New kitten and wallpaper!

[Hattifnatt88]

Please meet me and my new kitten Otilie (Oh-tee-lee-eh, I know awkward, it's the Norwegian pronunciation). She is a "tortie-tabby" moggie, almost 4 months old now, and a very happy kitten.

I'm having some issues with teaching my 3 year old how to treat her nicely, as he likes to squeeze her so she miaows. I keep them under constant supervision when around each other, to keep contact to a minimum. He can be gentle too, but sometimes he gets too excited and cuddles her too roughly as well. Work in progress! Yet despite the pestering child, she has a very loud purr for a very small kitten.

She was poorly in the start, with blood in her poo, but my vet friend helped me to make her all better :) She's had her vaccinations and been chipped, and now just waiting another 5-6 weeks before she gets spayed and can hang out with us in the garden!

Haha, just realised I forgot to put my issue in... She likes to scratch wallpaper in our rented flat. What can I do? She's torn off a big strip in the staircase area!

Yeah, um, the wallpaper thing.
Couple of options- there's sticky tape you can put up but probably not possible on a rented flat. Or scratch posts both vertical and horizontal. We have a very tall scratch post by our settee and the cat has always used that. Never touched the settee. And a sort of cardboard catcouch/no wheel skateboard that she also loves. In fact we have loads of scratch posts etc around the house. But there are some spots that she just goes for and sadly it's too late to protect.

He shouldn't be allowed to hug her, it's not unknown for young children to kill kittens by accident. Her bones are absolutely tiny.

She's going to destroy the wallpaper, we wanted paper but decided the cat would have too much fun.

@Fluffycloudland77 He's not allowed to hug her, but he does his best to do it at any opportunity he can. I was just trying to convey that he's not trying to be mean to the cat, more that he doesn't know how strong he is compared to her.

We live in a rented property, so we don't have a say about the decoration. Do you have any constructive advice about it?

When I first got my cats and they tried to claw anything they shouldn't I picked them up and put them heirs paws against the scratch posts and mimicked scratching with their paws.

Worked well although you have to keep it up for some time and every now and then they try their luck!

Obligatory cat picture included, as I just took it!

You need to better at protecting your pet.

Is that constructive enough? I can't think of a more simplistic way of writing it.

It's not ok that he's squeezed her at all. She can't defend herself. This is precisely why so many rescues won't rehome to families with under 5 year olds.

Wallpaper is pesky because one pull just makes it more inviting.
Would your landlord be up for you putting scratch posts on the wall? Or can you hide the scratched wallpaper from the cat with furniture.

You say he's not allowed to hug her but he clearly is, because he does it. You have to be much firmer in preventing him from hurting her. You are responsible for keeping her safe. If she is meowing in pain or fear you are not doing your job.

I try my best, but it's bloody hard! I didn't join up on here to come and be told off for something that happens occasionally, that I try my absolute best to avoid. I was asking about wallpaper. I'm just going to sign off this page again, I don't need these kind of comments.

Ok, you may not read this but children do need to learn how to handle animals correctly and squeezing until she meows isn't right. It isn't cute or kind! She may start biting or scratching as it hurts her.
As for the wallpaper kittens love it. As a kid our kitten climbed the corner of a wall and slid down it, my parents weren't impressed as it was Xmas eve and family were coming. Oops.

Maybe buy or make a kicker toy for the kitten.

My friend bought a kitten for her daughter as a birthday present though I said over and over not good thing for one of family to 'own' animal. Especially knowing the girl and her smaller brother. Much older than your ds but I witnessed poor settled kitten dragged awake and off the brother's knee when sister got home. Her kitten. Also her holding the cat close then just taking her arms away suddenly dropping cat as they and on their feet' The mother's boyfriend thinking it funny to trap kitten in box, two kids playing bloody tug of war cat in middle. Every time I saw something I protested. Fucking loudly.
Kitten turned from sweet and calm natured to a clawing anxious biter. Not bloody surprising.

PEOPLE NEED TO BE TAUGHT TO TREAT ANIMALS KINDLY, OR THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED NEAR THEM.

Personally. I wouldn't get a kitten with a 3 year old.

Sod the bloody wallpaper.

She looks beautiful, by the way, and I'm sure you will teach your 3 year old how best to handle her. Or the cat will with some swipes.
Have your three year old make up the kitten's life story so far. And make a little book of it with pictures. The three year old can "read" or decipher the story to kitty. It may help them bond better.

I am sorry to have no advice but she is GORGEOUS.

Make sure your kitty can get away from the little one if it wants to - cat tree, something like that. A space where it can go and do its thing quietly plot world domination while also sleeping .
Tough to access when your only a little kitten but it will grow into it.