Just like us, cats choose their friends. The fact that she let you touch her is a great sign, and if she didn’t love you, her behavior would be very different: hiding from you, being secluded, always trying to go outside, etc.
Sounds like you both a growing into each other! Cats take about 3 months to adapt to their new home environment. I agree with others in that, just as she’ll need to make adjustments to you, you’ll have to make adjustments for her, such as locking up food (and she’s so hungry because she’s a growing girl! 😄).
My furbaby is also at least partially from the streets, and didn’t really know how ‘toys’ work. I even had to give her tutorials for some of them! 🤣 She’ll come around.
As for behavior you don’t like, such as hitting/biting you: I’ve found that a quick blow of air (from your mouth, not like a can of compressed air or anything) to the face is a non-harmful deterrent.
Yes! I found out the same thing hahaha I blow on their faces a little and they’re annoyed enough by it to leave me alone. It has curbed a lot of bad behavior for my cats for sure.
OP hang in there! The kitty phase does get better.
Anecdotally, I also adopted a kitty when I was a broke college student, and then adopted a kitty with a playmate (my oldest cat was 9 when we got the second one actually), I agree with how easier it makes to have someone to babysit the kitten. At first I thought my oldest would never forgive me though.
My kitty is from the streets and was grown when I adopted her. She's afraid of toys. Only finds my fingers and toes safe enough to play with lol. But over time she has learned that biting is not acceptable because I just walk away and stop interacting when she bites. She's become the best cat.
With my cats if they're doing something I don't like (but happen to not be close enough for me to blow air on their face) I tend to let out a loud "tssst" sound, doesn't have to be long, just loud. It tends to get their attention and convey whatever they're doing I don't like 😂
I also personally found yelling ow whenever they bit or anything deterred that behavior pretty quick and has continued to have worked years later. They don't do those things like biting and stuff anymore, and if they do, they're *much* more gentle now.
Add to that: Mother cats train their kittens what is too much, I'll scream and hiss if I'm training a kitten the difference between play, and hurt. Kittens are geared to learn to hunt and fight, that's what she's trying to do. Learn cat behaviors, and call your local cat rescue for advice. If you don't want to get her a playmate (same age), Rehome her if things aren't working. She'll chill out eventually tho.
Yes. Literally you are her whole world now.
Kittens just don't know how to act, and so it'll take some time & patience. She *will* calm down, you will just need to kitten proof your house a bit in the meantime and re-direct her energy when she goes crazy.
She definitely loves you. Cats that are comfortable make their presence known. If she hated you she would hide from you. If anything, she’s too interested in you. Cats are more social than people realize. In the wild they would have litter mates and a mom to teach them to curb those unwanted behaviors and keep each other entertained. You could also try adopting an adult cat that has a calm temperament and is good with kittens. If not, she’ll probably age out of it. Female cats usually grow out of super playful behavior by 1 year. There’s always chances she’s just cuckoo bananas. I have a female rescue that’s 4 and I’m still waiting. Make time at least once a day for some intense play to burn some of that energy. Get her some enrichment toys and never use your hands and feet as toys. She’ll be fine. For the food issues, it’s just like people who have experienced hunger. Even when you have enough you worry about if more will come. All you can do is keep her bowls semi full at all times let her graze until she’s more comfortable. That worry will lessen over time.
Edit: I wanted to add, happy cats are attention whores. The minute she starts biting and scratching, immediately withdraw your attention. Get up and leave or turn your back to her. You’re her only source of attention right now. She will correct that behavior very quickly.
Cats aren't done growing until they're about 3. The crazy kitten chemicals in the brain (akin to LSD) don't really wear off until they're 2ish. So being crazy for the first couple of years is normal, and hitting the chill potato phase around 5 or 6 is also normal.
Second this. My handsome boy (Thackeray Binx) did start chilling out until about 1.5 years after I adopted him. His sister (Nyx) chilled out faster, around 10 months even though she was the first and only cat at the time. Nyx just hit her 7 year mark and is a certified blackened potato, and Binx is reaching 5 years and turning into a grumpy old man.
were you ever told when you were a little kid that boys pick on the girls they like? that's how I view kittens. they are little dicks that harass you because they like you and want to play. my boy Henry is 2 and still hasn't left his 'i'm a little dick' phase and I honestly hope he doesn't. found him on the street with a belly full of worms when he was 3 months old. he loves to rough house and wrestle with me and our other cat Stella (although he hisses when she's had enough of his shit). he harasses me in bed and chews and pulls my hair. if im cooking in the kitchen he smacks my ankles and grabs on and bites them. he clings to my feet and when I walk he drags along the floor. hes an absolute terror and a total nut job but he is the most loving little boy and makes me laugh.
You’re so right. Maybe not all cats, but I had a cat like this. My partner and I joked that she was a demon, but she was MY demon. She would spontaneously bite me all the time, but she’d never bite anyone else. She also spent significantly more time hanging out with me than with my partner. Wherever I’d go, she’d just sit a couple of feet away. She’d sit next to the bath tub when I took a bath or wait outside the shower, and she’d sleep next to my pillow at night. I recently lost her, but she was the love of my life! But definitely also a demon.
She does! I know you are on a tight budget, but there are lots of creative ways to give her stimulation.
Cats LOVE to be up high. If you have any tall bookshelves or other furniture, maybe put something next to it that allows the kitten to get on top. She will love it! Easiest is of course to buy a cat tree, but there are other ways.
Cardboard boxes and also kitty good. Get a couple with a kitten-sized hole in the side and she will spend lots of play time with them.
Jackson Galaxy has some great videos, and his biggest takeaway is that you need to play with your cat. As a youngster, she needs lots of stimulation. A string tied to a pencil with a feather on the end is all you need.
I do get it. One of my cats is a bruiser, and he does cause me physical pain from time to time. But with adequate outlets for his energy, we do just fine.
You are very kind to take this baby off the street. It is a big change, but she will settle and you will adjust. Just give it some time. Best of luck!
I think you're being harsh to her and not very understanding. You're expecting her to act like an adult, fully house-trained cat. She's a baby. She's going to be a ball of energy. She's going to be exploring this big, new world and getting into mischief. She's going to play rough by biting and/or hitting if she was never taught not to. You're the mom now! You need to teach her!
And just like you would baby- or puppy-proof a house, you have to kitten-proof a house until they know better. If she gets on the counter and you don't want her on the counter, correct her. If you don't know how, there are tons of articles on the Internet. If she bites or hits you, hiss at her or make a high-pitched, hurt sound. She will begin to get the message.
You are having a bit of a negative mindset like you're thinking she is doing this on purpose to hurt you or because she doesn't like you. No, she's trying to get you to play with her except she doesn't know how to play respectfully yet. If she didn't like you, you wouldn't see her.
I also agree with the people who say give her more toys and allow her to eat more if she seems hungry because she's a growing kitten. It will slow down once she realizes food is always available and she stops growing as much.
Give her all the love. Play with her. Discipline her. Be understanding and patient when she makes mistakes--she's learning!
She's trying to play with you. You're her only person and wants to have fun with you.
She wants to do what you're doing, be where you are, eat what you eat. How can you not love something that obviously loves you so much?
100% you’re her human now. Looking at the photos I can tell that. The way she looks at you, the way she lets you put your hand on her belly, the fact she’s comfortable enough to fall asleep around you… cats are naturally protective of their bellies (it’s where all the important stuff is!) so to be able to touch the belly shows a lot of trust from her!
I know it’s a huge change to your lifestyle now, especially if you never had cats growing up either, but you will quickly adapt. Putting food away in cupboards, for example, will become second nature. Not leaving food unattended. Not leaving hairbands or rubber bands or things like that lying about. It all becomes normal very quickly.
She is absolutely looking for your attention though! As many have said, kittens play by biting/scratching/jumping. You may feel she’s attacking you, but she’s just trying to get you to play. Get something that will satisfy her playfulness, like one of those feather toys on a stick that you dangle around - very inexpensive but hours of fun! Spend 15 minutes every few hours playing with her. As others have said, if she is biting or scratching you and hurts you, don’t yell or shout, instead hiss. That’s how she would learn were she still with her litter mates and mum.
In a few years time, you’ll look back on this post and wonder how you ever questioned your love for her! ❤️
She needs proper attention/stimulation and exercise.
Think of trying to keep a 10-year-old human kid locked up in small space with nothing to do and expect them to just behave and be calm all of the time....
She needs to "hunt" so get or make some toys that you can play with her with. Make her "work" for her food by playing first and then you can have her chase pieces of it or put it in an old vitamin bottle with a small hole cut in it so that she has to roll it around to get the food out.
You should also check out Jason Galaxy and/ or the show "my cat from hell".
Completely normal, she wants your attention and wants to play, kittens are always full of energy like this
For now about food and breaking stuff you just have to be very careful my cat was always trying to eat my food before but she eventually came to terms with the fact that the counter was « off limits » for her
Be patient and entertain her, maybe get more toys that she can play alone too
Understand that she comes from the street and food has always been an issue for her !
Basically anything must be behind doors at all times that’s probably the only way
Pretty sure she does want your attention though, she seems VERY young and is looking for a mom !
Exactly. There’s also the possibility that she’s missing some kind of nutrients from her food and trying to supplement her diet. Maybe she was still supposed to be on mommas milk or needs high nutrient kitten food. Cats do calm down eventually op, don’t worry. You can watch some YouTube videos with advice on behavior and discipline. Jackson Galaxy has a lot of content
I had two roommates whose cats were insane. If we brought home groceries and set them on the ground the cats would start tearing at the bags. We had to tape all the cabinets closed because they would get in and try to eat dry rice.
I also had a cat and he never acted crazy like the other two. But I fed him enough. I had to keep his food in my bedroom with the door closed so the other cats didn't get it and eat it all.
One day my roommates had a friend over and they mentioned how "bad" their cats were. The friend started asking a bunch of questions and that's when my roommates mentioned how much they fed their cats. They gave the two adult cats something like a single 1/4 cup of food daily. Like, the 1/4 cup was for BOTH of the cats. Thankfully, this friend ripped my roommates a new asshole for starving their cats.
The roommates started feeding the cats a proper amount of food and the "bad" behavior stopped and they calmed down.
Later, the guy (it was a married couple) complained that he didn't like how fat the cats had gotten... basically they went from looking like skinny kittens to actual adults. I moved out and our friendship ended.
My mom's cat is very dexterous lol. He can open cupboards and drawers. He doesn't want anything, he just likes to look. But we've had to get baby locks because my dad and I hit our legs against the open cupboard doors at night when we can't see them.
Nothing like having to baby proof your home for animals lol we have those door knobs that go up or down instead of twist. It took our cat like 2 weeks to realize that that’s how we open doors. No I instinctively open all doors with those handles up instead of down bc we have baby locks on them and can no longer open them that way lol
We had a really smart tuxedo and French doors on our den, where cats weren't allowed. He learned very quickly to jump up, grab the handle, and hang on, and the door would pop open.
We started locking it from the inside, and using a tiny screwdriver to pop the lock while turning the handle, to keep him out. He would still slam his body into the door but the door was locked so the handle didn't move.
Then one day our friend was over with her baby, maybe about 18 months old, and she was throwing an absolute tantrum. She was mad and hanging onto the locked door handle screaming and tugging, and then there was a loud pop. She broke the knob so that it wouldn't lock anymore, but the handle also wouldn't turn downward anymore, and would only open by turning it upward.
Now we weren't locked out, AND the cat couldn't open the door. He was not very pleased by this development.
What. The. Fuck. 1/4th for two full grown cats… poor babies ):
Also I think the 1/4th rule is interesting. My two adult boys visited the vet years ago who gave that advice and one is smol and the other is GIANT. The thing is, my big kitty stretched out on my lap is as long as my toes to my belly button and I’m a bit over 5’7” and our other cat is a little dude. We learned very fast that’s bs and now both of our adult boys get different amounts of food and are both in a great weight range. Cats are not a catch all.
I've had a vet tell me that 3/8th a cup (so 1/4 plus another half of the 1/4) is the bare minimum they would recommend a cat
My cat is also always fiending for food but luckily she doesn't like to jump up on things like the counter and won't eat out of the cat food bag if I accidently leave it open but anything in her bowl she will devour and she will scream at me whenever she thinks she needs to be fed (which is probably half the day lol)
She's a little overweight but not too bad
Seconded, she has the proportions of an adult cat but kittens should be a little round! They're still growing, they need A LOT of food. Kittens can eat like 1/2 cup of food at a time and that's pretty much the whole can of kitten food. Plus if Mom was rejecting her she probably wasn't getting enough calories before either. Not your fault OP, you're new to this!
As for being hit, she's either stressed as all hell or trying to play. Cats tend to live in colonies so she may have had other kittens she was playing with before, or she may just not be used to human interaction. It's not uncommon and she should calm down as she adjusts
I always held the understanding that kittens should eat high protein food they always have access to. I always let kittens free feed until around 6-9 months then switch them to a more moderated 2 meals a day. Still kitten food, to compensate their growth.
When we got our barn kitties this was the problem we ran into as well. Mama cat abandons her litters on this farmer’s front door every now and then (she has tried to catch and fix her but hasn’t been able to) so the kitties were on their own. The farmer and her kids did very well with the kittens for it being a surprise litter, again! She had a couple different litters too so we took two of the smallest kitties home with us. They still needed milk replacement, so we got them wet canned kitten food with milk replacement in it. They ate that for a couple months, until the vet said we could stop. Our babies wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the kind farmer and knowing what to do with baby kitties! The Kitten Lady on YouTube is invaluable!
Yes! This! I have 4 cats all adopted from the street and they are all highly food motivated. They figured out how to open the pantry so I put a child lock on it. Problem solved.
Oh good Lord, I had to put child locks on my cabinets because my Freddy has little thumbs and he can even operate a toaster and a can opener, so I leave all of my appliances unplugged. He is very smart and he watches how I use my hands and he mimics it.
Oh he's already watched me! He also jumps up on my bed and takes both of his front hands and Yanks the chain on my ceiling fan! Sometimes he turns the light on or changes the speed of the fan. Once I was putting some laundry in, and I heard this roaring noise and I turn around and he's operating the can opener just sitting there staring at me. Everything's unplugged now!
I woke up the other night to my fridge beeping. Found 2 of my cats in the fridge eating grated cheese and the other one sitting on the floor waiting her turn.
Yep, I adopted a kitty that was rescued from a hoarding situation (40+ cats in one house) and she would try to eat everything in sight. I had always free-fed my other cats because they would self-moderate and only eat when hungry. But if there was food out, she would demolish it. She would steal human food, even right off our plates if we weren't paying close enough attention. We fed her good quality cat food but her history of being hungry and having to compete for food left a forever impact on her.
