Hyperactive new rescue puss

[CatLady476]

Nanechanged for this. We brought this lovely new girl home from the rescue yesterday. Unlike our old puss, who was a scaredy girl, this one is very curious and keen to explore. She's been tearing round the house at the rate of knots for hours! What's the likelihood she will settle down in a bit when she is more sure of her new territory, or have we just got ourselves a wee livewire?

Bit of both I reckon.

Yes she is likely to settle down in time, especially when/if she gets to go out. But presumably you've heard the term "naughty tortie"? 😁

She's very pretty.

Thanks! And yes indeed 😄 I think she's freaked herself out now. She's gone back to hiding behind the bed

She's gorgeous!

Hahaha, I knew it would be a tortie/calico!

I've had my calico nearly 3 years now, and have had a lot of cats before her, but she is on a whole new level of just everything really.

She's always busy, playing, exploring, causing trouble, demanding, shouting.

I was homing officer for my local
cats protection for five years
Not unusual behaviour. I suspect she will settle down
Feliway plug in might help a bit but I think time and routine is the main thing

Thanks! In the mean time, I've got some more toys in!

@Cherrylily7 I have ordered some Feliway because she's now really laying into soft furnishing with her claws as well as climbing long curtains. She's already damaged two pairs! I've got the door to those rooms shut but I think that may be causing her more stress as it's shutting off parts of her new territory. Any tips? We have been giving her lots of play and scratching posts/sofas. She is a lovely girl otherwise.

Cats hate shut doors and scratch up the carpet to get in frequently so I wouldn't do that
Best you an do is give alternative scratchers. Get a catnip spray ( kong do a good one) and spray where you want her to scratch
Will she be going outside? If so you may well find this burns some energy and things calm down then
As a side note Personally my cats do not free range, I have a catio attached to my bungalow so they come and go through a cat flap at will but can't go out of my garden and face all the dangers that can bring but your choice obviously. If she is going to roam loose you could consider a tracker collar like tracktive in case she is ever injured or lost.
Young cats do scratch things and climb so you might have to accept some if it for the love of having your beautiful girl. Some cats do this more than others. I always used to explain this to prospective adopters of kittens or youngsters. Older cats not so much an issue

Hi @Cherrylily7 yep, I think this one is going to be an outdoor girl in a few weeks time! We will see how it goes, maybe a climbing pole sprayed with catnip is in order...She loves climbing (and is very good at it). She's two and a half, not a kitten but still quite a young cat. And has recently been spayed which might also have something to do with it?

She might like a floor to ceiling cat tree. Also flat cardboard scratchers and cheap jute/coir doormats. I wouldn't (as per PP) put a collar on her, too great a risk of entrapment etc especially with an adventurous cat.

I haven't found spaying affects that sort of behaviour. I would say it is more being a young cat and from what you say outgoing and active
They are all so different. My dearest old girl who I sadly at the end of june aged 16 was never one to scratch anything indoors even scratching posts. I have adopted a lovely new girl who is 9 but she is a keen scratcher and likes to use the divan base for her best attentions.
Another wonderful cat I lost last year liked to strop her claws on the bookcase and did this over many years so it is now whittled into a curved shape along its edge. I call this cat sculpture and I like it because it reminds me of her and I like to see cats being themselves
I do realise that not everyone feels the same of course and nothing wrong with trying to protect your belongings balanced with accepting what is part and parcel of having a pet
Hopefully you will find scratching is not so much of an issue over time
Glad to hear she has been spayed. Too many people don't bother leading to so many unwanted kittens and cats in rescue, feral colonies and health issues for the unspayed or unneutered cats themselves.
My own new girl was not spayed until she came into rescue aged 9 so who knows how many the poor cat has had in all those years

That's exactly what I was thinking @Scampuss ! Do you have a floor to ceiling pole yourself?

Thanks for your advice @Cherrylily7. She seems calmer today now schools are back and the house is quiet. I don't mind the odd bit of collateral, but it's our house too, so really destructive behaviour is a bit much. As you say, they are all different! I guess we got used to our previous puss, who was a very sleepy old girl.

No as my ceilings wouldn't take it but we have trees in the garden for big climbing. She never did curtains though, she's more keen on having lots of different levels to flit about on.