[shouldigetacat]

Hey all. Perhaps you remember me (but maybe not!) I was recently on here asking you all about URIs and this one year old girl named Misty from a local rescue I was interested in. Then I got into grad school, and it was suggested by a few wonderful people on this board that the responsible decision would probably not be to get a cat at that time since I do already have a dog and not a lot of money to spare. I told the rescue, and they agreed with you. But...

They asked if I wanted to do short term fostering, just for the summer. So Ace came into the picture. He is a beautiful 4 month old white DLH with tabby patches. He's funny and sweet and gets along with my dog (this is video of their second day together - now Ace stalks him and they chase each other around the living room and gently wrestle. Very endearing!).

Anyway guys, now that Ace has been here almost a month and is over his URI, he'll be getting neutered next week, then brough back here for a week for recovery and then off to PetsMart he goes. But...in the meantime...

He's insane. And, as you all know, the first cat to live with me. And oh my goodness. He won't settle at night and will bite me and play until 2AM, so I've started to have to put him in the bathroom so I can get some sleep. Don't worry, I get it, he's a baby and going through his kitten crazies, and I appreciate that. But, while I'm adapting to cat behaviour, I'm struggling with his constant attention seeking behaviour. Strangely, he's way more work than any dog or puppy I have ever had. He's constantly meowing at the fridge when I'm in the kitchen, and always trying the painfully climb up my leg. EVERY morning at 4am he HOWLS ... it's the craziest sound, very eerie. I've tried ignoring him because I read that is what you're supposed to do, but he is unrelenting for at least 10 minutes, and then on and off until I get out of bed at 5:45. I don't feed him until an hour after I get up.

Last night I decided to try to let him sleep out of the bathroom. I played with him for 30 minutes to tire him out. Then Rudy played with him. I went to bed at ten, and he jumped around the bed while my dog and I tried to sleep for a good hour while we ignored him. Then I fell asleep, but was in and out through the night as he continued to be crazy ... and then I awoke at 2AM to him digging his claws into my arm - I have a nice open slice now. So I got him and put him in the bathroom.

Two hours later, the howling began at 4Am. I ignored him fora bit, and then tried the water bottle for the first time. It worked ... he was quiet until around 6. But guys, I don't think I can employ it again - it really scared him. He slinked around for a good hour after I got up I felt awful. He wouldn't even go back in the bathroom for breakfast until an hour after that.

ANYWAY, I know he's leaving soon, but I am kind of frustrated and I don't want this to happen with the next foster. I must be doing everything wrong. I'm sorry this is so long but if you've made it this far, I thank you.

Play time! - YouTube

 

[MowMow]

Haha. I love my Book and he's my sweet little demon spawn but I will *never* get another kitten. I made it through kittenhood (for the most part, his brain still leaks out his ear occasionally) and I don't ever want to go back. I just don't have the patience.

From now on it's 1 year+ cats for me.

 

[shouldigetacat]

Haha. I love my Book and he's my sweet little demon spawn but I will *never* get another kitten. I made it through kittenhood (for the most part, his brain still leaks out his ear occasionally) and I don't ever want to go back. I just don't have the patience.

From now on it's 1 year+ cats for me.

hahaha well, in that case, will that make me a terrible person to only request adult fosters from now on?

Brain leaks out...hilarious, and perfect description. I think a lot of my problem is, I do NOT know how to deal with most of his behaviour. Dogs, puppies, you tell them to be quiet and, in my experience, they catch on quickly and hush (there are exceptions of course, but I've never encountered any different with my own). I ask for space, and they are *generally* respectful of it and LISTEN or try to understand ... this cat ...he just walked on the keyboard. I moved him away. He came back. I moved him again and said no. Second his paws touched the couch, HE WALKED BACK TO THE KEYBOARD. Holy holy holy.

