Oh God help me-having always had dogs I now have a 7 wk old kitten!

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What have I done? I am shellshocked at how active a kitten is.I have only ever had dogs and currently have a retriever.I rescued this kitten from the roadside and thought "oh how sweet,I will keep the little thing".but really,its ridiculous.She needs constant supervision,climbs all over my laptop,climbs up when trying to have a cup of tea.etc etc.I am trying to do the right things and follow advice on threads here but blimey,its hard work.I have now just shut her in the kitchen for a little while just so I can come and use the laptop.How do you have a glass of wine and watch tv etc? I am giving her a tiny spray of water from a spray bottle for things like climbing on the table ,climbing curtains etc.What else can I do and will it get easier?Please reassure me!

You should go on the 'Critter Room' thread and see Mom Kari trying to cope with four of them - I thought she'd go headless a few days ago.

Yes - they calm down pretty quickly but I can't deny you'll have a bit of a whitewater ride for a week or two if you're not used to it!

Well done for rescuing her.

PS - where are the pics?

Aww I love kittens! Well done you for rescuing her. Have you named her yet?

She will calm down, give her something to hit about, ping pong ball or similar, hours of fun!

Ok I have just seen italian's thread after I posted mine and am seeing its fairly common behaviour.Most of you seem to be saying they will grow out of it(except Geraldine).But whats the right thing to do as regards trying to do stuff they want to join in with,like computer work,sewing machine work,eating and drinking work?It feels like life is over as we knew it.In my defence,in case anyone thinks I am being unfair,I have trained numerous puppies over the yrs and am well used to biting,chewing probs etc.

My tactic is always to tire them out with playing, including supervising them with toys so that you can get on with things. A concentrated burst of play and they fold over and go to sleep. Well quite a lot of the time.

PS - it really will all be a lot calmer in 4 or 5 weeks.

You're looking at it the wrong way btw. You don't own the kitten, the kitten owns you, and now you have to surrender to her every need

Totally agree with that Lego

I had no idea they were such hard work either!! Mines 9 weeks and a little bundle of crazyness.. I was trying to work from home yesterday and she was sitting on my shoulder like a parrot making swipes at the computer screen!!

How fantastic that you rescued yours OP

Get yourself a lazer pointer thing that are used to highlight Powerpoint displays. It will go nuts chasing the red dot about, and it's strangely relaxing watching them charge about with minimal effort from you. .

Also get a cardboard box with a hot water bottle in it and a nice soft blanket. When you've knackered it out, encourage it to settle in the box, and go to sleep.

Sorry,crossposted with you all.Oops.cozieI cant do anything like that at the mo-kitten wont let me.She is a tabby with lots of white.I have toys scattered everywhere-she loves balls of tinfoil,a cardboard box with a big hole in the lid,ping pong ball etc.Thank you all for your replies.I am very grateful.

Actually you are quite right-she does go for a good sleep after a mad burst of play.We have had her a week and I feel exhausted already.Yes also to the poster who said "she owns you now".Sadly this is indeed the case.

She is a female kitten. She is a queen! She is head honcho of all she surveys, including all humans and other animals living in your home! Ours comes and tells me off when I have been ironing too long and says I have to sit down so I can make a fuss of her and have a cuddle.

Do not let her out of the house until after she's been neutered unless you want lots more kittens to look after!

I've got each of our cats their own fleecy blankets which are a colour match for their own fur, and they love them. We also have a huge scratching post which they sometimes use instead of the sofas.

You can teach your kitten to fetch little sticks/balls made with pipe cleaners or foil.

I shut them into one room (bathroom with lino) where their food, water and litter tray were for the first day or two, and any time there were stressful things going on (workmen in the house, lots of visitors, vacuuming) they would go back in there as their 'safe' place, with their blanket. Now they tend to snuggle up on their blankets of a bed or sofa when they're a bit nervous.

Thanks yegods I have actually been doing this a little when I have to-things going on where back door needs to stay open etc and she seems to be ok with it actually.I take herself and all her bits n bobs off to the spare room upstairs where there are no wires,electronic stuff etc.

God they are fusspots arent they.I changed the litter today to a really expensive,compostable one.Well blow me if she would use it.She weeed twice in a corner of the living room and would not stay in the litter tray.I have just now emptied the whole thing and replaced it with the cheaper,gritty stuff I had been using and a little of the used stuff from yesterday (retrieved from bin) and bloody hell .Straight in there and did poo and everything.Is this possible at such a young age-such fussiness! I am truly doomed arent I?.

Not doomed. Just under the paw like most of the rest of us.

My cats have their own bedroom. Now this makes them sound very spoilt but its more for my benefit for when I need half an hour peace and quiet!

I find kittens do not know when to stop, they are so playful they can play until they suddenly stop and fall asleep in their tracks. I think it can be kinder to force them to have chillax time when they get carried away so they don't exhaust themselves.

definitely agree with playing with them lots and yes, life has changed but in positive ways. im so jealous I'd love another bundle of fluff but no more room!

This is you now.

Lots of playing is the answer as pp have said.

What does the dog make of it all?

Great picture, Fluffy!

Oh fluffy how apt. The dog is fine actually-stares at kitten in disbelief running around furniture etc and takes herself off to a more peaceful location..we have named the diva kitten ' Cleo '.
Yes I could see this diva having her own bedroom also.

Good name. Very well chosen.

A bedroom with an ensuite I assume?

If by ensuite you mean litter trays then yes.
We call it the cat condo. They were in the largest spare room but have down graded them to the box room.

Cleopatra - very fitting!

yegods can you really train them to fetch ????

Sure - cats will fetch if it's worth their while eg if it continues the game.

littenery I overstated it in saying you can train them. One (not both) of the cats in residence here likes to play, and likes us to join in. She seems to think we need exercise, so she will drop something at our feet to throw for her, she'll demonstrate 'exercise' by running after it and doing some great gymnastics, hiding it underneath something and pretending to forget it, then pretend to suddenly notice and jump on it (I think she might be trying to teach us to hunt). When she runs out of ideas, she brings it back to us. Perhaps she hopes we will play with the toy in the same way and entertain her, but we never do, we just throw it and she flies through the air to get it - sometimes she goes faster, sometimes she catches it in mid air! She then brings it back. When she was a kitten, she would play fetch in the middle of the night and would drop the toy into my hand (otherwise I wouldn't be able to find it in the dark to throw it for her). She doesn't play fetch as much these days, probably given up on us ever learning to hunt properly!

Kitten and me are just in the middle of a game of 'fetch'. It's not quite going to plan