Kitten zoomies terrifying

[SlothCat]

Hiya, I've recently got a 16 week old kitten. He's great, honestly, he's affectionate, eats well, playful etc. He's learnt quickly about me not liking hand biting and the playful attacks on me. We use the toys for that and he's definitely learning that really well. We play all the time, several hours a day, different games that practice hunting, running, climbing, jumping etc.

However he still gets these really intense and basically terrifying zoomies particularly after we've played. Even if we've played for an hour, straight after he'll be leaping all over me and the sofa. I don't mind the zoomies exactly but its the fact that he's totally out of control and just leaps everywhere, all over me so that can hurt with his claws even though he's not actively attacking me he still has his claws out to land. They're honestly terrifying and often when I'm trying to relax after a long day or have dinner etc. They're getting worse and I don't know how to manage it.

Any advice?

Put him in the garden. Put yourself in the garden. Basically just remove yourself from the zoomies. Has he been neutered?

He’s not a bengal by any chance?

I’d make sure there is nothing breakable around and retreat to another room. He may be overstimulated. I think people will need a photo in order to help you further 😉

He's a ragdoll. I really can't stress enough how great he is. He's learning how to play nicely really really well. It's just this 5% where he seems to lose all sense!

So I actually have started removing him from the living room and giving him the run of the house with all his toy when he does this and he comes back half an hour later a lot calmer. I just feel bad, guilty and worry it's upsetting him by me walking away. But thanks for the advice, guess this is the thing to do!

It's normal cat behaviour. Mine still gets the zoomies and she's nearly 5. It's fine to put him out of the room and leave him to it- although you will then have to go and find what he has knocked over/ broken 🙄

Usually the advice is to mimic their natural behaviour of hunt, kill, eat then sleep. After an hour long session (wow) of hunting his prey via toys, do you feed him? He could be very hangry which is why he's attacking you. Even two forkfuls of wetfood, or a cat yoghurt might be enough to satisfy his natural instincts.

EDIT - normal zoomies are different, that's just running and jumping around, usually up and down stairs. Your description sounds meaner. Try food after play.

So I was feeding him after all this thinking that mimics the natural way of hunting but he almost gets worse after food. I give him good quality food so not sure if the food necessarily that's doing it. So then I thought if I fed him midway through the play, he'd get the natural hunting thing of eating and then also still have time to work through the zoomie.

He's actually not being mean to me, he's attacking the sofa and running and leaping all over that. I just sort of get in the way of this by sitting there watching tv/eating dinner, he falls off top of the sofa on to me etc. He's genuinely not aggressive to me fortunately! Just very playful

I don’t think the kitten will give any thought to whether you are present or not for the zoomies (I’m not sure cats actually think at all when they’re in the zoom zone!), so try not to feel bad taking time apart if it’s bothering you. Cats never fully grow out of zoomies, we have a 12-year-old who sounds like a herd of elephants when she gets going, although she doesn’t involve anyone else. She’s a rescue so I’ve no idea whether she was like that as a kitten, though.

Yes! My old girl was a rescue and it was like living with a horse when she was galloping up and down the upstairs hallway. But again, she never got me involved so I had no issue with it!

My dopey Persians have all had the zoomies. Just make sure anything breakable is out of the way. Baby bowls with suction on the bottom are handy to stop their water bowls being knocked over.

It's just what kittens do

Our orange boy used to climb the curtains, the coat rack and even tried to climb up the walls, lol. He went bonkers. He calmed down a lot when he was around one and we started letting him outside with his brothers (he was tiny so we didn't feel safe letting him out before then).

I would say normal kitten behaviour. Does she go outside?

Our tortie was terrifying as a kitten when she had the zoomies. We left her to it in another room. It calmed down when she was around 1. She was a gorgeous cat

😆 Terrifying …. lol Just leave the room, it’s normal. If you remain in the room, you are fair game OP. Only ever had one rescue kitty, plus mum, things will calm down.