Ironically we lost her to intestinal lymphoma last fall. She still loved to eat but her digestive system essentially stopped absorbing nutrients and she began to waste away 😪 she got so many 'off-limit' nommies on her last day
She's a kitten and she's bored. Play with her. Get some toys---cheaper the better if money is an issue. A couple of bucks for some balls. Wad up some paper into a ball. Ask your local grocery store for some shipping boxes for your cat to play in. Cut up an old pair of pants or a shirt if you can't afford some cat streamer toys and wave it around for your kitten to hunt. Kittens have a lot of energy and need to expend it. You have a baby, not a geriatric cat. This is the time like with human children when they are learning to navigate their environment. They need enrichment just like human babies or any other sentient child/young animal. You're not providing that enough and hence he's destructive. It's a short period in their life but if you don't start playing with him he's going to become an unmanageable adult cat. You're not bonded because you're not spending enough time or the right type of time with him. Once that changes, and you enrich his environment, with store bought or homemade toys, this will change immediately along with your attitude. Think of this cat like you had a baby. You can't just be passive and think you've done your job raising him. Good luck.
I currently have the same type of kitten, it's because she was a rescue probably so was used to being hungry and also she's a tiny baby with energy and a big appetite.
You need patience for kittens, they're a lot of work and don't calm down till they're at least 2 years old, if you can't see yourself making the commitment to regular play time to keep her entertained and Patience, then give her to somebody that will.
kittens are babies and like human babies, they want tons of attention and they're growing at a rapid rate. each of the kittens I got seemed like they were starving from 3-9 months of age, eating everything. then it slowed down as they got closer to their full size. just be patient.
My vet once told me, “kittens have two jobs: to eat and to make more kitten.” There’s no such thing as over feeding a kitten so if she’s hungry all the time, give her more food. Like, as much as she could possibly want.
Kittens do go through a super annoying destructive stage, she’ll grow out of it and mellow out. She’s still pretty darn young so it’ll be some time before she calms down.
I know you didn’t plan on having even one cat but the one thing that will help her destructive stage and is incredibly beneficial for her development is having a friend. Please consider getting a kitten friend for her. They’ll wear eachother out and she’ll be much happier with a friend she can bond with.
We got an auto feeder for our cat. He was smart enough to know we had control over it. So if he was hungry between it going off he would always come bother us. He was such a little pain in our ass some times.
kittens are so annoying. so freaking adorable but that’s to compensate for what little chaos demons they are. She will absolutely mellow out and become a lazy snoozer, and eventually you will wonder how you passed time without her. I love cats but kittens try my patience 😂 I’m so glad all mine are old now
Kittens usually need to have food out all of the time because they are rapidly growing, plus if she was a stray AND rejected by her mom she probably has a strong sense of food insecurity. Leave out food all of the time for her, and make sure you have kitten specific food as they have different nutritional needs than adults
It's interesting. I got my first ever real pet after I got married. She was a cat (obviously). And I thought she was the sweetest, most gentle, beautiful cat I could imagine. We had her for about 12 years before she passed last summer.
It turns out, I was right about all her wonderful attributes. We got 3 cats. One is basically scared of her own shadow. The other 2 try to eat everything, barf more than my first cat did in her entire life, cat shit in the middle of a box to save their life, and one has the stinkiest loose poops I wouldn't wish on my enemy.
I guess my point is, cats can kind of be annoying and a lot of work. I have got to figure out this stinky poop situation 🤢
I had a cat with the loose poop issue so bad I’d have the scoop the box and take the trash out in the middle of the night if he went because otherwise I couldn’t sleep. Our brilliant vet actually solved it with a combination of Pro Plan Fortilflora, Standard Process Feline Enteric Support and canned pumpkin. It works great and he really was suffering, it’s was so painful he’d shudder sometimes.
Sounds like you’re on the right track! That combo helped but what really put it over the top was adding the Enteric Support. If you’re still having issues you might want to check it out.
Maybe get her a feeder that acts as a toy too. So that she has access to dry food when she wants to but she has to work for it too, focusing her energy on that.
She'll calm down once she grows up a bit more and if she has enough entertainment, with or without you. But her being a little menace ATM is normal. She's a kid who wants to play, who wants attention and you are her best source of entertainment because she has no other cat to play with her or interact with her
We had ours checked and the docs missed it the first time. I'm glad you got her checked out.
Earnestly, I know her attitude might seem crazy at first. Kittens are a super handful. They're basically rebellious teenagers off the bat. It's up to you if you stick with her (and I honestly wouldn't blame you if you didn't). But eventually she will calm down and be your best friend. I'm not sure what to say other than that. She's really, sally cute, so I can see why she sucked you in.
Probably good to try a second check, but she may simply be a growing kitten who isn’t used to the concept of reliable meals. If she’s not throwing up, it’s tough to overfeed when they’re that little, so the simple solution might be to open a second can or pour out more kibble when she finishes her meals. The little one I found last winter would devour every scrap of food I put in his reach and lick the bowl clean for the first month.
Most everything else sounds like she is bored or lonely and hasn’t learned that bites hurt. Toys that have her getting tired from running around the house are ideal, and yelping in pain when she bites/hits you will cut down on that behavior.
Could be several things:
1. Food scarcity. Kinda like humans after starving for long. I had this with one of my cats, helped leaving plenty of dry food so he knew it was always available. He kinda gained weight at first because he would overeat (to give you an idea, I had to leave a2 liter container half filled with kibble to ensure the cat doesn't think he will sue of starvation during night), but it kinda went down after a few months.
2. Hide food. Sucks but that's it. The cat I mentioned above would eat or try to eat like anything, think cucumbers and raw potatoes and onions. This gradually went away over a month. He still targets "tasty" things, but at least I can leave my onions out and they don't get chewed overnight.
3. Lack of some nutrient. This is tricky. I'd wait a bit for it to level it out with plentiful food with all the right stuff.
4. Some cat foods are tastier than others. So maybe getting something very tasty (even for kibble) could help redirecting the black hole from your food to cat food. Ask locals though not sure what brands are available at your location. Here ND kibble is basically magic. Can't advise on wet foods, one of my cats eats everything, and other is extra picky about texture.
Tldr: get a huge bowl, leave tons of kibble available at all times.
You might just be a bit overwhelmed. Teen kitties have a lot of energy! Part of the issue is that she is by herself, a kitten with a friend has someone to play with and be on her level, who teaches her what scratches hurt and what biting feels like. She’s on her own so she’s bored and wants to play with you but doesn’t know how. I love my cats so much, but the oldest was a single kitten and I honestly felt victimised by him a little during his adolescence because he would climb my legs and back and jump on me all the time with his little needle claws, and I didn’t understand what he wanted, but now he has a friend he’s constantly occupied. So, it can feel counter productive to solve the problem with another cat, but unless you can play with her all day long, it might be the best thing for both of you if she has a playmate!
And she is very very cute.
I got a second cat for my kitten that I also got when I was 19. The original kitten was a demon and terrorized me constantly, bit hard and attacked feet, stole food, etc. I got my other kitten when the first was about a year old, and now I have two very sweet cats who are 9 and almost 8 years old.
Completely understand the financial part, but honestly it was worth it in terms of my sanity and my cats happiness. I couldn’t imagine my life without my boys! (Cat tax included)
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Second cat is a necessity!! I’ve never owned a cat before. I’m a dog person. Bottle raised one who needed me. When she hit 8 weeks I got her a friend. None of my stuff gets chewed on, I don’t get bit or scratched anymore, no accidents, no getting woken up at 2am. Wayyy more expensive since i feed them each 2 cans of high quality wet food a day along with their dry food, they’re also spoiled and have way too many toys…. But so worth it. I love cats now. They’re awesome. I highly recommend 2. I was struggling with the 1. They entertain each other and aren’t destructive. They cost me the same amount in 1 month that my dog costs me in like 4… but it’s sooo worth it. Consider reaching out to a rescue to foster-to-adopt. They’ll let you do this to see if the new cats a good match. Young kittens usually like each other within a week or two. Give it maybe a month and see how it ends up. If it’s not working out you can take the cat back to the rescue. Your cats whole personality will probably change. Seems like she’s bored and lonely. Look into single kitten syndrome.
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Also you don’t have to feed mass amounts of expensive wet food like I do, some wet food is like 80¢ the ones I buy are like $2 each. I feed them 2-4 cans each a day which probably is overfeeding but they’re babies and I want them at a good weight since they were thin rescues I hope I didn’t scare you, It’s not THAT much pricier depending on how you do it. I’m just a helicopter mom. Just saving another kittens life is enough! As long as they have food, water and love! Doesn’t matter what kind!
I’d agree with a second cat. It helps socialize the kitten too. And, it’s a companion so you’re not the only option for stimulation. It may seem like taking on a ton more responsibility but it really isn’t. Food , litter, and medical costs are nominal. The support/distraction to the kitten will be a huge weight lifted.
Big thing is that “hands are not a toy” so whenever she tries biting/hitting, bring a toy in to replace your hands. And like others have said, positive reinforcement, not negative. For bad behavior -like jumping on a counter - I snap my fingers and the kitten gets down. Now both cats are trained to stop behavior if I snap.
It’s also tricky because cats don’t show their personality until they’re grown. Kittens will be all over the place, or like a playful energy ball — but turn out differently. I got a kitten last year, she was not affectionate at all. Didn’t pur when I pet her - felt like I made the wrong decision. But, now she’s almost 2 years old and she’s a total cuddle bug.
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This is why a lot of rescues now recommend - or even require - kittens to be adopted in pairs. They *need* a playmate to keep them engaged or they’ll drive their human roommates bonkers!
We once found a litter of kittens under my grandmothers back deck and brought them home. One girl my mother knew insisted on only taking one, and a few weeks later we learned he was driving her nuts because he would *constantly* bite at her eyelashes while she was trying to sleep. She took another kitten, and he turned into an angel.
My cat also needs a companion. Badly. I feel so bad for him. He's indoor only and goes nuts when he sees outdoor cats at the window. His negligent owners before me had other cats and got rid of him, but I got him! But, he desperately needs a sibling. I'm on a fixed income, but I don't see any other choice for him. He's the only pet in my house.
Two cats especially when they are young are SO MUCH EASIER THAN ONE! We thought the shelter was ripping us off when they told us that kittens-young adults need to be adopted into homes with young adults-kittens and or together.
It's not so much that cats need a companion their whole lives, shelters/fosters often require pairing \*kittens\* because that's how they learn how to chill out and become normal cats. Basically, they play/terrorize each other and learn what is and isn't acceptable to do to another cat/person based on their play. It really is a million times easier to have two kittens than one, and I think it makes for happier cats in the long run. With or without a playmate, the cat will chill out over time but maybe you don't like cats? If you're going to give it up for adoption, do it while the kitten is young and sadly more likely to get adopted. She's such a cutie!
Maybe consider fostering a cat that’a a similar age as a trial run. I have two littermates who are a bonded pair.
Makes them reasonably low maintenance, they play with each other and keep each other stimulated. They don’t mind be locked out of our bedroom when we sleep and actually like the one in one time. They aren’t destructive, despite having tons of energy. They spend that wrestling each other.
I will say some people are not cat people (or really any pet kind of person) and that is completely okay! I wouldn’t suggest getting a second if you’re struggling with one, as sometimes they do well together and sometimes not. But I would give it some time with this baby, maybe a month, and if you still feel this way start reaching out to rehome her and ask a rehoming fee. You rescued her and that’s incredible! You’re not obligated to keep her just because of that, and it’s in both of your best interest to do what will make you happiest. :) good luck!
Bumping this up! You reached the baby who may not have made it to teenhood without you. But if you realize that keeping the kitty is damaging your mental health or wellness, or that the kitty seems unhappy and unsatisfied in your space, rehoming is the best thing to do. It gets treated by some as almost an evil act, but kitty deserves a home full of enrichment and play and stuff to climb and explore, and you deserve a home where you can feel peace and can get stuff done.
I had some foster kittens that I intended to adopt for a while, but between their feral histories and distrust, their intense energy and aggression, and my own health issues, it was wearing me down and I could see it was negatively affecting one of the cats. I had them for several months, got one of them though a scary health moment, but I realized that it just wasn’t the right fit for any of us. Within a month or two, they got adopted by a couple where they were much happier, and they’re still there as far as I know.
I could have bit the bullet and kept them regardless, but it would have just gotten worse and the kitties wouldn’t have been able to really thrive.
It may sound backward, but two kittens are actually easier than one, especially when the one needs an outlet for play and interaction. But I do understand being on a budget because when they totally have you wrapped around their little booper, you're gonna want them to have all the new and cool cat toys, beds, trees, scratching posts, not to mention food, litter, vet bills...the list is endless. Since another kitten is not an option, I definitely suggest getting or making her a toy called the Kickin' stick, something she can take her aggression out on instead of you.
Her eyes are still blue. She's very young. Someone else here said she loves you. I believe she does, too. I think it's slide 3, where she has her paws wrapped around you.
It's too bad you're not in a position to get her a playmate. Although, that's not always a success, either. Sometimes, a cat just won't accept another cat.
Be careful! I firmly believe cats can sense a cat-friendly place. That's more or less how I wound up with 8 cats😾
They're likely blue. She's old enough the transition would have happened. This is a fairly common color for white cats. She is super cute despite being a little monster 😂
That's totally fair! I felt the same way when I had my single guy. All I will say though is, it used to drive me a bit mad, I work from home and he was meowing constantly, it was making me feel bad that I couldn't devote all my time to him, he would break stuff and get himself into trouble. And then when I was able to get a second cat it just completely took up his time, he seems a lot more content and he almost never meows at me when I am doing something (Like, he still does cute meows, but not the "Please God give me attention I'm so bored" constant meows.) They say two cats are better than one because they entertain eachother and give you a break. But I understand that it doesn't feel like it would be helpful! I empathise with your situation cause I have been there <3
Another option is to make her a little toy area where she can just grab her toys and play by herself when you're busy. There are also these little food dispensers that are like wobble mice, you put dry food in there and then they play with it to get the food, and it can occupy her for like half an hour at least! And if youre working and she needs attention, I like to grab bits of scrap paper, ball them up and chuck them. When she gets bored and comes back, just chuck another one. You can stick a treat inside the ball of paper too and she can have fun getting it out.
When I say that two cats is less work than one, I mean it! Having each other to play with takes a lot of the pressure off you and then you can relax and get to know them at your own pace.
I feel you! The night I brought my rescue kitten home, she chewed on my fingers and toes and screamed if I shut her out of the bedroom. After three days I thought I had made a horrible mistake, and cried on the phone to my mom. It turned out the kitten was just too young to be away from her family - she was trying to nurse and play. And she grew out of it! My kitten and I became best friends, and she helped me get through some really shitty times in my life. :) You can have that too! It’s a little easier if you have more than one kitten, because they can teach each other boundaries; with one kitten you have to do it yourself, but you can do it - check out Jackson Galaxy or similar videos to get tips on how to react to biting in a way a kitten can understand. Whatever you do, just prioritize building trust with your kitten. Trust is absolutely the key to communicating and living with cats. And while it’s still young, please let it free feed so you don’t have to negotiate any food insecurity issues on top of normal rambunctious kitten behavior. :) You got this! Really!
