How much destruction do kittens really cause?

[WhoeverYouWantMeToBe]

Say from 8 weeks old? I've heard of them tearing up curtains, weeing and pooing literally everywhere, plucking carpets to bits and shredding everything in sight. Is it really that bad, or does it vary between kittens?
We would love a kitten, as would my DS who is nearly 10 and an only child. But have reservations about my house and contents of our wardrobes. Any advice?

It varies between kittens. One of my cats made quite a mess climbing the curtains with her brother when little and now age 6, has taken up scratching carpet.

The other two were ok as kittens but one in the dog house today as he dropped a live mouse down the back of the fridge yesterday.

Mine have made remarkably little mess although it's only prudent to remove any delicate or valuable things to a closed cupboard until they learn some sense. I've always been more worried about any damage they'd do to themselves from eg stupid jumps though. Sometimes, kittens have no judgement.

(To be fair, I've usually had Siamese kittens and they spend most of their time sitting on you being adoring - not as much time devoted to mischief, perhaps.)

We've had our kitten for two weeks now, he has made lots of pulls/snags on the sofa.

My 7 month old is fine as long as he's being entertained. And he's not so much destructive, but very meddlesome. Like if I'm trying to write an assignment, he'll be up on the table prodding about with his paws, pushing pens and drinks on the floor. I can't leave ANY kind of liquid unattended because he can't resist spilling it.

So more mischievous than destructive. I think some breeds more so than others.

....as long as he's being entertained.....

I think you're right - that's key.

Mine have caused very little. Perhaps some clicking on rugs, stair carpet and blankets.

They do knock things over when jumping and climbing around the furniture, so you'd have to preserve valuable or sentimental items.

Mine have never chewed or clawed, but Fat Cat used to steal my kitchen rolls to shred during the night

Provide plenty of toys and some stuff to do.

I've had cats all my life ... and apart from a bit of curtain shredding we have never had a problem. Til now.

I have two MC kittens and Obie, boy cat is a little swine. To date he has chewed through 4 iphone cables, one macbook charger, smashed two lamps and shredded every single toilet roll!!!! His sister however is well behaved !

He is lucky I love him so much!!!

Oh god, I forgot to mention the loo rolls.

MKitten collects them from the bathroom, then throws them down the stairs. I come home to find the house festooned with the stuff.

We adopted a 12 week old last Christmas - he's not been too bad

Came home to a smashed house plant one day, he knocked a glass of red wine across the dining room (he ran across the table during his daily half hour frenzy) and he has a lot of Andrex puppy moments

But he's never dropped his bottom anywhere - and he doesn't seem to like the sofa for clawing. He has lots of toys and another cat to annoy to keep him busy.

he's not weed or pooed or pooed outside of litter tray.
He has scratch post but will sharpen anywhere e.g. bed , sofa, door frame, my leg!
He's teething so he chews up books, cd cases, shoes, anything,
Claw marks in leather jacket and my leather AllSaints boots
I don't care, he's gorgeous, it's what you expect with babies especially when they teeth
Chews cables so i do have to watch that carefully

Ours are 7 months old, never bothered climbing curtains, managed to claw one arm of a leather chair to bits before anyone noticed and will shred a toilet roll in seconds if the end is left dangling. No real missed litter tray moments.

Mine shredded net curtains in the first few months climbing. Furniture got scratched but buying a scratching post has helped. Their mother taught them to do their business in the right place so that wasn't so much of a problem.

Forgot to say, wouldn't be without them though, and they're much better now. It's definitely worth it

I think it depends on the kittens and their ages.

Ours were older kittens, they have never really destroyed anything. Never bothered with curtains, wrecked a blind but that was because they liked to climb through it to look out the window. They never bothered the furniture at all, even leather sofas, until I got a cord easy chair. That now has a throw on it that will likely be permanent. No accidents apart from when we'd messed up ie closed a door so they couldn't get to the tray.

They did try with the carpets, but we distracted them with alternative scratching areas which they happily took to.

This was all luck, and nothing to do with DH or I training them.