Let the kitty fun begin?

[PatsGirl]

As some of you know, I broke down and got DD a kitten about four weeks ago. Well, Indi (born on the 4th of July) has been getting more aggressive each day. It started with some subtle nipping at the heels and is now full blown lunging at us Is this kitten play? On the advice of a friend, I started screeching every time Indi bit me and it seems to be working. DD isn't consistent and Indi is using her as his teething ring

So, yes, biting is problem #1..being crazy is problem, well maybe not a problem? #2 ~ this kitten climbs between the windows and the screens, dodges from corner to corner in the house for like 20 minutes at a time, jumping from piece of furniture to table to up and down the staircase. It is hilarious to watch! I'm assuming this is normal? I had to babyproof within a few days of bringing him home as he was jumping from 20' bannisters and others things no cat lover on here really wants to know Can you tell this is our first feline?

And.....let the drum roll begin....Indi pee'd all over my couch last night, at least 1/2 cup worth. We didn't catch him and this is his very first "accident", but is it an accident??? or a sign of things to come??? Please, someone clue me into this "spraying/peeing" incident. Please tell me that sometimes kittens have accidents and this wasn't on purpose I have the vet coming tomorrow for 2nd set of shots and of course I'll talk to her but her time will be limited so I'll take any comments or suggestions I can get. Thanks DIS friends

 

[jobhunter]

Yikes. Get that kitty neutered NOW.

 

[LuvOrlando]

That was no accident, he was marking your house. When my cat was new he 'marked' 2 of my beautiful wool coats and I had to throw them out. In new cats this happens when they are maturing and marking their territory and its especially likely if another animal has ever been in the house, no matter how old it is the animals can smell it. In older cats its a sign of crystals in the bladder which can block them and make them very sick so you want to feed cats low ash content food if you want to avoid this later on, this is especially important in males, so I always fed mine the Purina one Urinary Tract food and it never came back.

It could be this is just his hormones and if so getting him fixed might do the trick so I'd start there. I suggest checking out Friends of Animals low cost spaying/neutering program. They use local Vets with regular practices who participate in the program. I used it a long time ago and it worked great. You pay for a certificate up front and then when you get it in the mail you bring it to however you choose that will honor it.

Racing around, can just be a kitty being a kitty but the lunging,maybe or maybe not and it may have nothing to do with you being a good pet owner or not. Animals have their own personalities just like people do. My 2 mushy cats had a brother a friend of mine took in and while my cats were always warm and loving that one was of the hook. He'd bite and claw at anyone in the house without provocation, the owners were always covered in scratch makes and bites. I wouldn't go in that house without him being locked up. My DH had a cat that once stood on the refrigerator growling and pacing and pinned a babysitter in a kitchen corner until his parents came home. DH and my SIL still remember the sight and being helpless while my In-laws are still ticked to this day. I love animals but some are just better off wild, but once you bring them in they've lost the ability to revert so animals like this need special attention. Some older cat lovers can handle a cat like that but I personally wouldn't want one in a house with a kid... but that's just me.

 

[Tina]

Before I chalked it up to "marking," I would get him to the vet to make sure he's healthy. A UTI could cause inappropriate elimination. As for the play, yes, its very normal. It sounds like he needs a brother or sister! Do you play with him often? Try getting some new toys for him. I wear my boys out with a big long feathery boa sort of thing on a stick. They go nuts chasing it around. Try to direct his biting and attacking to toys. I have lots of bouncy balls and mice that keep them busy when I can't play with them.

 

[Laura]

The running around and lunging sounds like play. Yelling when the kitty hurts you lets him know he's too rough. This is a good reason why I suggest people get two kittens at once; they teach each other how to behave and can roughhouse together without pestering the people. If the kitten gets in places you don't want him, spray him with a water bottle. Also, put double-sided sticky tape on surfaces where you don't want him walking.

This is a good toy for any cat that needs to burn some energy: http://www.cattoys.com/dabirdtoys.html
You can find similar toys in any pet store.

The peeing on the couch is not just an accident. You definitely want to bring that up to the vet. There is no smell more heinous than cat pee, so you want to nip this in the bud asap.