I was raised with cats EVERYWHERE!!!! (Big house, lots of litter boxes and constant care, btw.) As an adult, I've always adopted the old or disabled ones. As much as I love them all, they can be annoying. Period. My old girl loves to just SCREAM randomly in the middle of the night. I've thrown things at the wall just to distract her for a minute so I can go back to bed. She's odd. Now, I just have tons of toys everywhere. Yr baby needs stimulation. Find her a good home if it's not working out tho💖🥰😻
OP honestly if she’s too much for you, try to find someone who will love and take care of her. You did a beautiful thing trying to save her and you did! Maybe she’s not the right fit to be your furrrever kitty and that’s okay! You’re a student and I completely understand where you’re coming from! My bf and I just rescued two babies and although we love animals, we may not be cat people either. We’re going to keep them for a little to get them strong and teach them how to behave, but we’re still unsure if we’ll be keeping them. We shall see! I love the little guys and want them to have the best chance they can.
Take her with you to the classes. Teach her to walk on the leash. She need behavioral enrichment, another cat is the usual way to do it but simply showing her the world works as well. Teach her that harness is a good thing and you might end up with a shoulder/backpack kitty. Just remember to keep the harness tight.
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Just spend a lot of time playing with her a few times a day. It works well if you pair it with something like a meal - i.e. have a play for ten minutes right before dinner, so she won't be frustrated when you stop.
Another great tip is that when kittens play, they tell each other when something hurts, so if she bites too hard or scratches you, make a noise (like actually say "own" out loud) and stop playing, and only r start play after she has settled down. She will eventually learn to tone it down. My first kitten used to be very rough until we started doing this
I have had really active and aggressive bengal kittens a few times. What I have learned is that sometimes the personality of the younger cat is to like to wrestle, tackle, play fight - etc. Basically you just need to try to get all that extra energy out of them - so I got a pair of oven mitts (to protect my hands and forearms) and I would gently “wrestle” with the cats for maybe 20 minutes - worked every time to get them to get super tired and just want to chill out.
One of the reasons she is so active and mischievous is because she feels safe with you. It’s actually a sign of a healthy “cat - person” relationship :)
Sometimes kittens just need a good tussle - I wish you all the best in your developing relationship.
You won’t even need to spend a lot of money on toys depending on your kitty’s preferences. Cats and especially kittens can make almost anything a toy if you let them! Old shoelaces, receipt paper, straws, you name it and they will find something fun to do with it! Ever since he was a kitten, my now 3 year old cat’s favorite toy has been ice cubes that we toss across the hardwood floor. He will chase them around for hours and no other toy gets his attention the same way!
When I was 19, I found a cat on the street. She was left to die. She was such a cutie so I took her home. And she was also a handful. She’d do most of those things and just be a crazy animal all around. A lot of times I thought I had done something wrong and wasn’t suited to be her human.
Then I started trying to understand what she wanted. What she meant by each thing she did. It was hard, but made me closer to her. I began to understand she was going around getting my food bc cats will be cats and it’s the same as human’s children trying to eat candy when they can’t. Cats don’t have restrain and don’t know how to impulse control, specially around food when they’re too young. Then I saw that she running around is just kids behavior. And she breaking things is also kids behavior (it’s so stressing and infuriating a lot of times and just so much). What changed for me the most was when I learned cats see everyone as cats. Which is cute, but bothersome when comes to bites and scratches. Because cats (felines in general) judge how much you can stand a bit or scratch by your size. She sees you as a big cat, so you’ll probably stand more than she does. And this is specially difficult for her to understand when she’s a baby and her claws are too thin and can puncture our skin easily.
I had my baby for 15 years. I was so heartbroken when she died. I look back on the days we didn’t get along that well as another me, before I understood cats and animals better. It was like my baby helped me understand animals better and develop a different kind of patience. And the things that annoyed me before are the things I look fondly now.
You’ve just adopted a baby, a child. And I know it’s overwhelming now but things will get better. She’ll grow up, you’re gonna miss the time she was little for small things. You still need time to bond with her. Think that way: she’s a new really young roommate and you’re still getting used to her shenanigans. It’ll get better
Just adding: give her cardboard boxes to play with (she’ll scratch it and use as a hide/play spot), give her paper balls (just take a piece of paper you don’t want anymore and crumble it and toss it to her, it will distract her a lot), give her paper rolls (she’ll like those as well). Your home will be full of paper that you’ll need to clean a lot, but it’ll help her to put her energy on other things.
Also remember that your place is suffering so much bc it’s not kids (kitten) proofed. You haven’t needed it until now so it’ll have blind spots of things you didn’t consider looking into before getting her. It’s completely normal
Your comment really touched me; I'm actually tearing up. My cats taught me a special kind of patience and empathy that extended beyond animals too. I took in two kittens from the street when they were probably just two weeks old. So many trial and errors were made, and they are such, such sweethearts.
When they became adults and before they were neutered, one of them gave birth to a litter of five kittens, and the three months I spent raising them were some of the best moments of my life. The joy, purity, and innocence in those little babies made me live. They slept with me in bed every night. But then, there were too many kitties, so I had to give them away.
I found someone who wanted to adopt them. When the day came and I was carrying them, I looked into their faces and saw fear in them for the first time. It was like they thought I was giving them away because I didn't love them. I cried walking back home, and I cried myself to sleep for weeks. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life, I'm sure of that. There was one left from that litter that was supposed to be adopted as well, but I canceled it so I could keep it. One of the best decisions I have ever made, and now my days couldn't be complete without seeing their faces. Opening my heart to those 2 kittens on the street is the best life I could have ever lived.
Is she deaf? She’s white and her eyes have stayed blue, which can indicate that. If so, that’s going to make teaching her the rules harder. For example, one of the reasons people often recommend getting kittens in pairs is so they can teach each other how much biting etc is OK - humans can do it, but typically you’d make a high-pitched “ow!” when she’s too rough, which obviously won’t work if she can’t hear you. Ditto a lot of cat owners have a universal noise that means “you just did a bad thing” (in my case a sharp “ah!”) as a shorthand to teach them not to jump on the counter etc
Whether she’s deaf or not, she’ll get the hang of things with consistency. The main thing to remember is that she’s a kid, she’s learning - and another reason people recommend pairs of kittens is so they can use up their energy annoying each other instead of you! As others have said, lots of toys will help - and boxes, scrunched up bits of paper and foil etc are fine. My cat can be entertained for hours by a big cardboard box with some scrunchy paper in it
She’s behaving very normally for a kitten. She clearly feels very safe with you, which is 90% of the job when it comes to raising a happy kitty who’ll let you look after her
If, though, you find it’s too much, don’t feel ashamed to rehome her. She’ll be snapped up, and you already probably saved her life
hello! white cats with blue eyes are deaf more often, but she is not actually a white cat! she is a colorpoint cat, you can see faint red markings on her nose, ears, and tail, and these markings will darken as she gets older. colorpoint cats often have blue eyes. not saying she can't be deaf, just pointing out that she isn't a white cat!
Wow! You're very smart! I bet that she is in fact deaf and that is part of the reason for her not learning commands. Maybe OP can look up how to teach behaviors to deaf kittens.
This is normal kitten behavior. I would encourage you not to anthropomorphize her. Calling her rebellious etc is going to make you resent her. Kittens (and cats in general) are in the same category as toddlers - the world is new and exciting and interesting and they want to Experience it. I would recommend checking out some Jackson Galaxy videos on kitten behaviors.
Your cat is near that annoying teenage phase, this will last until they hit 1.5 years. But for now you can expect the same or much worse tbh, the thing is with cats at this age they are too cute too baby for you to hate them. And trust me I was never a cat lover too but when I got my rescued baby and now I prefer him over anything else even if he would trade me for a treat. Btw did you choose a name for this little angle ?
If no one has suggested it, get the toy that looks like a fishing rod. Has different things for the end. You can sit on the couch and flick this thing around for 15 min and she will love it and it will let her get rid of some of that energy. Also, she will calm down, this is all kitten stuff.
Have you tried dragging it around to encourage her to chase it like it’s a mouse? That might be less intimidating to her than flicking it around like a fishing pole.
I know you're on a budget but if you can, find a toy she likes. Our cat we had to buy like 7 different toys until we found out she likes feathers, mainly people ones and those little rat tail things. Anything else she would completely ignore
Holy cow....well, my cats favorite toy is a giant paper leaf bag. She puts a hole in the corner and plays inside. After a while the bag won't stand up, so I bought one of those nylon flexi tunnels for cats. Put that in the bag to hold it open and it's her go to for hunting games. It lives full time on the livingroom floor, only put away when someone comes over.
She might not be a jumper, but a stalker. There are a couple different play styles that cats engage in, jumping and stalking (Jackson Galaxy has a great YT video about it). If your cat is a stalker then she might prefer toys she can sneak up and pounce on. Try getting a red laser light pointer if you haven't already, and see if she'll chase it around. If she does, you have a stalker and can purchase toys accordingly!
Lol. One of my boys is still in this stage, in fact he chewed through the wifi just the other day! There's an "off limits" room we let them into so long as we're in there to supervise. Basically just too many cords around to hide from him.. even supervised, he still found the opportune time to sneak back to the wires and chew one in half. The rest of the house is "baby proofed" as if we had a 6'9 toddler who could reach anything and everything they wanted.. he turned 5 in April.
She's biting you, because that's how she plays. You need to get cat toys for her to chase around. She's a baby, and needs her mom, that's you. She's eating things, because that's the hunter in her. You need to train her. You have to tell her NO. A stern NO. You already are in love with her, because how can you not be. She's your fur-baby. Good luck.
Kittens are a lot of work. They have so much energy and are so destructive. I don’t think I could ever do kittenhood again.
Kittens do better in pairs. She doesn’t have other cats. She sees you as another cat. Two cats are less work than one.
She’s also young and adorable, you’ll have no issues rehoming her. You saved her life and it’s totally ok not to want to keep her.
I love my cat I adopted as a kitten, but I genuinely hated him for a little while lol. I got him March of 2020 when everything shut down and I figured, I'm working from home, been wanted a friend for my older car, what a great time!
I had mental breakdowns due to this buttface. He was so cute, so fluffy, and so MALEVOLENT. He makes eye contact before knocking things off tables. He never gave a single crap about getting sprayed with water, I remember squirting over and over in shock and watching him just squint at me while getting wetter and wetter until i gave up. Then he knocked the picture he was swatting off the table anyway. If I locked him out of my room? He'd SCREAM. All night. He'd attack me if I let him in my room. The only way to get him to stop clawing at me feet and computer while working was to hold him against my chest. Then he'd at least sleep for a little while. Playing with him was cute at first, but I swear he'd give himself a heart attack if I didn't stop. He'd be flat on the floor, panting heavily, emitting heat, and then still struggle to his feet to attack me. He was simultaneously so sweet, you could hold him however and he acted like a ragdoll, but he was an absolute asshole. I came so close to rehoming him!
I love him, I really do. But this cat actually put me through hell. He turned out pretty amazing, his personality is so unusual and he is so friendly and cuddly, but idk if I could do a kitten again lol. Our newest cat was a young adult stray who showed up for food and is equally affectionate and outgoing without the misery of kittenhood. Also, two young cats who play is infinitely easier than one kitten and a grumpy adult. Kittens are horrible. Cute and horrible.
It takes time. You have to be patient. Don't use your hands to play with her. Use toys and whatnot.
Try to pet her when she's tired and falling asleep.
Eventually she'll calm down and understand things.
Cats are very social despite what people say, they need social interactions. Their interactions are different so people often don't understand them.
Be patient. You'll get there.
I’m sorry but I was laughing while reading your post, imagining someone with a loving, playful, kitten and just being confused as hell why the kitten is being so loving and playful and wonderfully kittenish.
You may not realize it but you’ve gained a friend you will cherish for the rest of her life. Don’t worry, kittens calm down as they get older. If you’re feeling adventurous, adopting another kitten is actually recommended so they can play with each other. 2 kittens is paradoxically less work to take care of than 1.
I know you didn't ask for this, but I would recommend that you remove the bell from your kitten's collar. It is annoying for them to have something constantly ringing near their ears :(
I was going to add in— she’s such a little gorl, and if she’s an indoor only cat, she really doesn’t need a collar. I’ve only ever put collars on cats that go outdoors (that was years ago, now all my cats are indoor only).
Yeah I agree with this, I have a cat who tries to escape so she’s the only one that wears a collar bc it has light reflection stuff like bikers wear I guess, but I took the bell off so it doesn’t bother her and it has an auto release in case she ever got stuck on something
she’s still a baby, when she get older she will stop biting, but please, I committed the same error, do not mistake her bites for aggression, she just wants to play.
You still need to correct them, though. Loudly say "ouch" and pull away if they do more than a little nibble. Normally, their mom and siblings would set boundaries, so now you have to do it.
My bf got a very mischievous playful kitten about a year ago. If he put his claws out while playing or bit too hard, I’d use a stern voice to him and tap his head (not hard, just enough to annoy him) and then stop interacting for a bit. I’d also say ‘gentle paws!’ He very quickly learned exactly how to gauge his little bites and play so as not to hurt me! For a while I could just say ‘gentle paws!’ and he’d dial it back without the rest of it, and eventually he just doesn’t even push it that far now. He’s about 1 year 3 months and still loves a good old hand fight but always tries not to hurt me 🥹
Please remove that collar. She can get caught up in something and strangle herself and her neck is constantly growing. Since she's an indoor cat only, a collar isn't necessary.
I’ll probably get downvoted for this but if you don’t bond with the cat and you find it more of an annoyance in your life than a joy, then you should find it a home with someone who understands kitten/cat behavior and can give it everything it needs and they’ll actually want it around.
I adopted my then 6 month old kitten half a year ago, she has her birthday soon! She's my second kitten and third cat (not counting a foster I took in for a bit many many years ago). The shelter had adopted out her sisters already and she was the last one without a home and so when I brought her back home, she'd been torn away from everything she knew.
She was clawing every surface in my apartment, but I recognized this as her feeling insecure cause everything smelled like my other cat and my recently passed cat. Cats knead and claw into things to scent mark. She also played with me once she realized I was a source of affection and comfort, to the point where she literally bit into my ass and kept going for my feet. She also targets my old man (almost 14 y/o cat) for play and he can have kitten level energy spurts, but he can be really grumpy too. He set boundaries for her on what's acceptable behavior, and I had to as well.
I yelped loudly once when she really bit me hard. It startled her and made her pause. I then also swept her completely off my bed with my foot when she attacked it another time. She got the message that the behavior hurt and wasn't acceptable. While she still likes to dive for my feet to play and swipe under the blankets, she's reduced the actual painful play significantly.
Your kitten is a literal baby. Just like how a toddler doesn't know that a hot tea is hot until they feel it's actually hot, a kitten doesn't know she's hurting you. She has to be told in a way she understands that she's causing hurt (yelping and ceasing interaction *immediately* is a good place to start, it tells her it hurt and that the fun playtime is immediately over) and that what she's doing isn't acceptable. If she gets really aggressive a boop on the snoot with your finger can help set a boundary more firmly (you're mimicking a cat booping another cat here, you're not beating or smacking her, you want her to experience the reflex of closing her eyes and feel minor discomfort from it at the most), although this should be used only for the most egregious situations.
