Can't take much more with my cat!

[thetorturedpoetsdepartmentssecretary]

He's only nearly five months old, but getting wilder and wilder. He leaps at me and grabs my arm with all for legs, claws out. I'm scratched to bits.

I wear long sleeves. I play with him. He has thousands of toys.

He's not aggressive, I think he's just playful. I just don't know how to stop him. I've tried yelping at him but he doesn't react. I've tried ignoring him, he carries on. I've tried distracting him, it works briefly but he comes back. I'm exhausted. I've had many cats through my life but never one like this.

Another kitten isn't an option, I can't afford another and also have an older cat who isn't into kittens! as I found out too late.

I'll book him for neutering and hope it calms him down a bit. Just wondered if anyone has tips to stop him in the meantime.

Try attaching a smallish old cuddly toy to a piece of string or a bootlace. Ours used to enjoy chasing in and then savaging it to bits once he’d caught it.

Yep he’s in peak asshole phase unfortunately. We got our boy at 6 months old because his previous owner couldn’t deal with him any longer. Luckily we have a decent sized garden and he can be booted out there when he gets the feisty paws. If yours is an indoor cat then I pray for you. He will grow out of it but it’ll take time.

He should have been neutered by now, it will likely help.

Oh noo, my kitten was just like this as well! I couldn’t wait until she grew up and grew out of it. I also have an older cat who was not impressed with her in the slightest. She is 2 now and still playful but prefers to play with toys and chase springs around rather than attack me, thank god! I honestly feel like there’s not much you can do other than just keep redirecting his attention to toys unfortunately and just wait it out until he calms down. If you will be letting him outside eventually, he may calm down a lot once he starts going out as mine ended up just sleeping when she was in. Didn’t let her outside until she was a year old though

Agree he should have been neutered already. I hope he’s not going outside. Could he do so after he’s been neutered?

Get him neutered and another male cat that is his age.

Don’t get another! That could be double trouble!

Neuter him and then let him out.

Thanks for the replies. He can't go out, I'm near a busy road and also some cats locally have been killed 😔

When I last saw the vet he said wait until he's 5 months old before neutering him. I've contacted them today to book him in, waiting for a call back.

Glad it's not just my cat. I love him to bits and when he's cuddly he's adorable, but every morning we go through this rigmarole! He has to be shut in the living room at night so that my other cat can spend some one to one time with me on my bed. She'd have no peace from him if I didn't do that. Am I doing the right thing?

I really can't get another cat his age.

Can you not at least get a catio or cat-proof your garden? Keeping him indoors isn't likely to end well.

Lots and lots of chasing toy type games. Solid chunks of this kind of play to wear them out. And yep, neutering.

I don't want to be negative, but don't assume neutering will fix this. Our last kitten was just the same, and in fact, the vet called me to pick him up as soon as he was neutered because he was destroying the place there and he didn't quiet down until he was past one-year-old. He's still a bit of a nippy reactive. Bugger but it's all over stimulation and just really playful like you describe there's no malice but it is painful so we make sure to give him lots of playtime

Oh and we also did they getting another cat thing to calm him down. We got a cat two years older so that he wouldn't be dominant. The other cat just avoids him so don't fall prey to that tactic either it is not guaranteed. Some cats are just arseholes. Fucking love him though, my little marmalade arsehole 😂

I have just been through that, I.e..having an older cat and getting a kitten. In my opinion you are doing the right thing by giving the older cat a break from the kitten. I'm just not sure it's right to do every night as surely the kitten knows the older cat is getting attention at night.

How long have you had the kitten? How exactly is the older cat with him? I wonder if separating them too much slows down the adjustment process. I was mindful to give my older cat a break but I made sure I gave them equal attention. After a couple of weeks in the new home I let both cats roam my apartment at night. And my older cat has had a very slow adjustment process and is still adjusting. I can see hes getting more comfortable every week and we are in our fifth month.

Have you tried a kicker toy to replace your arm? He seems to prefer that kind of play and I wonder if redirecting might help?

Neutering should help a bit. You can ask the vet to clip his nails too. You can buy cat clippers but I know for a fact mine would rip my face off before they'd let me use them!
You can get anti anxiety meds for cats too, maybe that might be an option?
Definitely speak to the vet. But I think he will grow out of it to an extent anyway even if you don't do much.
Is there some other cats causing him bother or anxiety locally? If there are local teritory wars it can affect their behaviour.

We have 2 siblings cats M/F both 7yo The boy ( brain of a goldfish) attacks the sofa , gets told "no" looks shocked . Goes off to attack DD feet . Told ""no" Shocked look . Back to sofa ad infinitum....

I think he's playful 99% of the time but I'm wondering if he has a thing for hormones . I am Passed It , DD is 22yo
Our old cat loved me when I was pregnant.

You know your older cat best but at five months I think they need to get used to one another more and perhaps your older cat will enforce boundaries more? I'm assuming you had the kitten for a couple of months.

My kitten wouldn't let my older cat alone either. There was lots of hissing by a cat I didn't know was even capable of hissing lol. But that's how the kitten learnt. It was uncomfortable and I cried often, thinking I did my older cat a disservice. But between all his nervousness I could tell he was becoming more alert and active which is what I wanted. I got a 2nd cat as I thought he was bored and I couldn't engage with him in a way another cat could.

If you give the older cat breaks during the day (an hour here or there. Not a whole night) maybe they will start to wear each other out more? Only redirect if they are in a serious fight. Otherwise they will sort things between them.

My older cat used to snuggle up next to me in bed most mornings which he stopped doing. I miss him terribly but I assume his need to snuggle is met in other ways now, for example by play with the other cat. He's definitely able to cat more now and I'm happy for him.

I don't have a garden or balcony.

I've had him since he was 10 weeks old. The older cat tells him off, spits and hisses when he gets too close, smacks him if necessary, but if he chases her she runs away, which is a great game for him of course!

I could try letting him roam at night, but suspect I'll not get a lot of sleep!

I have every toy under the sun including kicked toys, I try and thrust them in his paws when he attacks but usually he's already got hold of me by then.

I'm really grateful for all suggestions and will try them all.

I'll ask the vet to clip his claws when he's being neutered. He doesn't go out so no territory wars, but I'll try and Feliway plug in anyway, might help them both.

If you won’t let him out that’s the problem. He needs to be doing cat things. Rehome him to a home where he can get out.

@thetorturedpoetsdepartmentssecretary is she actually running away from him or is it possible they just play a game of chasing?

I'm just asking as I wonder if getting older and better adjusting with the older cat will give him an outlet for his energy.

It's a nightmare but I believe he will grow out of it. My older cat was a lockdown kitten and had the awful habit of climbing my legs whilst I was working. At the time I considered just putting sisal rope around my legs.

Why don't you plan for a late night one day yourself, go to bed but see if/how both will settle for the night when sharing a space.

If you can’t let him out, DO get another cat so he can let off some steam. He is a teenager in human years, what on earth do you expect?! Are you home around the clock and can keep him engaged around the clock? Did you think this through before getting him?
Edited to correct a spelling mistake.

Some people here will probably judge me but a spray bottle with water has its uses and this is one of them!

Keep it handy and squirt him when he gets carried away, he needs to learn when he goes too far and a littermate or parent would teach him with hisses and paws.

Oh, and hissing can be quite effective too