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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Do kittens have particular naughty stages?! Mine is definitely going through one!

25 replies

SuddenlySqueamish · 28/11/2013 13:58

Cat owners, have you noticed that your cats have been through any particularly naughty stages?!

This is my first cat, I've always been a dog owner but my DP hates dogs but doesn't mind cats. I can't live without pets in my life.

My kitten is 6 months old and over the last few days has become more mischievous than normal. He's attacking and attempting to eat everything! I work from home and earlier this morning was disturbed while typing by kitten pouncing on my back and just hanging on there. It hurt! Then again later when he decided to bite my toe. He is currently attempting to eat a piece of fabric and a camera bag. And he's generally been more hyper than normal.

If it makes any difference, he's not neutered (yet - booked in to get him done next Tuesday) and has access to outdoors but prefers indoors - he's quite needy and likes a lot of fuss.

Not really worried about him, just curious really to see if this is a common thing. Did your kitties go through any naughty stages?

OP posts:

issey6cats · 28/11/2013 14:02

at the moment i have two almost 6 month old female foster kittens running round my front room at about 100 miles an hour so yes at that age they are at their most active and anything that moves or dopsent move is playtime including people lol, just think like having a toddler in your house move anything small enough to swallow, watch electric wires my last two fosters chewed through the landline phone wire and enjoy this phase as they dont stay kittens for long and eventually you will miss the mad kitten antics

cozietoesie · 28/11/2013 14:06

3 weeks plus............ (Or until suitably trained.)

I suspect neutering will make a big difference. Sounds as if hormones are kicking in and he's become a teenager.

Best keep him inside until he's neutered by the way. If his hormones are kicking in (and he's at that age) then he could be over the fields and far away when you come to catch him for his pre-vet fast.

Original poster

SuddenlySqueamish · 28/11/2013 14:15

issey - His mad kitten antics have definitely made us tidier, EVERYTHING is a kitten play thing if it is lying around!

Cozie - teenager sounds about right! Although he has now fallen asleep next to the fabric he was attacking so he's temporarily back to sweet and innocent until the next energy burst!

OP posts:

itsnothingoriginal · 28/11/2013 14:48

Hmmm yes mine is full of energy a little monster at the moment too and is 7 months. She's not long started going out and seems to be relishing the chance to attack everything that moves including our hands, feet, you name it!

She's been pretty feisty since we got her though so could just be her temperament..

Hopefully neutering will sort out your boy OP

Fluffycloudland77 · 28/11/2013 15:28

It takes up to 3 weeks for the effects of neutering to show. You have to wait for the testosterone to wear off.

You have my sympathies op.

moonbells · 29/11/2013 09:42

I don't think the neutering made any difference to our hurricane! He's now 7.5months and yesterday was doing wall of death around the house, enough for me to have to go and check the wallpaper on the stairwell. And at a skinny 4kg already he is going to be one huge cat when he finally stops growing.

After about 2h he calmed down and went to sleep in a cardboard box

He has also this week finally discovered how to escape the back garden. I called for suppertime and there was no kitten. After going out in the dark, I heard plaintive mews from next door... he couldn't get back. Next door were out, so I had to lift a fence panel out!

He is now pawsona non grata.

So I think they do have naughty stages, mine just has one big one.

cozietoesie · 29/11/2013 09:47

moonbells

Just imagine what he might have been like without neutering, though!

moonbells · 29/11/2013 10:39

Cozie Just don't... (shudder)

Original poster

SuddenlySqueamish · 29/11/2013 11:00

That made me giggle moonbells! Sorry! He does sound very...energetic!

Mine is being quite well behaved now after a very manic morning of darting around at 100mph. When he's energetic, we've been distracting him by throwing screwed up paper balls which he'll then chase for ages until he wears himself out but somehow a few days ago he discovered that if he brings it back, we'll throw it again. He can do this 10 times in a row (and then only stops because we give up!) Seemed like a cute trick at first but now we're not sure who's performing the trick, seems more like he has us trained!

And as for hormones, he was sitting in the window this morning when 1 year old pretty girl kitty from next door strolled along the fence. Cue pricked up ears and very attentive boy cat. He's locked in now. Next door's cat is spayed but not sure she'd appreciate my cat trying it on with her, she's a very grumpy cat anyway!

Roll on neutering day. Hope the testosterone works off quickly!