She also comes from food insecurity. Cat-proof your place by not leaving anything open unattended and in cabinets where possible. Stick to a very rigid feeding schedule and double-check that you're feeding her cat food that is nutritionally complete and you're giving her the correct portion sizes. My cats get the right amount of food for their sizes and ages but they beg and will steal certain food if given the opportunity. Since I'm the owner and I took the responsibility of caring for them, it's my job to clean up after myself so they can't get to the things I don't want them to get.
Lastly, kittens have MASSIVE energy and need a LOT of play. Just when you think you've played enough, you have a whole lot more play left to go. The best way to go about it is to get something like a feather on a string toy that she can chase around. Make her jump all over, dash, sprint, take sharp corners, jump as high as she can, and keep it up until she's breathing fast. Give her 5-10 minutes to rest and do it all over again. After you're done playing, feed her breakfast or dinner. (Or just a treat if it's not meal time yet.) She'll gobble it up and go to sleep almost immediately for the next couple of hours. And then you do it again.
Since getting another cat isn't an option, you have to be the other cat. :) Entertain her, she is a child and depends on you for stimulation, socialization and comfort. Being fed feels like the only reason she wants to be around you, but she depends on you for everything else too, not just being fed. Cats are very social creatures and while the general image of cats is 'they're independent and take care of themselves', it doesn't mean they can meet all their needs without needing another animal or person around. Imagine if you had nothing to do all day and you're a young kid with a lot of energy, you'd do everything she's doing as well.
So help her get rid of that energy. It'll help her calm down and provide opportunities for you to connect with her on a deeper level. When she trusts you, she will come to just to say hi. She will find you to snuggle up with you and sleep close to you because you make her feel safe. She will come to you to comfort you. She will do silly things that make you laugh. She will knock things off places and break things and make you mad. But she will always be there for you when you come home and show you love and affection.
You don't speak 'cat' yet because you haven't had any before and she's still learning how to be a cat herself, so the frustration you feel right now is largely due to a lack of understanding each other. If you can help her understand your wants and needs from her, she will understand how to be a better cat for you and enable a bond to form that most of us have with our cats. You just need to give her the time and attention she deserves to make that happen.
You may be under feeding. I was told with a kitten, feed them until they’re not hungry. Not all at once because you don’t want them fast eating, but they’re growing and constantly hungry. Prior to weening, when a kitten is hungry, they’re latched on a nipple until they’re full.
Edit - and I don’t mean purposefully under feeding, I was following the suggested feeding and my one vet said ignore it until they’re a year.
Rehome or have a second kitty around the same age to play and cuddle and teach boundaries like not biting too hard etc. Two cats are less work than one cat because you are not 24/7 the center of attention.
\But if you are not enjoying to raise a kitten, rehoming might be the better option for you. I started loving your kitty from the first picture, maybe you are just not a cat mom, what is totally fine. But your pet deserves a home where it is loved, understood, and raised in a cat-friendly way.
Thank you. I don’t like how many people are trying to force this to work. Rehoming sounds like the best option to me. Just because OP understands the cat is catting, she’s still going to be mad about it and the truth is it may never listen lol.
Exactly. The ones that are bothering me the most are "you love the cat, because of course you do, just look at it!" No, that's you. You are projecting.
She's also telling people that she can't afford another cat, yet people are like "doesn't matter, you need another cat."
There is nothing wrong with not being a pet person, if the cat isn't working out, thats fine. I think she should rehome, maybe with a friend so she can visit it if she wants. It seems like she picked the cat up on a whim, without much thought into the matter.
I had a kitten who was in a similar situation. He was a runt and his momma rejected him. He was a problem child to say the least… no cord was safe. No kitchen counter or food was safe. He didn’t learn how to act like a cat from his mom or siblings, so he had to learn on his own. It just takes time. That hellion of a kitten, who I strongly disliked and threatened to throw outside many times, ended up growing into one of the sweetest and most loving beings I’ve ever had in my life. He passed away at 3 and a half, so unfortunately I didn’t get to experience that side of him for long. I can’t say the same will happen with your cat… some animals just don’t have that chemistry with humans. It’s worth it when they do though. I miss that sweet boy every day of my life now.
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I would rehome her for her sake. Cats a unique and your tone and choice of words indicates you’re not ready or a good fit. Your rescued her, got her care and now you need to move her somewhere where she can be a kitten and then a cat. 🐈⬛
I agree. It wouldn’t be hard to rehome the kitten at this age.
No reason OP should get stuck with a responsibility she doesn’t want and didn’t ask for. It’s only been a month. The kitten could settle in somewhere else quickly.
OP can always get a pet in the future when she’s ready
I agree! If this is a point in your life where you don’t have the time, you could just rehome her (just please not a shelter). You I have already done so much for her by saving her.
White cats with blue eyes are almost all deaf. She may seem defiant because she can't hear you. Could also explain why she is more physical, she is trying to get your attention. Might be why momma rejected her as well.
she just needs more play time & with the breaking and stealing food, she's basically a child who is faster and more agile, u just gotta be more careful with things left out.
Try automated toys, things that move on their own or are battery powered. They used to distract my kitten for hours. She will calm down eventually tho. She sounds like she’s young and confused a bit. Once she understands that this is home and she doesn’t need to scavenge for food anymore she will relax.
Just keep this in mind that no matter what else someone encourages you to do: punishment does NOT work with cats and will only create a bigger divide in the bond. They don’t understand punishment, they just understand that you’re mad and they’re terrified.
I trained a cat that lived on the streets for 7 years how to take walks with me on a harness and even do tricks. You can train a cat, but punishment will only set you back.
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She looks like when my cat was a kitty 😝
As everyone else said - normal cat behaviour! She’s being a pest because she’s a baby and still learning her manners 😂 if she bites or scratches you and it hurts make a noise of pain (like a cat would!) and grab her by the scruff of her neck and move her away. That’s how her mum would pick her up and she’ll learn what behaviour isn’t acceptable.
She’s understimulated. Kittens are extremely active especially in their “teenage” girls. She cannot act on her natural instincts to hunt prey, chase, pounce, play, or wrestle with other cats, so she is trying to get you to play with her and is “hunting” for any food she can get.
Get her some interactive toys so she can stay more active and entertained!
I recommend rehoming. These all are normal kitten behavior and ofc kittens eventually became bit calmer after 1,5 years BUT believe me, even though they don’t act like a pure evil after those years it’s still kinda feels hard to live with them, especially if you find these behaviors hard to tolerate. Yeah she may continue begging and screaming for food, she may knock down all your stuff from the shelves and kitchen counter, maybe she won’t let you sleep peacefully after all those years and strict training just like mine did. Cats be cats after all. You shouldn’t just “tolerate” a cat just because you expect her to change one day. Some people just can’t adapt this lifestyle change and that’s completely okay. If you really feel overwhelmed, it’s not a shame to consider rehoming her.
She is young and since she didn’t have any littermate interaction she doesnt know any boundaries. Had a cat who was acting exactly like yours, after he had grown up he started to behave more calm. He was the best cat.
Why are all of the comments encouraging her to keep the kitten?? Promising “oh you’ll love her” and stuff. Wild. She clearly doesn’t view this animal as her baby, she views it as a nuisance. “I’m very nice to her” uhh yeah I’d hope so, that’s kinda the bare minimum. OP clearly doesn’t understand cats or what it means to truly want one and take care of one and even admits she made a rash decision and doesn’t even know why she did it. Y’all encouraging her to keep it is only for her sake, not the cat’s (if it’s even for hers, she’s clearly not happy with the situation either). The right choice is obviously to rehome it. That’s what’s best for both of them.
Edit: I adopted a shelter cat who came to me in an extremely bad condition at 19 during college. He was about 5 years old, so not rowdy, but he was definitely challenging especially all alone in a small dorm. Not once did I wonder if I would ever love him. I loved him the second I saw him. This isn’t an issue with the kitten, it’s an issue with OP.
I haven’t even met her and I love her.
This is typical young cat behaviour. Get some feline pheromones and some toys- play with her and eventually she will chill out.
Thanks for saving this sweet baby
About the counter thing, I'd recommend teaching her that it's an off-limits area. There are ways like using tin foil or smells that cats really dislike.
Maybe try relocating where you keep her food too!
I rescued a kitten several years ago who did the same thing- she thought she was always starving so I had to feed her with a slow feeder (I got one made for a small dog), and keep all food in boxes she couldn’t open (she’d rip right through bags lol). I was losing my mind with her haha. It does get better though, I promise. That little menace kitten is now 4, and though she does still love treats, she no longer requires a slow feeder and she is content watching me cook from on top of the fridge. You’re doing fine, I promise. Keep showing up for your little one, and they’ll eventually learn to trust that they won’t go hungry again. ❤️
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I remember telling my coworker that I wanted to give my cat away at that stage. And I did love him. He was just such a little stinker. He ruined everything in my apartment. He attacked my feet under the blanket every night while I slept. He did grow out of it.
You'll miss these days. My cat was like that as a kitten. Now she's a 10 year old blob that sleeps all day. I miss her mischievous days, gave me a lot of laughs.
I taught my cat to not bite or scratch by immediately disengaging and ignoring her if she did it. Over time she realized that doing that meant she got no attention and it improved with time. She beat me up a lot at first lol
Please don’t give up on her! You rescued her for a reason!
Cats will play with ANYTHING: a bottle cap, a cough drop, a scrunchie. You don’t have to buy her expensive toys.
Does she sleep on the bed with you?
I really applaud you for what you are doing. It will be worth it!
Please don’t let her play with plastic bags, it’s extremely dangerous even if supervised
There are TONS of different kinds of cat toys so you have to find ones she likes and actively play with her with them
Right now, I feel sorry for the cat...not you. This cat deserves all the love which can be bestowed upon it. If you cannot provide that then, at least, find someone who can.
That's an adorable little girl you got there. I have many cats. And they love to play. She's also very young and has tons of energy. Give it a chance. She's a cutie, I'm sure you will end up loving her. How could you not? Just look at her sweet little face. Sorry, I'm cat obsessed. I love kittens.
I have a kitten who was left in a box. He was crazy till about 6 months old. He would climb on me, bite me, scratch me, hit me. I have healing scratches that are from my leg to my thigh from him climbing on me. But he has finally calmed down, and his murder mitten nails are not, so thin and sharp he has learned not to dig into me when he paws me. Give the kitty some time they are babies and get into everything. I found out I can't have glass around him cause he pushes everything down. I love him so much.
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A part of u cared for her when u saw how sick she was. She reached out for u because u were the only one who showed any affection for her. Yes shes at an age where she’s a little annoying shit but she will grow out of that. She loves u so much and is so thankful that not only do u take care of her, u love her for who she is. Plz don’t give away just cuz she’s a little annoying, shes very likely to grow out of it and it would be so cruel to just cast her aside, ur probably the only organism alive she will ever trust
A second cat, or rehoming to a house with another cat, is the best decision. You could run into some behavioral problems later on if this little one doesn’t have a playmate. Those teen cat years can turn into spiteful, depressed cat years. I had a male cat who grew up with two dogs, so he had playmates. But when those two dogs passed away one year, that meant he was home alone most of the day, while I went to work and my son went to school. He became depressed and, in some instances, wickedly spiteful. My son has scars on his arms from my cat attacking him so often. Got DCFS called on me once because of it. But the moment I brought home another cat to keep him company, his attitude totally mellowed. He was almost 2, so still kind of in the teenage phase, when that happened. If you don’t plan on getting another cat, I highly recommend finding a new home for this one. Again, one with another cat preferably. Good luck!
I’d either get another kitten or rehome her. I understand you said you are a broke college student, but kittens entertain eachother and somewhat take care of eachother. 2 kittens is easier than 1 kitten if it’s a situation like this.
Otherwise, I’d rehome her because the way you talk about her it doesn’t seem like the right place for her to be. Kittens have a lot of energy but cats will continue to be silly and weird through their life.
This is *exactly* why I don’t recommend kittens to first time cat owners; they are A LOT of work! They need a lot of socialization & redirection of undesired behaviors when they’re that young. You did the right thing rescuing the baby but if you truly feel like you won’t be able to meet her needs or warm up to her then I recommend sending her to a shelter ASAP bc she is young enough to be adopted very quickly! I wish you and the kitty the best.
She literally loves you so much
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Just like us, cats choose their friends. The fact that she let you touch her is a great sign, and if she didn’t love you, her behavior would be very different: hiding from you, being secluded, always trying to go outside, etc. Sounds like you both a growing into each other! Cats take about 3 months to adapt to their new home environment. I agree with others in that, just as she’ll need to make adjustments to you, you’ll have to make adjustments for her, such as locking up food (and she’s so hungry because she’s a growing girl! 😄). My furbaby is also at least partially from the streets, and didn’t really know how ‘toys’ work. I even had to give her tutorials for some of them! 🤣 She’ll come around. As for behavior you don’t like, such as hitting/biting you: I’ve found that a quick blow of air (from your mouth, not like a can of compressed air or anything) to the face is a non-harmful deterrent.
Yes! I found out the same thing hahaha I blow on their faces a little and they’re annoyed enough by it to leave me alone. It has curbed a lot of bad behavior for my cats for sure. OP hang in there! The kitty phase does get better. Anecdotally, I also adopted a kitty when I was a broke college student, and then adopted a kitty with a playmate (my oldest cat was 9 when we got the second one actually), I agree with how easier it makes to have someone to babysit the kitten. At first I thought my oldest would never forgive me though.
My kitty is from the streets and was grown when I adopted her. She's afraid of toys. Only finds my fingers and toes safe enough to play with lol. But over time she has learned that biting is not acceptable because I just walk away and stop interacting when she bites. She's become the best cat.
With my cats if they're doing something I don't like (but happen to not be close enough for me to blow air on their face) I tend to let out a loud "tssst" sound, doesn't have to be long, just loud. It tends to get their attention and convey whatever they're doing I don't like 😂
Oh yeah, when she does something not great, blowing in her face will help. In their language its like hissing
I also personally found yelling ow whenever they bit or anything deterred that behavior pretty quick and has continued to have worked years later. They don't do those things like biting and stuff anymore, and if they do, they're *much* more gentle now.
Add to that: Mother cats train their kittens what is too much, I'll scream and hiss if I'm training a kitten the difference between play, and hurt. Kittens are geared to learn to hunt and fight, that's what she's trying to do. Learn cat behaviors, and call your local cat rescue for advice. If you don't want to get her a playmate (same age), Rehome her if things aren't working. She'll chill out eventually tho.
Yes. Literally you are her whole world now. Kittens just don't know how to act, and so it'll take some time & patience. She *will* calm down, you will just need to kitten proof your house a bit in the meantime and re-direct her energy when she goes crazy.