 

[MowMow]

He was my first kitten and I guess I had the same problem. Didn't know how to deal with him. I just do not have the patience to repeat a command (like the keyboard thing) 200 times while setting him down and him STILL insisting on doing it again. Drives me BONKERS.

 

[rightsaidfed]

I just got my first kitten and I live him to death and wouldn't give him up for the world, but I think any future adoptions will be adults. The cute outweighs the craziness for the most part, I just feel guilty that I'm not home as much as he might need me to be.

We play very day befre and after work, but I can't help but think if I had more time to play, he wouldn't be crazy even though he'd probably be the same.

Having a kitten is great, but unless I'm able to be home with him, I wouldn't do it again. Right now he's asleep on the couch right next to me, and I completely forget how nuts he makes me sometimes. I'm excited for him to get through kittenhood. I think the bond we have from getting him as a kitten is very important, but I can't wait to be able to put toilet paper back on the roll in the bathroom without worrying!

 

[LaurulFeatherCat]

The short answer to your problem is to always foster two kittens; they keep one another busy in the night playing when you sleep! Or you could only do adolescent cats; but that will not eliminate the middle of the night need for reassurance. Again, the answer is two cats.

You could try using hisses and yowls on him like his mother would if he disturbed her sleep. Develop a good hiss and a good yowl and you are speaking his language and that is much easier. Don't feel too guilty about the water bottle. I also use it as a surprise of last resort, but I try not to rely on it because it wears out quickly once they figure out where the water comes from. A good yowl of disapproval works wonders every time.

Ace sounds like a very active darling!

 

[kty78]

Sounds familiar. I have 2 7 month olds we got at 5 months. The y do keep each other busy a lot and that is why I got 2 but we had a problem with them waking the kids up at 4am because hubby and I ignored them, so they went to the kids. The kids would get up and wake me up, I kept telling them ignore it and they will stop. Finally they did *knock on wood*. Either that or the kids learned to sleep thru it.

I would keep putting him in the bathroom at night. My bathrooms are tiny and we have stuff on shelves because there is no under counter space and the knock everything down so I can't do that. I don't really know what else to tell you, Ollie gets on the counter every. Time. I. Try. To. Cook. I put him down, he jumps back up, noses my face, sniffs the food.... I keep knocking him down with my elbow, he keeps jumping back up, repeat, repeat, repeat. I need to get someone to stand in the doorway with a squirt gun and see if that works, guess I could do it myself with a spray bottle, but it might be more effective if he doesn't see where it comes from.

 

[LaurulFeatherCat]

Kty78: Try feeding him before you cook. And instead of using the water bottle, have your Sergeant at arms put him on the floor repeatedly with a firm NO when he jumps up. He will learn. You could also yowl/hiss him like his mom would do when he would disobey her.

 

[Mitts & Tess]

Are you free feeding the little monster 24/7? If not you need to be. I constantly rifle soft Kitten food to my kittens and leave dry food out all the time along with kitten glop or KMR.

An older couple adopted a kitten along with a year and half calico from me. His wife just had to have a kitten. I warned them. Well wouldnt you know it. The kitten was into EVERYTHING. Up the Christmas tree too. Theyve never put up a Christmas Tree since and thats been the last 4 yrs.

Ohhhh the joys of kittenhood. Then come the teen years. Lord help all of us.

 

[kty78]

Oh boy. Yeah I've already been thinking about the christmas tree. These two will be all over it.

Yep, I feed them before I cook. He is just super nosy.

 

[RoxiesMummy]

Babies always seem challenging. It could be worse, you could have a baby ferret. They are, IMO, more active than kittens. And they are tiny so they can go more places. Though as a good thing, my adult ferrets are excellent playmates for kitten.

Roxie is my first kitten, and she is v young, so we are just starting to get into the very hyper stage. We let her sleep with us, so we don't have the yowling, but often in the middle of the night I will find her sitting on my chest and when I wake up, she pops me on the nose and runs away. <3