At what age do they stop trying to play fight you?

[Methe]

My 5 and a half month old female kitten is an absolute pain in the arse at the moment. She's just launched herself at dd 9s face, claws and teeth out while dd was sitting on the floor folding washing. She has drawn blood.

She's not as bad with me or anyone else. Dd seems to be her primary target and she can't do anything without being gnawed on, bitten or scratched. It's getting to be a bit much tbh. Dd is covered in scratches.

Ruby, the kitten, is desperate to get out.. I mean desperate. I can she she is bored and frustrated. We all play with her and try to knacker her out with one of those laser pointers and her other toys but she has boundless energy and rarely sleeps. I know this is just her being a teenager and I'm know it will pass but the attacking dd has got to stop!

Any tips?

Has she been neutered yet? If not, I'd get it done right away if she's healthy.

Once she's been spayed and allowed out she'll calm down.

She's not been spayed yet. My vets won't do it before 6 months and I've already paid for it so can't really afford to go elsewhere.

You'll have to stick it out until she's spayed & allowed out. It gets better.

as long as this isn't an indicator that she's always going to treat dd as her punchbag

She's a tortie as lots of people said she would be hard work! Too right she is!

She sounds as if she's already got hormones coursing through her. I'd phone the vet practice tomorrow and get her booked in for 6 months and a day.

Naughty torties

I'd love a tortie. Mine are both tabbies. I'd love both a tortie and a black cat. I'd be the old lady with a thousand cats when I'm older if I had my own way. Thankfully, DH keeps me on the straight with that one haha!

We got DCat as a kitten when DS was 7, and she regarded him as a brother. Kittens play rough with their litter-mates, and DS was the only one she would biff through the banisters with her claws out. She absolutely adores him to this day - and is overjoyed when he visits (he is now 25).

DCat is rather arthritic now, but still likes to play through the banisters - claws in, with me. When DS is here she loves sitting on his lap.

Your DD is being honoured as an equal, though the attention is rather too much to feel like an honour. Hopefully it will settle down as kitten gets older.

She should calm down once she's neutered and allowed outside.

Just realised my post doesn't actually mention that DCat calmed down with DS as she reached young adulthood. She didn't pounce on him or anything any more, and she seemed to understand when it was OK to play rough with him occasionally.