may want to consider medication. My little group of three siblings absolutely, positively have legitimate personality disorders. The oldest one is on Prozac, but I am going to talk to my vet about a trial of weaning her off because...here's the controversial part...I have her two younger siblings on CBD oil and their bad behavior improved *dramatically* within two or three weeks of being on it. There is no other explanation for the suddenly improved behavior, nothing else has changed. I'm not saying they're as laid back as my other cats, they're still a bit nutso, but SO much better.

My little angels, then and now. Bonus in the "now" pic is their older sister, on the left.

 

[Spookyandsammy]

OMG your not the only one I have a wild child too they think they can destroy everything in their path including my chair it's leather.

 

[Kflowers]

Of course they want to destroy leather. Instinct tells them there is dinner in that chair/sofa/whatever. Dinner is wrapped in leather. That's the way it comes in the natural world.

 

[Spookyandsammy]

Any alternatives she would take off the paw mittens she needs her rabies shots for them to put them on so I have to find a groomer that's probably going to cost me alot

 

[maggiedemi]

she would take off the paw mittens

What are paw mittens?

 

[Kflowers]

Groomers do not give rabies vaccinations.