 

[si-am]

Running around being crazy and lunging are definitely normal kitty behavior. Discourage him early from biting you or he will forever associate that with play, and it will hurt as he gets older, believe me!

Kittens are so cute but so annoying! It really is best to have another cat around for them to pester instead of their humans.

The peeing doesn't sound normal for a kitten that age. A lot of vets won't even neuter until males are 4-6 months old, so that might not be a good solution right now. Maybe it was just an accident!

 

[jmpurdy]

Waiting 4-6 months of age to neuter is setting yourself up for more marking. Find a vet who will do it now (as long as he is about 14 weeks or so) You can train him early to stop the biting by walking away each and every time he does this and replacing your body part with a toy. Kittens are alot of work and need to be taught what is acceptable and what is not just like a child. The good news is he's young enough to be trained. Once neutered, it should stop, not a guarantee, it goes a long way to stopping it.

 

[robinb]

I don't think this kitten is spraying. He's only 11 weeks old! I would be concerned that he might have some kind of infection instead. Of course, the OP could talk about neutering when she sees the vet.

 

[dogodisney]

Is the kittie an indoor cat? If so, was his litter box dirty? Also, the cat may not like the type of litter you are using.

 

[WDSearcher]

When people first get kittens, they tend to do things like wiggle their fingers so that the kitten will run to them and play, or they wiggle their toes, or let the kitten play in their hair or with their pants leg. This indicates to the kitten that these are all acceptable "toys". If you've ever done this, then that's why the kitten is "attacking" you now. He sees you as a big toy!

Make sure kitty has a LOT of toys -- things that are interactive -- and make sure that you play with him. Not just tossing a catnip mouse or a ball with a bell inside, but actual active, appropriate play. So that he can tell the difference. And, speaking of catnip ... check the toys you have to see if they do contain it. That could be causing some of the wildness too -- catnip affects kittens differently than older cats.

There's also merit in getting a second kitten either the same age or a tad older. When I adopted my kitten (then 9 weeks), I already had a 2YO cat. The kitten got the 2YO more active, and the two of them would run and chase and roll around on the floor and wrestle for hours! And then they'd both totally zonk out and sleep all day.

A lot of people adopt cats because they think they're lower-maintenance thand dogs, and as they grow, they are. But in the kitten stage, you really have to spend a lot of time playing with them and letting them burn off energy. They're inquisitive daredevils, and they're testing the boundaries of the world around them, just like kids. A couple of hours of dedicated play throughout the day, plus a climbing tree or something similar that has different levels to climb, scratch and jump on are essential!

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Could you tell what color the pee was when you tried to clean it up? My new kitten peed on the floor starting the second week we got her, and it was orange. She had a UTI and amoxicillan cleared it right up. No more accidents after that.

 

[PatsGirl]

Thanks Everyone! I came home at lunch today to check on Indi and see if he had another incident but so far so good. I'm going to assume that his rough play is normal which I was pretty sure it was. He is really gentle with me most of the time, pulling his claws back in and patting my face and giving kisses but I think that DD has to get more consistent with him. I think a pp mentioned not using your body parts (fingers and toes) to play with and she was doing this a while back.

As far as playing with him, I spend at least three or four 15 minutes of play time (rough time) with him, sometimes just to get a solid 30 minute break while he naps DD also spends at least two 15 minute periods of playtime with him, once in the morning and once at night. We of course, always welcome cuddle time.

Vet will be here in the am to give him his 2nd baby shots and I'll talk to her about the peeing. Yes, it was bright orange so maybe it is a UTI? I checked the litter box and DD has been keeping it clean. Is once daily enough? She cleans it each night and every other week has been emptying all the litter, cleaning the tray, and refilling it with clean/new litter.

Again, thanks for your suggestions and comments. We can use all the help we can get

 

[flying_babyb]

I depoop the box once a day with 3. There happy with it. I change it complety oh once a month or so. good scoooping will prevent frequent changes. UTI's can be serious. My cats been on meds from his last one (major) for almost two months now. As for spunkyness, Its normal. My last cat wouldnt settle down till 2 am then was up at 4. Now at the ripe old age of three hes so lazy. right now hes sacked out in my chair asleep.