We have 2 almost 5 month old kittens, male and female siblings. They were neutered 10 days ago, had a post op check today and their first vaccination. At the moment they are indoor cats but have been out and about for a walk, they are bundles of energy, we’ve had to take down the curtains because the female keeps climbing them (she’s very light)
The thing I need help with is that one of the kittens, the girl, keeps attacking me. It’s got to the point where I don’t want to be around them and when i am working from home i try and shut myself in a room without them.
I do try and give them lots of active play with opportunities to ‘catch’ toys, we have a wand with star on for them to chase, they love following a rope around the floor and pouncing on it or trying to jump up and catch it in mid air. I put out lots of different boxes for them to hide/sleep/sit/climb in, we have a cat tower and some fluffy rugs for them to sit on. The active play is for 10-15 minutes at a time (in the past it was for longer but I thought they were getting over stimulated so read about cats and reduced the time).
Today, every time I sat down (after I had played with them) she tried to climb up me with her claws out, when I was standing and walking around both of them tried to climb me with their claws out, I sat on the sofa to try and give her some attention, I literally looked over at her and she jumped on me with her claws out and tried to scratch me. I got up and walked away, so she ran after me grabbed my foot with all her claws and tried to bite me. I screamed and took her off putting her down as far away as I could, she jumped around and did it again.
Her brother ran and hid under a chair.
It’s been getting gradually worse for days now, and is affecting our relationship really badly so I’ve realised I need to try and fix this, like I say I don’t want to be around her or in the same room. Frankly I think they have a miserable life moving from 1 room to another in our house, we were undecided about inside vs outside but they are both (her especially) so active and desperate to go out I think it would be unkind to keep them in. I only have to pick up my keys and they come running to go outside, they sit by the back door meowing all day. However I’m sitting here with bloody scratches on my hands and my legs are literally stinging from all the claw pricks.
The only other thing I can think of is that we have 2 teen boys 1 in particular likes to do things like put the cat on his back, shoulders etc and for a while was walking around the house trying to put the cat on other people’s backs shoulders etc. (We obviously complained but it took a while and a need to sit down and tell him he had to stop it before he actually did) I’m wondering whether it’s some of that type of play that has started some of these behaviours.
They eat a variety of meat/fish foods morning and night with free access to dried biscuits.
The other thing I’ve noticed is that they struggle to self settle, I’ve tried stroking them etc, but currently need me to be out of the room (or else they get up repeatedly and walk around) they do kneed and suck the side of their bed for quite a while in order to sleep. They don’t however sleep a lot at all.
Sorry it’s so long, we’re grateful for any advice (they attack one of the boys as well, they one who spends the least time with them) but not my husband and the other kid much less (they one who used to put them on people’s backs)