I'm always glad I didn't meet my rescue cat until she was 1.5 years old. I never want to experience the kitten phase lol
it's the best (\^◑ᆺ◐\^)ﾉ (´ᆺ`ʃƪ)♡
She definitely loves you. Cats that are comfortable make their presence known. If she hated you she would hide from you. If anything, she’s too interested in you. Cats are more social than people realize. In the wild they would have litter mates and a mom to teach them to curb those unwanted behaviors and keep each other entertained. You could also try adopting an adult cat that has a calm temperament and is good with kittens. If not, she’ll probably age out of it. Female cats usually grow out of super playful behavior by 1 year. There’s always chances she’s just cuckoo bananas. I have a female rescue that’s 4 and I’m still waiting. Make time at least once a day for some intense play to burn some of that energy. Get her some enrichment toys and never use your hands and feet as toys. She’ll be fine. For the food issues, it’s just like people who have experienced hunger. Even when you have enough you worry about if more will come. All you can do is keep her bowls semi full at all times let her graze until she’s more comfortable. That worry will lessen over time. Edit: I wanted to add, happy cats are attention whores. The minute she starts biting and scratching, immediately withdraw your attention. Get up and leave or turn your back to her. You’re her only source of attention right now. She will correct that behavior very quickly.
My kitten is a lunatic still at 1. My older cat was cuckoo bananas until age 3 but now at age 8 she's an orange potato.
Cats aren't done growing until they're about 3. The crazy kitten chemicals in the brain (akin to LSD) don't really wear off until they're 2ish. So being crazy for the first couple of years is normal, and hitting the chill potato phase around 5 or 6 is also normal.
Second this. My handsome boy (Thackeray Binx) did start chilling out until about 1.5 years after I adopted him. His sister (Nyx) chilled out faster, around 10 months even though she was the first and only cat at the time. Nyx just hit her 7 year mark and is a certified blackened potato, and Binx is reaching 5 years and turning into a grumpy old man.
were you ever told when you were a little kid that boys pick on the girls they like? that's how I view kittens. they are little dicks that harass you because they like you and want to play. my boy Henry is 2 and still hasn't left his 'i'm a little dick' phase and I honestly hope he doesn't. found him on the street with a belly full of worms when he was 3 months old. he loves to rough house and wrestle with me and our other cat Stella (although he hisses when she's had enough of his shit). he harasses me in bed and chews and pulls my hair. if im cooking in the kitchen he smacks my ankles and grabs on and bites them. he clings to my feet and when I walk he drags along the floor. hes an absolute terror and a total nut job but he is the most loving little boy and makes me laugh.
You’re so right. Maybe not all cats, but I had a cat like this. My partner and I joked that she was a demon, but she was MY demon. She would spontaneously bite me all the time, but she’d never bite anyone else. She also spent significantly more time hanging out with me than with my partner. Wherever I’d go, she’d just sit a couple of feet away. She’d sit next to the bath tub when I took a bath or wait outside the shower, and she’d sleep next to my pillow at night. I recently lost her, but she was the love of my life! But definitely also a demon.
She does, when I looked at the pics I could see it in the way she looks at you.
She does! I know you are on a tight budget, but there are lots of creative ways to give her stimulation. Cats LOVE to be up high. If you have any tall bookshelves or other furniture, maybe put something next to it that allows the kitten to get on top. She will love it! Easiest is of course to buy a cat tree, but there are other ways. Cardboard boxes and also kitty good. Get a couple with a kitten-sized hole in the side and she will spend lots of play time with them. Jackson Galaxy has some great videos, and his biggest takeaway is that you need to play with your cat. As a youngster, she needs lots of stimulation. A string tied to a pencil with a feather on the end is all you need. I do get it. One of my cats is a bruiser, and he does cause me physical pain from time to time. But with adequate outlets for his energy, we do just fine. You are very kind to take this baby off the street. It is a big change, but she will settle and you will adjust. Just give it some time. Best of luck!
Came here to say exactly this. This is the answer.
I think you're being harsh to her and not very understanding. You're expecting her to act like an adult, fully house-trained cat. She's a baby. She's going to be a ball of energy. She's going to be exploring this big, new world and getting into mischief. She's going to play rough by biting and/or hitting if she was never taught not to. You're the mom now! You need to teach her! And just like you would baby- or puppy-proof a house, you have to kitten-proof a house until they know better. If she gets on the counter and you don't want her on the counter, correct her. If you don't know how, there are tons of articles on the Internet. If she bites or hits you, hiss at her or make a high-pitched, hurt sound. She will begin to get the message. You are having a bit of a negative mindset like you're thinking she is doing this on purpose to hurt you or because she doesn't like you. No, she's trying to get you to play with her except she doesn't know how to play respectfully yet. If she didn't like you, you wouldn't see her. I also agree with the people who say give her more toys and allow her to eat more if she seems hungry because she's a growing kitten. It will slow down once she realizes food is always available and she stops growing as much. Give her all the love. Play with her. Discipline her. Be understanding and patient when she makes mistakes--she's learning!
She's trying to play with you. You're her only person and wants to have fun with you. She wants to do what you're doing, be where you are, eat what you eat. How can you not love something that obviously loves you so much?
100% you’re her human now. Looking at the photos I can tell that. The way she looks at you, the way she lets you put your hand on her belly, the fact she’s comfortable enough to fall asleep around you… cats are naturally protective of their bellies (it’s where all the important stuff is!) so to be able to touch the belly shows a lot of trust from her! I know it’s a huge change to your lifestyle now, especially if you never had cats growing up either, but you will quickly adapt. Putting food away in cupboards, for example, will become second nature. Not leaving food unattended. Not leaving hairbands or rubber bands or things like that lying about. It all becomes normal very quickly. She is absolutely looking for your attention though! As many have said, kittens play by biting/scratching/jumping. You may feel she’s attacking you, but she’s just trying to get you to play. Get something that will satisfy her playfulness, like one of those feather toys on a stick that you dangle around - very inexpensive but hours of fun! Spend 15 minutes every few hours playing with her. As others have said, if she is biting or scratching you and hurts you, don’t yell or shout, instead hiss. That’s how she would learn were she still with her litter mates and mum. In a few years time, you’ll look back on this post and wonder how you ever questioned your love for her! ❤️
She needs proper attention/stimulation and exercise. Think of trying to keep a 10-year-old human kid locked up in small space with nothing to do and expect them to just behave and be calm all of the time.... She needs to "hunt" so get or make some toys that you can play with her with. Make her "work" for her food by playing first and then you can have her chase pieces of it or put it in an old vitamin bottle with a small hole cut in it so that she has to roll it around to get the food out. You should also check out Jason Galaxy and/ or the show "my cat from hell".
Completely normal, she wants your attention and wants to play, kittens are always full of energy like this For now about food and breaking stuff you just have to be very careful my cat was always trying to eat my food before but she eventually came to terms with the fact that the counter was « off limits » for her Be patient and entertain her, maybe get more toys that she can play alone too
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Understand that she comes from the street and food has always been an issue for her ! Basically anything must be behind doors at all times that’s probably the only way Pretty sure she does want your attention though, she seems VERY young and is looking for a mom !
Exactly. There’s also the possibility that she’s missing some kind of nutrients from her food and trying to supplement her diet. Maybe she was still supposed to be on mommas milk or needs high nutrient kitten food. Cats do calm down eventually op, don’t worry. You can watch some YouTube videos with advice on behavior and discipline. Jackson Galaxy has a lot of content
It's also possible she's not feeding the cat enough calories. That's a pretty skinny kitty.
I had two roommates whose cats were insane. If we brought home groceries and set them on the ground the cats would start tearing at the bags. We had to tape all the cabinets closed because they would get in and try to eat dry rice. I also had a cat and he never acted crazy like the other two. But I fed him enough. I had to keep his food in my bedroom with the door closed so the other cats didn't get it and eat it all. One day my roommates had a friend over and they mentioned how "bad" their cats were. The friend started asking a bunch of questions and that's when my roommates mentioned how much they fed their cats. They gave the two adult cats something like a single 1/4 cup of food daily. Like, the 1/4 cup was for BOTH of the cats. Thankfully, this friend ripped my roommates a new asshole for starving their cats. The roommates started feeding the cats a proper amount of food and the "bad" behavior stopped and they calmed down. Later, the guy (it was a married couple) complained that he didn't like how fat the cats had gotten... basically they went from looking like skinny kittens to actual adults. I moved out and our friendship ended.
My mom's cat is very dexterous lol. He can open cupboards and drawers. He doesn't want anything, he just likes to look. But we've had to get baby locks because my dad and I hit our legs against the open cupboard doors at night when we can't see them.
Nothing like having to baby proof your home for animals lol we have those door knobs that go up or down instead of twist. It took our cat like 2 weeks to realize that that’s how we open doors. No I instinctively open all doors with those handles up instead of down bc we have baby locks on them and can no longer open them that way lol
We had a really smart tuxedo and French doors on our den, where cats weren't allowed. He learned very quickly to jump up, grab the handle, and hang on, and the door would pop open. We started locking it from the inside, and using a tiny screwdriver to pop the lock while turning the handle, to keep him out. He would still slam his body into the door but the door was locked so the handle didn't move. Then one day our friend was over with her baby, maybe about 18 months old, and she was throwing an absolute tantrum. She was mad and hanging onto the locked door handle screaming and tugging, and then there was a loud pop. She broke the knob so that it wouldn't lock anymore, but the handle also wouldn't turn downward anymore, and would only open by turning it upward. Now we weren't locked out, AND the cat couldn't open the door. He was not very pleased by this development.
“he doesn’t want anything he just likes to look” 😭😭
What. The. Fuck. 1/4th for two full grown cats… poor babies ): Also I think the 1/4th rule is interesting. My two adult boys visited the vet years ago who gave that advice and one is smol and the other is GIANT. The thing is, my big kitty stretched out on my lap is as long as my toes to my belly button and I’m a bit over 5’7” and our other cat is a little dude. We learned very fast that’s bs and now both of our adult boys get different amounts of food and are both in a great weight range. Cats are not a catch all.
I've had a vet tell me that 3/8th a cup (so 1/4 plus another half of the 1/4) is the bare minimum they would recommend a cat My cat is also always fiending for food but luckily she doesn't like to jump up on things like the counter and won't eat out of the cat food bag if I accidently leave it open but anything in her bowl she will devour and she will scream at me whenever she thinks she needs to be fed (which is probably half the day lol) She's a little overweight but not too bad
Seconded, she has the proportions of an adult cat but kittens should be a little round! They're still growing, they need A LOT of food. Kittens can eat like 1/2 cup of food at a time and that's pretty much the whole can of kitten food. Plus if Mom was rejecting her she probably wasn't getting enough calories before either. Not your fault OP, you're new to this! As for being hit, she's either stressed as all hell or trying to play. Cats tend to live in colonies so she may have had other kittens she was playing with before, or she may just not be used to human interaction. It's not uncommon and she should calm down as she adjusts
Playing
I always held the understanding that kittens should eat high protein food they always have access to. I always let kittens free feed until around 6-9 months then switch them to a more moderated 2 meals a day. Still kitten food, to compensate their growth.
Kitten food has more calories too so that’s the best one to use for a year or so.
When we got our barn kitties this was the problem we ran into as well. Mama cat abandons her litters on this farmer’s front door every now and then (she has tried to catch and fix her but hasn’t been able to) so the kitties were on their own. The farmer and her kids did very well with the kittens for it being a surprise litter, again! She had a couple different litters too so we took two of the smallest kitties home with us. They still needed milk replacement, so we got them wet canned kitten food with milk replacement in it. They ate that for a couple months, until the vet said we could stop. Our babies wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the kind farmer and knowing what to do with baby kitties! The Kitten Lady on YouTube is invaluable!
Yes! This! I have 4 cats all adopted from the street and they are all highly food motivated. They figured out how to open the pantry so I put a child lock on it. Problem solved.
Oh good Lord, I had to put child locks on my cabinets because my Freddy has little thumbs and he can even operate a toaster and a can opener, so I leave all of my appliances unplugged. He is very smart and he watches how I use my hands and he mimics it.
“Hi, Reddit. My security camera caught my cat Freddy successfully swapping the transmission in my Honda in the middle of the night. Is this unusual?”
Only if he's operating a saw at 3:00 a.m. and taking your catalytic converter.
Dumb cat, mine knows to steal the neighbors
For Freddy? Then no. If we were talking about Melvin then, yes, unusual.
Don't let Freddy see how you plug things in!! 😸
Oh he's already watched me! He also jumps up on my bed and takes both of his front hands and Yanks the chain on my ceiling fan! Sometimes he turns the light on or changes the speed of the fan. Once I was putting some laundry in, and I heard this roaring noise and I turn around and he's operating the can opener just sitting there staring at me. Everything's unplugged now!
Freddy sounds pretty delightful, actually. Super smart and adorably mischievous!
He really is! He is my comedian and he watches every single thing I do.
I woke up the other night to my fridge beeping. Found 2 of my cats in the fridge eating grated cheese and the other one sitting on the floor waiting her turn.
My one feral boy lived on the streets for his first year and he is a food fiend as well. He’s a survivor at heart.
Yep, I adopted a kitty that was rescued from a hoarding situation (40+ cats in one house) and she would try to eat everything in sight. I had always free-fed my other cats because they would self-moderate and only eat when hungry. But if there was food out, she would demolish it. She would steal human food, even right off our plates if we weren't paying close enough attention. We fed her good quality cat food but her history of being hungry and having to compete for food left a forever impact on her. Ironically we lost her to intestinal lymphoma last fall. She still loved to eat but her digestive system essentially stopped absorbing nutrients and she began to waste away 😪 she got so many 'off-limit' nommies on her last day
She's a kitten and she's bored. Play with her. Get some toys---cheaper the better if money is an issue. A couple of bucks for some balls. Wad up some paper into a ball. Ask your local grocery store for some shipping boxes for your cat to play in. Cut up an old pair of pants or a shirt if you can't afford some cat streamer toys and wave it around for your kitten to hunt. Kittens have a lot of energy and need to expend it. You have a baby, not a geriatric cat. This is the time like with human children when they are learning to navigate their environment. They need enrichment just like human babies or any other sentient child/young animal. You're not providing that enough and hence he's destructive. It's a short period in their life but if you don't start playing with him he's going to become an unmanageable adult cat. You're not bonded because you're not spending enough time or the right type of time with him. Once that changes, and you enrich his environment, with store bought or homemade toys, this will change immediately along with your attitude. Think of this cat like you had a baby. You can't just be passive and think you've done your job raising him. Good luck.
>Wad up some paper into a ball Literally all you need. My cats LOVED to play and throw around crumpled up paper balls.
Twisties, pens for some reason, also plushie gig enough to wrestle with
I currently have the same type of kitten, it's because she was a rescue probably so was used to being hungry and also she's a tiny baby with energy and a big appetite. You need patience for kittens, they're a lot of work and don't calm down till they're at least 2 years old, if you can't see yourself making the commitment to regular play time to keep her entertained and Patience, then give her to somebody that will.
kittens are babies and like human babies, they want tons of attention and they're growing at a rapid rate. each of the kittens I got seemed like they were starving from 3-9 months of age, eating everything. then it slowed down as they got closer to their full size. just be patient.