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 29/11/2013 11:05

Does he eat kibble at all, Squeamish ? I'm wondering whether he'd benefit from some foraging toys to help occupy himself. (Easily made once you've collected the bits and bobs and cost only pennies.)

cozietoesie · 29/11/2013 11:07

PS - you can buy relatively cheap kibble balls online, in the supermarket and at pet stores for the interim.

Original poster

SuddenlySqueamish · 29/11/2013 11:16

Oooh that's a good idea, I think he'd love that

OP posts:

Petal02 · 29/11/2013 11:21

I just love the 'mad kitten" stage!

sashh · 30/11/2013 08:52

this morning was disturbed while typing by kitten pouncing on my back and just hanging on there

I've had 'the hunter of legs' for 2 years, she still does that, but only in the kitchen but she is the only cat I've known to do this.

Re the kibble toys, a water bottle with holes poked in it (obviously no water) works quite well.

cozietoesie · 30/11/2013 09:18

Good idea, sashh. (I sense all these ex-Blue Peter tendencies breaking out all over the board. )

OddFodd · 30/11/2013 10:09

I hate to say that I've not noticed a significant drop off in mad behaviour since my kittens were neutered

cozietoesie · 30/11/2013 10:32

But I guess that at least they're not trying to get out and party - or spray if they're male?

OddFodd · 30/11/2013 13:40

They've stopped trying to shag one another (they're brothers) so that's a big relief. they can also burn off a lot more energy outside now they're neutered

moonbells · 30/11/2013 22:31

Today Moonkitten escaped into next door again and spent a few hours climbing trees and trying to work out how to get down them again. Utterly hilarious. Yet he seemed unable to climb back over the fence. Rescued him again. Then he went out the front, got into a small scrap with a neighbour's cat and shot back into the house all bottlebrushed. A few mins later he was back in the front having climbed over the gate. nutter Well at least we know that he can now do it. But with the added worry that he's now out and unprotected from all the many other cats/cars.

Needless to say the catflap got locked the instant it was going dark, much to Mooncat's disgust.

Oddly enough, a rather exhausted Moonkitten has been asleep on the telly all evening...

sashh hunter of legs? Do you mean jumps out and puts her front legs around your ankles as a sort-of GOTCHA? Our old cat used to do that... we called it anklebushing.

sashh · 01/12/2013 09:01

mmonbells

Her Sunday name is Marquesa Gatta Misteriosa, hunter of legs AKA her Mistyness her everyday name is Misty.

Yes she does the paws round your leg and random patting of feet if you walk past her.

Oooo kitten on the telly, one of my old cats used to do that.

moonbells · 01/12/2013 20:00

sashh I used to live with a tortie and white who didn't so much randomly pat feet as go in claws extended.

I lost a lot of pairs of tights thanks to that cat... sadly she was not mine, was a landlady's cat while I was a lodger. Still, gave me a love of the colours and now I have my own tortie and white Mooncat.

Mad lunatic kitten lost his collar today. I knew it came off easily as I'd tested it, so he probably just got it caught on a tree since the stupid bugger has been climbing them again all day.

itsnothingoriginal · 01/12/2013 20:13

Our tortie and white kitten lurks at the bottom of the stairs, claws at the ready for passers by.. we've all had to learn a nifty side step to get down feet intact

Loving the 'Sunday' name for your cat sashh

sashh · 02/12/2013 18:18

itsnothingoriginal

It started off as 'Mystery Cat' and sort of developed.

I got to name some of the foster cats, or at least extend their names. Violet arrived as Violet and left as Countess Violet Elizabeth de Fuzzybum, guardian of the scarves.

itsnothingoriginal · 03/12/2013 09:18

Love it

My cat definitely needs a Sunday/show name - her name is far too sensible! I'll have to work on it..

Original poster

SuddenlySqueamish · 03/12/2013 13:03

Dropped naughty kitty off at the vets this morning. After a battle to calm him down while he was hungry and in full wild hunter mode this morning, not the best time to try to put him in a carrier! Poor boy though getting his balls lopped off :(

Love the fancy names! Mine is just Benny, named after the Elton John song Benny and the Jets which was an ear worm at the time we got him. Although we've been calling him Benny no balls the last few days. Oh aren't we cruel?

Moonbells, mine does the climbing up things and then not being able to get down thing! He just sits there and miaows pathetically until I rescued him. He got on the shed roof once but was too scared to jump back down on to the neighbour's narrow fence. Discovered this when going to the loo - the shed's roof is just under the bathroom window and he was sitting there miaowing away. He's getting better though.

OP posts:

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