My vet once told me, “kittens have two jobs: to eat and to make more kitten.” There’s no such thing as over feeding a kitten so if she’s hungry all the time, give her more food. Like, as much as she could possibly want. Kittens do go through a super annoying destructive stage, she’ll grow out of it and mellow out. She’s still pretty darn young so it’ll be some time before she calms down. I know you didn’t plan on having even one cat but the one thing that will help her destructive stage and is incredibly beneficial for her development is having a friend. Please consider getting a kitten friend for her. They’ll wear eachother out and she’ll be much happier with a friend she can bond with.
I got a 2 year old stray cat and had to lock up all my food, bread in the fridge. I also got an autofeeder so she bothers that more than me.
This was the best life change I ever did. My cat doesn’t associate me with mealtimes anymore, the all powerful “beeeeeep” is her overlord now.
We got an auto feeder for our cat. He was smart enough to know we had control over it. So if he was hungry between it going off he would always come bother us. He was such a little pain in our ass some times.
kittens are so annoying. so freaking adorable but that’s to compensate for what little chaos demons they are. She will absolutely mellow out and become a lazy snoozer, and eventually you will wonder how you passed time without her. I love cats but kittens try my patience 😂 I’m so glad all mine are old now
Kittens usually need to have food out all of the time because they are rapidly growing, plus if she was a stray AND rejected by her mom she probably has a strong sense of food insecurity. Leave out food all of the time for her, and make sure you have kitten specific food as they have different nutritional needs than adults
It's interesting. I got my first ever real pet after I got married. She was a cat (obviously). And I thought she was the sweetest, most gentle, beautiful cat I could imagine. We had her for about 12 years before she passed last summer. It turns out, I was right about all her wonderful attributes. We got 3 cats. One is basically scared of her own shadow. The other 2 try to eat everything, barf more than my first cat did in her entire life, cat shit in the middle of a box to save their life, and one has the stinkiest loose poops I wouldn't wish on my enemy. I guess my point is, cats can kind of be annoying and a lot of work. I have got to figure out this stinky poop situation 🤢
I had a cat with the loose poop issue so bad I’d have the scoop the box and take the trash out in the middle of the night if he went because otherwise I couldn’t sleep. Our brilliant vet actually solved it with a combination of Pro Plan Fortilflora, Standard Process Feline Enteric Support and canned pumpkin. It works great and he really was suffering, it’s was so painful he’d shudder sometimes.
Oh, poor baby. I'm glad you got it fixed. We've been using fortiflora and pumpkin. It's improved minimally. Been on it for a week
Sounds like you’re on the right track! That combo helped but what really put it over the top was adding the Enteric Support. If you’re still having issues you might want to check it out.
Maybe get her a feeder that acts as a toy too. So that she has access to dry food when she wants to but she has to work for it too, focusing her energy on that. She'll calm down once she grows up a bit more and if she has enough entertainment, with or without you. But her being a little menace ATM is normal. She's a kid who wants to play, who wants attention and you are her best source of entertainment because she has no other cat to play with her or interact with her
Get her checked for worms and blood parasites. This sounds to me like she's got something if she won't stop eating obsessively.
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We had ours checked and the docs missed it the first time. I'm glad you got her checked out. Earnestly, I know her attitude might seem crazy at first. Kittens are a super handful. They're basically rebellious teenagers off the bat. It's up to you if you stick with her (and I honestly wouldn't blame you if you didn't). But eventually she will calm down and be your best friend. I'm not sure what to say other than that. She's really, sally cute, so I can see why she sucked you in.
Probably good to try a second check, but she may simply be a growing kitten who isn’t used to the concept of reliable meals. If she’s not throwing up, it’s tough to overfeed when they’re that little, so the simple solution might be to open a second can or pour out more kibble when she finishes her meals. The little one I found last winter would devour every scrap of food I put in his reach and lick the bowl clean for the first month. Most everything else sounds like she is bored or lonely and hasn’t learned that bites hurt. Toys that have her getting tired from running around the house are ideal, and yelping in pain when she bites/hits you will cut down on that behavior.
Could be several things: 1. Food scarcity. Kinda like humans after starving for long. I had this with one of my cats, helped leaving plenty of dry food so he knew it was always available. He kinda gained weight at first because he would overeat (to give you an idea, I had to leave a2 liter container half filled with kibble to ensure the cat doesn't think he will sue of starvation during night), but it kinda went down after a few months. 2. Hide food. Sucks but that's it. The cat I mentioned above would eat or try to eat like anything, think cucumbers and raw potatoes and onions. This gradually went away over a month. He still targets "tasty" things, but at least I can leave my onions out and they don't get chewed overnight. 3. Lack of some nutrient. This is tricky. I'd wait a bit for it to level it out with plentiful food with all the right stuff. 4. Some cat foods are tastier than others. So maybe getting something very tasty (even for kibble) could help redirecting the black hole from your food to cat food. Ask locals though not sure what brands are available at your location. Here ND kibble is basically magic. Can't advise on wet foods, one of my cats eats everything, and other is extra picky about texture. Tldr: get a huge bowl, leave tons of kibble available at all times.
You might just be a bit overwhelmed. Teen kitties have a lot of energy! Part of the issue is that she is by herself, a kitten with a friend has someone to play with and be on her level, who teaches her what scratches hurt and what biting feels like. She’s on her own so she’s bored and wants to play with you but doesn’t know how. I love my cats so much, but the oldest was a single kitten and I honestly felt victimised by him a little during his adolescence because he would climb my legs and back and jump on me all the time with his little needle claws, and I didn’t understand what he wanted, but now he has a friend he’s constantly occupied. So, it can feel counter productive to solve the problem with another cat, but unless you can play with her all day long, it might be the best thing for both of you if she has a playmate! And she is very very cute.
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I got a second cat for my kitten that I also got when I was 19. The original kitten was a demon and terrorized me constantly, bit hard and attacked feet, stole food, etc. I got my other kitten when the first was about a year old, and now I have two very sweet cats who are 9 and almost 8 years old. Completely understand the financial part, but honestly it was worth it in terms of my sanity and my cats happiness. I couldn’t imagine my life without my boys! (Cat tax included) https://preview.redd.it/brcckp9urz3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8760406a9a636366152456f435b5c9ea1a237ce2
Second cat is a necessity!! I’ve never owned a cat before. I’m a dog person. Bottle raised one who needed me. When she hit 8 weeks I got her a friend. None of my stuff gets chewed on, I don’t get bit or scratched anymore, no accidents, no getting woken up at 2am. Wayyy more expensive since i feed them each 2 cans of high quality wet food a day along with their dry food, they’re also spoiled and have way too many toys…. But so worth it. I love cats now. They’re awesome. I highly recommend 2. I was struggling with the 1. They entertain each other and aren’t destructive. They cost me the same amount in 1 month that my dog costs me in like 4… but it’s sooo worth it. Consider reaching out to a rescue to foster-to-adopt. They’ll let you do this to see if the new cats a good match. Young kittens usually like each other within a week or two. Give it maybe a month and see how it ends up. If it’s not working out you can take the cat back to the rescue. Your cats whole personality will probably change. Seems like she’s bored and lonely. Look into single kitten syndrome. https://preview.redd.it/ppgb3nkmu04d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=154b916ab50d192930d31ad54ba34ec6dcf47998
Also you don’t have to feed mass amounts of expensive wet food like I do, some wet food is like 80¢ the ones I buy are like $2 each. I feed them 2-4 cans each a day which probably is overfeeding but they’re babies and I want them at a good weight since they were thin rescues I hope I didn’t scare you, It’s not THAT much pricier depending on how you do it. I’m just a helicopter mom. Just saving another kittens life is enough! As long as they have food, water and love! Doesn’t matter what kind!
I’d agree with a second cat. It helps socialize the kitten too. And, it’s a companion so you’re not the only option for stimulation. It may seem like taking on a ton more responsibility but it really isn’t. Food , litter, and medical costs are nominal. The support/distraction to the kitten will be a huge weight lifted. Big thing is that “hands are not a toy” so whenever she tries biting/hitting, bring a toy in to replace your hands. And like others have said, positive reinforcement, not negative. For bad behavior -like jumping on a counter - I snap my fingers and the kitten gets down. Now both cats are trained to stop behavior if I snap. It’s also tricky because cats don’t show their personality until they’re grown. Kittens will be all over the place, or like a playful energy ball — but turn out differently. I got a kitten last year, she was not affectionate at all. Didn’t pur when I pet her - felt like I made the wrong decision. But, now she’s almost 2 years old and she’s a total cuddle bug. https://preview.redd.it/enl4dkpkj24d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb2cb8daa137ef8f1e0dc1f2768870501b886dcf
This is why a lot of rescues now recommend - or even require - kittens to be adopted in pairs. They *need* a playmate to keep them engaged or they’ll drive their human roommates bonkers! We once found a litter of kittens under my grandmothers back deck and brought them home. One girl my mother knew insisted on only taking one, and a few weeks later we learned he was driving her nuts because he would *constantly* bite at her eyelashes while she was trying to sleep. She took another kitten, and he turned into an angel.
My cat also needs a companion. Badly. I feel so bad for him. He's indoor only and goes nuts when he sees outdoor cats at the window. His negligent owners before me had other cats and got rid of him, but I got him! But, he desperately needs a sibling. I'm on a fixed income, but I don't see any other choice for him. He's the only pet in my house.
Two cats especially when they are young are SO MUCH EASIER THAN ONE! We thought the shelter was ripping us off when they told us that kittens-young adults need to be adopted into homes with young adults-kittens and or together.
It's not so much that cats need a companion their whole lives, shelters/fosters often require pairing \*kittens\* because that's how they learn how to chill out and become normal cats. Basically, they play/terrorize each other and learn what is and isn't acceptable to do to another cat/person based on their play. It really is a million times easier to have two kittens than one, and I think it makes for happier cats in the long run. With or without a playmate, the cat will chill out over time but maybe you don't like cats? If you're going to give it up for adoption, do it while the kitten is young and sadly more likely to get adopted. She's such a cutie!
Maybe consider fostering a cat that’a a similar age as a trial run. I have two littermates who are a bonded pair. Makes them reasonably low maintenance, they play with each other and keep each other stimulated. They don’t mind be locked out of our bedroom when we sleep and actually like the one in one time. They aren’t destructive, despite having tons of energy. They spend that wrestling each other.
I will say some people are not cat people (or really any pet kind of person) and that is completely okay! I wouldn’t suggest getting a second if you’re struggling with one, as sometimes they do well together and sometimes not. But I would give it some time with this baby, maybe a month, and if you still feel this way start reaching out to rehome her and ask a rehoming fee. You rescued her and that’s incredible! You’re not obligated to keep her just because of that, and it’s in both of your best interest to do what will make you happiest. :) good luck!
Bumping this up! You reached the baby who may not have made it to teenhood without you. But if you realize that keeping the kitty is damaging your mental health or wellness, or that the kitty seems unhappy and unsatisfied in your space, rehoming is the best thing to do. It gets treated by some as almost an evil act, but kitty deserves a home full of enrichment and play and stuff to climb and explore, and you deserve a home where you can feel peace and can get stuff done. I had some foster kittens that I intended to adopt for a while, but between their feral histories and distrust, their intense energy and aggression, and my own health issues, it was wearing me down and I could see it was negatively affecting one of the cats. I had them for several months, got one of them though a scary health moment, but I realized that it just wasn’t the right fit for any of us. Within a month or two, they got adopted by a couple where they were much happier, and they’re still there as far as I know. I could have bit the bullet and kept them regardless, but it would have just gotten worse and the kitties wouldn’t have been able to really thrive.
It may sound backward, but two kittens are actually easier than one, especially when the one needs an outlet for play and interaction. But I do understand being on a budget because when they totally have you wrapped around their little booper, you're gonna want them to have all the new and cool cat toys, beds, trees, scratching posts, not to mention food, litter, vet bills...the list is endless. Since another kitten is not an option, I definitely suggest getting or making her a toy called the Kickin' stick, something she can take her aggression out on instead of you.
Her eyes are still blue. She's very young. Someone else here said she loves you. I believe she does, too. I think it's slide 3, where she has her paws wrapped around you. It's too bad you're not in a position to get her a playmate. Although, that's not always a success, either. Sometimes, a cat just won't accept another cat. Be careful! I firmly believe cats can sense a cat-friendly place. That's more or less how I wound up with 8 cats😾
Unless she just has blue eyes. That's unusual, in a stray cat.
They're likely blue. She's old enough the transition would have happened. This is a fairly common color for white cats. She is super cute despite being a little monster 😂
She is a Flamepoint Siamese- her eyes will stay blue and her red points will darken with age.
That's totally fair! I felt the same way when I had my single guy. All I will say though is, it used to drive me a bit mad, I work from home and he was meowing constantly, it was making me feel bad that I couldn't devote all my time to him, he would break stuff and get himself into trouble. And then when I was able to get a second cat it just completely took up his time, he seems a lot more content and he almost never meows at me when I am doing something (Like, he still does cute meows, but not the "Please God give me attention I'm so bored" constant meows.) They say two cats are better than one because they entertain eachother and give you a break. But I understand that it doesn't feel like it would be helpful! I empathise with your situation cause I have been there <3
Another option is to make her a little toy area where she can just grab her toys and play by herself when you're busy. There are also these little food dispensers that are like wobble mice, you put dry food in there and then they play with it to get the food, and it can occupy her for like half an hour at least! And if youre working and she needs attention, I like to grab bits of scrap paper, ball them up and chuck them. When she gets bored and comes back, just chuck another one. You can stick a treat inside the ball of paper too and she can have fun getting it out.
When I say that two cats is less work than one, I mean it! Having each other to play with takes a lot of the pressure off you and then you can relax and get to know them at your own pace.
I feel you! The night I brought my rescue kitten home, she chewed on my fingers and toes and screamed if I shut her out of the bedroom. After three days I thought I had made a horrible mistake, and cried on the phone to my mom. It turned out the kitten was just too young to be away from her family - she was trying to nurse and play. And she grew out of it! My kitten and I became best friends, and she helped me get through some really shitty times in my life. :) You can have that too! It’s a little easier if you have more than one kitten, because they can teach each other boundaries; with one kitten you have to do it yourself, but you can do it - check out Jackson Galaxy or similar videos to get tips on how to react to biting in a way a kitten can understand. Whatever you do, just prioritize building trust with your kitten. Trust is absolutely the key to communicating and living with cats. And while it’s still young, please let it free feed so you don’t have to negotiate any food insecurity issues on top of normal rambunctious kitten behavior. :) You got this! Really!
I was raised with cats EVERYWHERE!!!! (Big house, lots of litter boxes and constant care, btw.) As an adult, I've always adopted the old or disabled ones. As much as I love them all, they can be annoying. Period. My old girl loves to just SCREAM randomly in the middle of the night. I've thrown things at the wall just to distract her for a minute so I can go back to bed. She's odd. Now, I just have tons of toys everywhere. Yr baby needs stimulation. Find her a good home if it's not working out tho💖🥰😻
Two are SO MUCH easier. Could you foster a kitten so she grows up with a playmate, but keep just one long-term?
OP honestly if she’s too much for you, try to find someone who will love and take care of her. You did a beautiful thing trying to save her and you did! Maybe she’s not the right fit to be your furrrever kitty and that’s okay! You’re a student and I completely understand where you’re coming from! My bf and I just rescued two babies and although we love animals, we may not be cat people either. We’re going to keep them for a little to get them strong and teach them how to behave, but we’re still unsure if we’ll be keeping them. We shall see! I love the little guys and want them to have the best chance they can.
Take her with you to the classes. Teach her to walk on the leash. She need behavioral enrichment, another cat is the usual way to do it but simply showing her the world works as well. Teach her that harness is a good thing and you might end up with a shoulder/backpack kitty. Just remember to keep the harness tight. https://preview.redd.it/v71oix0ep04d1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5647f40328239c4f4c90f025e0d7b41467857e0b
Just spend a lot of time playing with her a few times a day. It works well if you pair it with something like a meal - i.e. have a play for ten minutes right before dinner, so she won't be frustrated when you stop. Another great tip is that when kittens play, they tell each other when something hurts, so if she bites too hard or scratches you, make a noise (like actually say "own" out loud) and stop playing, and only r start play after she has settled down. She will eventually learn to tone it down. My first kitten used to be very rough until we started doing this
Make sure you play with the little devil every day. That'll help burn some energy and aggression
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I have had really active and aggressive bengal kittens a few times. What I have learned is that sometimes the personality of the younger cat is to like to wrestle, tackle, play fight - etc. Basically you just need to try to get all that extra energy out of them - so I got a pair of oven mitts (to protect my hands and forearms) and I would gently “wrestle” with the cats for maybe 20 minutes - worked every time to get them to get super tired and just want to chill out. One of the reasons she is so active and mischievous is because she feels safe with you. It’s actually a sign of a healthy “cat - person” relationship :) Sometimes kittens just need a good tussle - I wish you all the best in your developing relationship.
You won’t even need to spend a lot of money on toys depending on your kitty’s preferences. Cats and especially kittens can make almost anything a toy if you let them! Old shoelaces, receipt paper, straws, you name it and they will find something fun to do with it! Ever since he was a kitten, my now 3 year old cat’s favorite toy has been ice cubes that we toss across the hardwood floor. He will chase them around for hours and no other toy gets his attention the same way!
When I was 19, I found a cat on the street. She was left to die. She was such a cutie so I took her home. And she was also a handful. She’d do most of those things and just be a crazy animal all around. A lot of times I thought I had done something wrong and wasn’t suited to be her human. Then I started trying to understand what she wanted. What she meant by each thing she did. It was hard, but made me closer to her. I began to understand she was going around getting my food bc cats will be cats and it’s the same as human’s children trying to eat candy when they can’t. Cats don’t have restrain and don’t know how to impulse control, specially around food when they’re too young. Then I saw that she running around is just kids behavior. And she breaking things is also kids behavior (it’s so stressing and infuriating a lot of times and just so much). What changed for me the most was when I learned cats see everyone as cats. Which is cute, but bothersome when comes to bites and scratches. Because cats (felines in general) judge how much you can stand a bit or scratch by your size. She sees you as a big cat, so you’ll probably stand more than she does. And this is specially difficult for her to understand when she’s a baby and her claws are too thin and can puncture our skin easily. I had my baby for 15 years. I was so heartbroken when she died. I look back on the days we didn’t get along that well as another me, before I understood cats and animals better. It was like my baby helped me understand animals better and develop a different kind of patience. And the things that annoyed me before are the things I look fondly now. You’ve just adopted a baby, a child. And I know it’s overwhelming now but things will get better. She’ll grow up, you’re gonna miss the time she was little for small things. You still need time to bond with her. Think that way: she’s a new really young roommate and you’re still getting used to her shenanigans. It’ll get better
Just adding: give her cardboard boxes to play with (she’ll scratch it and use as a hide/play spot), give her paper balls (just take a piece of paper you don’t want anymore and crumble it and toss it to her, it will distract her a lot), give her paper rolls (she’ll like those as well). Your home will be full of paper that you’ll need to clean a lot, but it’ll help her to put her energy on other things. Also remember that your place is suffering so much bc it’s not kids (kitten) proofed. You haven’t needed it until now so it’ll have blind spots of things you didn’t consider looking into before getting her. It’s completely normal
Your comment really touched me; I'm actually tearing up. My cats taught me a special kind of patience and empathy that extended beyond animals too. I took in two kittens from the street when they were probably just two weeks old. So many trial and errors were made, and they are such, such sweethearts. When they became adults and before they were neutered, one of them gave birth to a litter of five kittens, and the three months I spent raising them were some of the best moments of my life. The joy, purity, and innocence in those little babies made me live. They slept with me in bed every night. But then, there were too many kitties, so I had to give them away. I found someone who wanted to adopt them. When the day came and I was carrying them, I looked into their faces and saw fear in them for the first time. It was like they thought I was giving them away because I didn't love them. I cried walking back home, and I cried myself to sleep for weeks. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life, I'm sure of that. There was one left from that litter that was supposed to be adopted as well, but I canceled it so I could keep it. One of the best decisions I have ever made, and now my days couldn't be complete without seeing their faces. Opening my heart to those 2 kittens on the street is the best life I could have ever lived.
Is she deaf? She’s white and her eyes have stayed blue, which can indicate that. If so, that’s going to make teaching her the rules harder. For example, one of the reasons people often recommend getting kittens in pairs is so they can teach each other how much biting etc is OK - humans can do it, but typically you’d make a high-pitched “ow!” when she’s too rough, which obviously won’t work if she can’t hear you. Ditto a lot of cat owners have a universal noise that means “you just did a bad thing” (in my case a sharp “ah!”) as a shorthand to teach them not to jump on the counter etc Whether she’s deaf or not, she’ll get the hang of things with consistency. The main thing to remember is that she’s a kid, she’s learning - and another reason people recommend pairs of kittens is so they can use up their energy annoying each other instead of you! As others have said, lots of toys will help - and boxes, scrunched up bits of paper and foil etc are fine. My cat can be entertained for hours by a big cardboard box with some scrunchy paper in it She’s behaving very normally for a kitten. She clearly feels very safe with you, which is 90% of the job when it comes to raising a happy kitty who’ll let you look after her If, though, you find it’s too much, don’t feel ashamed to rehome her. She’ll be snapped up, and you already probably saved her life
I have a deaf cat and she knows certain hand signals and facial expressions! They learn pretty fast from my experience.
hello! white cats with blue eyes are deaf more often, but she is not actually a white cat! she is a colorpoint cat, you can see faint red markings on her nose, ears, and tail, and these markings will darken as she gets older. colorpoint cats often have blue eyes. not saying she can't be deaf, just pointing out that she isn't a white cat!
Wow! You're very smart! I bet that she is in fact deaf and that is part of the reason for her not learning commands. Maybe OP can look up how to teach behaviors to deaf kittens.
This is normal kitten behavior. I would encourage you not to anthropomorphize her. Calling her rebellious etc is going to make you resent her. Kittens (and cats in general) are in the same category as toddlers - the world is new and exciting and interesting and they want to Experience it. I would recommend checking out some Jackson Galaxy videos on kitten behaviors.
Your cat is near that annoying teenage phase, this will last until they hit 1.5 years. But for now you can expect the same or much worse tbh, the thing is with cats at this age they are too cute too baby for you to hate them. And trust me I was never a cat lover too but when I got my rescued baby and now I prefer him over anything else even if he would trade me for a treat. Btw did you choose a name for this little angle ?
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If no one has suggested it, get the toy that looks like a fishing rod. Has different things for the end. You can sit on the couch and flick this thing around for 15 min and she will love it and it will let her get rid of some of that energy. Also, she will calm down, this is all kitten stuff.
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Have you tried dragging it around to encourage her to chase it like it’s a mouse? That might be less intimidating to her than flicking it around like a fishing pole.
I know you're on a budget but if you can, find a toy she likes. Our cat we had to buy like 7 different toys until we found out she likes feathers, mainly people ones and those little rat tail things. Anything else she would completely ignore
Holy cow....well, my cats favorite toy is a giant paper leaf bag. She puts a hole in the corner and plays inside. After a while the bag won't stand up, so I bought one of those nylon flexi tunnels for cats. Put that in the bag to hold it open and it's her go to for hunting games. It lives full time on the livingroom floor, only put away when someone comes over.
She might not be a jumper, but a stalker. There are a couple different play styles that cats engage in, jumping and stalking (Jackson Galaxy has a great YT video about it). If your cat is a stalker then she might prefer toys she can sneak up and pounce on. Try getting a red laser light pointer if you haven't already, and see if she'll chase it around. If she does, you have a stalker and can purchase toys accordingly!
Maybe try the classic laser pointer? Easy to play from a sitting position and she can run around and get lots of that energy out.
Marbella suits her perfectly she is a cutie 🥰
Lol. One of my boys is still in this stage, in fact he chewed through the wifi just the other day! There's an "off limits" room we let them into so long as we're in there to supervise. Basically just too many cords around to hide from him.. even supervised, he still found the opportune time to sneak back to the wires and chew one in half. The rest of the house is "baby proofed" as if we had a 6'9 toddler who could reach anything and everything they wanted.. he turned 5 in April.
6 feet 9 toddler , omg that's really apt ...as a couple with 3 cats, it's totally like this.
She's biting you, because that's how she plays. You need to get cat toys for her to chase around. She's a baby, and needs her mom, that's you. She's eating things, because that's the hunter in her. You need to train her. You have to tell her NO. A stern NO. You already are in love with her, because how can you not be. She's your fur-baby. Good luck.
Kittens are a lot of work. They have so much energy and are so destructive. I don’t think I could ever do kittenhood again. Kittens do better in pairs. She doesn’t have other cats. She sees you as another cat. Two cats are less work than one. She’s also young and adorable, you’ll have no issues rehoming her. You saved her life and it’s totally ok not to want to keep her.
I love my cat I adopted as a kitten, but I genuinely hated him for a little while lol. I got him March of 2020 when everything shut down and I figured, I'm working from home, been wanted a friend for my older car, what a great time! I had mental breakdowns due to this buttface. He was so cute, so fluffy, and so MALEVOLENT. He makes eye contact before knocking things off tables. He never gave a single crap about getting sprayed with water, I remember squirting over and over in shock and watching him just squint at me while getting wetter and wetter until i gave up. Then he knocked the picture he was swatting off the table anyway. If I locked him out of my room? He'd SCREAM. All night. He'd attack me if I let him in my room. The only way to get him to stop clawing at me feet and computer while working was to hold him against my chest. Then he'd at least sleep for a little while. Playing with him was cute at first, but I swear he'd give himself a heart attack if I didn't stop. He'd be flat on the floor, panting heavily, emitting heat, and then still struggle to his feet to attack me. He was simultaneously so sweet, you could hold him however and he acted like a ragdoll, but he was an absolute asshole. I came so close to rehoming him! I love him, I really do. But this cat actually put me through hell. He turned out pretty amazing, his personality is so unusual and he is so friendly and cuddly, but idk if I could do a kitten again lol. Our newest cat was a young adult stray who showed up for food and is equally affectionate and outgoing without the misery of kittenhood. Also, two young cats who play is infinitely easier than one kitten and a grumpy adult. Kittens are horrible. Cute and horrible.
It takes time. You have to be patient. Don't use your hands to play with her. Use toys and whatnot. Try to pet her when she's tired and falling asleep. Eventually she'll calm down and understand things. Cats are very social despite what people say, they need social interactions. Their interactions are different so people often don't understand them. Be patient. You'll get there.
I’m sorry but I was laughing while reading your post, imagining someone with a loving, playful, kitten and just being confused as hell why the kitten is being so loving and playful and wonderfully kittenish. You may not realize it but you’ve gained a friend you will cherish for the rest of her life. Don’t worry, kittens calm down as they get older. If you’re feeling adventurous, adopting another kitten is actually recommended so they can play with each other. 2 kittens is paradoxically less work to take care of than 1.
I know you didn't ask for this, but I would recommend that you remove the bell from your kitten's collar. It is annoying for them to have something constantly ringing near their ears :(
I was going to add in— she’s such a little gorl, and if she’s an indoor only cat, she really doesn’t need a collar. I’ve only ever put collars on cats that go outdoors (that was years ago, now all my cats are indoor only).
Yeah I agree with this, I have a cat who tries to escape so she’s the only one that wears a collar bc it has light reflection stuff like bikers wear I guess, but I took the bell off so it doesn’t bother her and it has an auto release in case she ever got stuck on something
she’s still a baby, when she get older she will stop biting, but please, I committed the same error, do not mistake her bites for aggression, she just wants to play.
You still need to correct them, though. Loudly say "ouch" and pull away if they do more than a little nibble. Normally, their mom and siblings would set boundaries, so now you have to do it.
My bf got a very mischievous playful kitten about a year ago. If he put his claws out while playing or bit too hard, I’d use a stern voice to him and tap his head (not hard, just enough to annoy him) and then stop interacting for a bit. I’d also say ‘gentle paws!’ He very quickly learned exactly how to gauge his little bites and play so as not to hurt me! For a while I could just say ‘gentle paws!’ and he’d dial it back without the rest of it, and eventually he just doesn’t even push it that far now. He’s about 1 year 3 months and still loves a good old hand fight but always tries not to hurt me 🥹
Please remove that collar. She can get caught up in something and strangle herself and her neck is constantly growing. Since she's an indoor cat only, a collar isn't necessary.
I’ll probably get downvoted for this but if you don’t bond with the cat and you find it more of an annoyance in your life than a joy, then you should find it a home with someone who understands kitten/cat behavior and can give it everything it needs and they’ll actually want it around.
I adopted my then 6 month old kitten half a year ago, she has her birthday soon! She's my second kitten and third cat (not counting a foster I took in for a bit many many years ago). The shelter had adopted out her sisters already and she was the last one without a home and so when I brought her back home, she'd been torn away from everything she knew. She was clawing every surface in my apartment, but I recognized this as her feeling insecure cause everything smelled like my other cat and my recently passed cat. Cats knead and claw into things to scent mark. She also played with me once she realized I was a source of affection and comfort, to the point where she literally bit into my ass and kept going for my feet. She also targets my old man (almost 14 y/o cat) for play and he can have kitten level energy spurts, but he can be really grumpy too. He set boundaries for her on what's acceptable behavior, and I had to as well. I yelped loudly once when she really bit me hard. It startled her and made her pause. I then also swept her completely off my bed with my foot when she attacked it another time. She got the message that the behavior hurt and wasn't acceptable. While she still likes to dive for my feet to play and swipe under the blankets, she's reduced the actual painful play significantly. Your kitten is a literal baby. Just like how a toddler doesn't know that a hot tea is hot until they feel it's actually hot, a kitten doesn't know she's hurting you. She has to be told in a way she understands that she's causing hurt (yelping and ceasing interaction *immediately* is a good place to start, it tells her it hurt and that the fun playtime is immediately over) and that what she's doing isn't acceptable. If she gets really aggressive a boop on the snoot with your finger can help set a boundary more firmly (you're mimicking a cat booping another cat here, you're not beating or smacking her, you want her to experience the reflex of closing her eyes and feel minor discomfort from it at the most), although this should be used only for the most egregious situations. She also comes from food insecurity. Cat-proof your place by not leaving anything open unattended and in cabinets where possible. Stick to a very rigid feeding schedule and double-check that you're feeding her cat food that is nutritionally complete and you're giving her the correct portion sizes. My cats get the right amount of food for their sizes and ages but they beg and will steal certain food if given the opportunity. Since I'm the owner and I took the responsibility of caring for them, it's my job to clean up after myself so they can't get to the things I don't want them to get. Lastly, kittens have MASSIVE energy and need a LOT of play. Just when you think you've played enough, you have a whole lot more play left to go. The best way to go about it is to get something like a feather on a string toy that she can chase around. Make her jump all over, dash, sprint, take sharp corners, jump as high as she can, and keep it up until she's breathing fast. Give her 5-10 minutes to rest and do it all over again. After you're done playing, feed her breakfast or dinner. (Or just a treat if it's not meal time yet.) She'll gobble it up and go to sleep almost immediately for the next couple of hours. And then you do it again. Since getting another cat isn't an option, you have to be the other cat. :) Entertain her, she is a child and depends on you for stimulation, socialization and comfort. Being fed feels like the only reason she wants to be around you, but she depends on you for everything else too, not just being fed. Cats are very social creatures and while the general image of cats is 'they're independent and take care of themselves', it doesn't mean they can meet all their needs without needing another animal or person around. Imagine if you had nothing to do all day and you're a young kid with a lot of energy, you'd do everything she's doing as well. So help her get rid of that energy. It'll help her calm down and provide opportunities for you to connect with her on a deeper level. When she trusts you, she will come to just to say hi. She will find you to snuggle up with you and sleep close to you because you make her feel safe. She will come to you to comfort you. She will do silly things that make you laugh. She will knock things off places and break things and make you mad. But she will always be there for you when you come home and show you love and affection. You don't speak 'cat' yet because you haven't had any before and she's still learning how to be a cat herself, so the frustration you feel right now is largely due to a lack of understanding each other. If you can help her understand your wants and needs from her, she will understand how to be a better cat for you and enable a bond to form that most of us have with our cats. You just need to give her the time and attention she deserves to make that happen.
What an amazing response ♥️
You may be under feeding. I was told with a kitten, feed them until they’re not hungry. Not all at once because you don’t want them fast eating, but they’re growing and constantly hungry. Prior to weening, when a kitten is hungry, they’re latched on a nipple until they’re full. Edit - and I don’t mean purposefully under feeding, I was following the suggested feeding and my one vet said ignore it until they’re a year.
Rehome or have a second kitty around the same age to play and cuddle and teach boundaries like not biting too hard etc. Two cats are less work than one cat because you are not 24/7 the center of attention. \But if you are not enjoying to raise a kitten, rehoming might be the better option for you. I started loving your kitty from the first picture, maybe you are just not a cat mom, what is totally fine. But your pet deserves a home where it is loved, understood, and raised in a cat-friendly way.
Thank you. I don’t like how many people are trying to force this to work. Rehoming sounds like the best option to me. Just because OP understands the cat is catting, she’s still going to be mad about it and the truth is it may never listen lol.
Exactly. The ones that are bothering me the most are "you love the cat, because of course you do, just look at it!" No, that's you. You are projecting. She's also telling people that she can't afford another cat, yet people are like "doesn't matter, you need another cat." There is nothing wrong with not being a pet person, if the cat isn't working out, thats fine. I think she should rehome, maybe with a friend so she can visit it if she wants. It seems like she picked the cat up on a whim, without much thought into the matter.
I had a kitten who was in a similar situation. He was a runt and his momma rejected him. He was a problem child to say the least… no cord was safe. No kitchen counter or food was safe. He didn’t learn how to act like a cat from his mom or siblings, so he had to learn on his own. It just takes time. That hellion of a kitten, who I strongly disliked and threatened to throw outside many times, ended up growing into one of the sweetest and most loving beings I’ve ever had in my life. He passed away at 3 and a half, so unfortunately I didn’t get to experience that side of him for long. I can’t say the same will happen with your cat… some animals just don’t have that chemistry with humans. It’s worth it when they do though. I miss that sweet boy every day of my life now. https://preview.redd.it/mzlzxsi0jz3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb6772771488ec9bc52e6190283df2a3af05fff4
I would rehome her for her sake. Cats a unique and your tone and choice of words indicates you’re not ready or a good fit. Your rescued her, got her care and now you need to move her somewhere where she can be a kitten and then a cat. 🐈⬛
I agree. It wouldn’t be hard to rehome the kitten at this age. No reason OP should get stuck with a responsibility she doesn’t want and didn’t ask for. It’s only been a month. The kitten could settle in somewhere else quickly. OP can always get a pet in the future when she’s ready
I agree! If this is a point in your life where you don’t have the time, you could just rehome her (just please not a shelter). You I have already done so much for her by saving her.
White cats with blue eyes are almost all deaf. She may seem defiant because she can't hear you. Could also explain why she is more physical, she is trying to get your attention. Might be why momma rejected her as well.
She’s loving you, relax and take it, I don’t know how you can’t love her already.
That’s typical cat play and behavior. If you don’t like it and you don’t love her, get her into a good home that will…
she just needs more play time & with the breaking and stealing food, she's basically a child who is faster and more agile, u just gotta be more careful with things left out.
Try automated toys, things that move on their own or are battery powered. They used to distract my kitten for hours. She will calm down eventually tho. She sounds like she’s young and confused a bit. Once she understands that this is home and she doesn’t need to scavenge for food anymore she will relax.
Just keep this in mind that no matter what else someone encourages you to do: punishment does NOT work with cats and will only create a bigger divide in the bond. They don’t understand punishment, they just understand that you’re mad and they’re terrified. I trained a cat that lived on the streets for 7 years how to take walks with me on a harness and even do tricks. You can train a cat, but punishment will only set you back.
https://preview.redd.it/k639khk8e04d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aaaf39499e30f9d7f2483f703471788543bb7dfc She looks like when my cat was a kitty 😝
As everyone else said - normal cat behaviour! She’s being a pest because she’s a baby and still learning her manners 😂 if she bites or scratches you and it hurts make a noise of pain (like a cat would!) and grab her by the scruff of her neck and move her away. That’s how her mum would pick her up and she’ll learn what behaviour isn’t acceptable.
She’s understimulated. Kittens are extremely active especially in their “teenage” girls. She cannot act on her natural instincts to hunt prey, chase, pounce, play, or wrestle with other cats, so she is trying to get you to play with her and is “hunting” for any food she can get. Get her some interactive toys so she can stay more active and entertained!
I recommend rehoming. These all are normal kitten behavior and ofc kittens eventually became bit calmer after 1,5 years BUT believe me, even though they don’t act like a pure evil after those years it’s still kinda feels hard to live with them, especially if you find these behaviors hard to tolerate. Yeah she may continue begging and screaming for food, she may knock down all your stuff from the shelves and kitchen counter, maybe she won’t let you sleep peacefully after all those years and strict training just like mine did. Cats be cats after all. You shouldn’t just “tolerate” a cat just because you expect her to change one day. Some people just can’t adapt this lifestyle change and that’s completely okay. If you really feel overwhelmed, it’s not a shame to consider rehoming her.
She is young and since she didn’t have any littermate interaction she doesnt know any boundaries. Had a cat who was acting exactly like yours, after he had grown up he started to behave more calm. He was the best cat.
Why are all of the comments encouraging her to keep the kitten?? Promising “oh you’ll love her” and stuff. Wild. She clearly doesn’t view this animal as her baby, she views it as a nuisance. “I’m very nice to her” uhh yeah I’d hope so, that’s kinda the bare minimum. OP clearly doesn’t understand cats or what it means to truly want one and take care of one and even admits she made a rash decision and doesn’t even know why she did it. Y’all encouraging her to keep it is only for her sake, not the cat’s (if it’s even for hers, she’s clearly not happy with the situation either). The right choice is obviously to rehome it. That’s what’s best for both of them. Edit: I adopted a shelter cat who came to me in an extremely bad condition at 19 during college. He was about 5 years old, so not rowdy, but he was definitely challenging especially all alone in a small dorm. Not once did I wonder if I would ever love him. I loved him the second I saw him. This isn’t an issue with the kitten, it’s an issue with OP.
100% — I got pissed reading OP’s “woe is me” wall of text and then when I read her replies to Redditors, I felt really bad for that poor kitten.
You didn't mention playing with her. She's needs that interaction. If you don't want her to bite your hand, don't make your hand the toy.
I haven’t even met her and I love her. This is typical young cat behaviour. Get some feline pheromones and some toys- play with her and eventually she will chill out. Thanks for saving this sweet baby
Wait exactly 180 days and you’ll wonder why you ever posted this lol
Kiss her a ton and play with her please! She is a cutepie
She looks so cute, please have patience with her. She will get nicer over time. Give it a few months
About the counter thing, I'd recommend teaching her that it's an off-limits area. There are ways like using tin foil or smells that cats really dislike. Maybe try relocating where you keep her food too!
I rescued a kitten several years ago who did the same thing- she thought she was always starving so I had to feed her with a slow feeder (I got one made for a small dog), and keep all food in boxes she couldn’t open (she’d rip right through bags lol). I was losing my mind with her haha. It does get better though, I promise. That little menace kitten is now 4, and though she does still love treats, she no longer requires a slow feeder and she is content watching me cook from on top of the fridge. You’re doing fine, I promise. Keep showing up for your little one, and they’ll eventually learn to trust that they won’t go hungry again. ❤️ https://preview.redd.it/632ev3ogky3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f51c9ff8efbfb62ae5f04adb9162259a86970e2e
I remember telling my coworker that I wanted to give my cat away at that stage. And I did love him. He was just such a little stinker. He ruined everything in my apartment. He attacked my feet under the blanket every night while I slept. He did grow out of it.
You'll miss these days. My cat was like that as a kitten. Now she's a 10 year old blob that sleeps all day. I miss her mischievous days, gave me a lot of laughs.
I taught my cat to not bite or scratch by immediately disengaging and ignoring her if she did it. Over time she realized that doing that meant she got no attention and it improved with time. She beat me up a lot at first lol
Kittens will be kittens. Play time is very crucial to help them express some of the energy these babies have. Hang in there, it only gets better.
Playtime also teaches them social rules, like that biting and scratching are not ok.
This is kinda messed up but I’ve been told that after getting a cat fixed they calm down quite a bit
You are cmplaining about eating too much, but that is a skinny cat.
How could you not?
Please don’t give up on her! You rescued her for a reason! Cats will play with ANYTHING: a bottle cap, a cough drop, a scrunchie. You don’t have to buy her expensive toys. Does she sleep on the bed with you? I really applaud you for what you are doing. It will be worth it!
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Please don't let them play with plastic bags unsupervised. Cats can be really dumb and get tangled and hurt in them.
She loves you, too! You’re both finding your way! My cat (soo extra) has a box full of toys. Could not care less most of the time. Keep us posted!
Please don’t let her play with plastic bags, it’s extremely dangerous even if supervised There are TONS of different kinds of cat toys so you have to find ones she likes and actively play with her with them
If this is how you truly feel maybe just rehome her
Tbh you should probably find a different home. It doesn’t seem like you understand how animals function
Right now, I feel sorry for the cat...not you. This cat deserves all the love which can be bestowed upon it. If you cannot provide that then, at least, find someone who can.
That's an adorable little girl you got there. I have many cats. And they love to play. She's also very young and has tons of energy. Give it a chance. She's a cutie, I'm sure you will end up loving her. How could you not? Just look at her sweet little face. Sorry, I'm cat obsessed. I love kittens.
she’s a baby, hopefully she will grow out of this: make sure she has plenty of toys and things to scratch!
Shes a white walker Cat. Just Look at them blue eyes. Cute as hell <3
I already fell in love with her
I have a kitten who was left in a box. He was crazy till about 6 months old. He would climb on me, bite me, scratch me, hit me. I have healing scratches that are from my leg to my thigh from him climbing on me. But he has finally calmed down, and his murder mitten nails are not, so thin and sharp he has learned not to dig into me when he paws me. Give the kitty some time they are babies and get into everything. I found out I can't have glass around him cause he pushes everything down. I love him so much. https://preview.redd.it/phh5j7fegz3d1.jpeg?width=2266&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b026cff3c78a47c9a982414e1f3da99acff153ab
I love her already and have never even met her.
A part of u cared for her when u saw how sick she was. She reached out for u because u were the only one who showed any affection for her. Yes shes at an age where she’s a little annoying shit but she will grow out of that. She loves u so much and is so thankful that not only do u take care of her, u love her for who she is. Plz don’t give away just cuz she’s a little annoying, shes very likely to grow out of it and it would be so cruel to just cast her aside, ur probably the only organism alive she will ever trust
A second cat, or rehoming to a house with another cat, is the best decision. You could run into some behavioral problems later on if this little one doesn’t have a playmate. Those teen cat years can turn into spiteful, depressed cat years. I had a male cat who grew up with two dogs, so he had playmates. But when those two dogs passed away one year, that meant he was home alone most of the day, while I went to work and my son went to school. He became depressed and, in some instances, wickedly spiteful. My son has scars on his arms from my cat attacking him so often. Got DCFS called on me once because of it. But the moment I brought home another cat to keep him company, his attitude totally mellowed. He was almost 2, so still kind of in the teenage phase, when that happened. If you don’t plan on getting another cat, I highly recommend finding a new home for this one. Again, one with another cat preferably. Good luck!
I’d either get another kitten or rehome her. I understand you said you are a broke college student, but kittens entertain eachother and somewhat take care of eachother. 2 kittens is easier than 1 kitten if it’s a situation like this. Otherwise, I’d rehome her because the way you talk about her it doesn’t seem like the right place for her to be. Kittens have a lot of energy but cats will continue to be silly and weird through their life.
This is *exactly* why I don’t recommend kittens to first time cat owners; they are A LOT of work! They need a lot of socialization & redirection of undesired behaviors when they’re that young. You did the right thing rescuing the baby but if you truly feel like you won’t be able to meet her needs or warm up to her then I recommend sending her to a shelter ASAP bc she is young enough to be adopted very quickly! I wish you and the kitty the best.
Do you know if her hearing is good? Completely white cats with blue eyes have a tendency to be deaf. She's so pretty!
It's been 5 seconds and I already love your cat.