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.

That's a possibility, I'll look into them, thanks for the suggestion.

Would he tolerate a harness and lead? Taking him for a walk might tire him out physically and mentally.

Also, cats are just arseholes at this age, it will pass!

Depends on the cat. Mine wouldn’t care less
i open the door or window and he’s very much “but.. sofa and my tv shows and my human are inside?”

if I go out into the garden he sighs and trails after me, then sits himself right next to me and refuses to budge as I need supervising out there

I live in the centre of a large city. So yeah, I don't have a huge garden or live in the suburbs, or know anyone who does.
It's a shame your area is unsafe for cats to be out. I hope you can work around it to an extent and things improve for you and cat x

This is a really accurate description 😂 We got ours as a rescue at 4 months, he'd been neutered but was a (friendly) menace. For about two months whenever I walked in the room he'd run up my leg, across my chest and sort of hang off one shoulder with his claws in my neck. It was exhausting. His pupils are constantly dilated like he's on speed. We adopted his mum at the same time and he literally drove her up the walls - she'd sit on the curtain rail to get away from him. He's now 9 months and has calmed down a lot, but letting him into the garden the last few weeks has been a game changer. He spends literally hours chasing bees and flies, and falls out of trees, and crashes through bushes, and jumps about in the grass. It's lovely, and tires him out.

Everything he attacks you, spray him with water. Always worked for my cat when he was doing something he shouldn't be he'd soon stop even if he just saw me reach for the spray.

Absolutely this. It’s cruel to keep him inside . Sorry, but I think you need to rehome him.

I’ve never had a cat quite so wild however at that age once neutered mine would be going outside. Immediately they would tire themselves out exploring and when back in the house be settled and sleepy.

I think you have to take your chances or rehome somewhere the cat can live outside.

I don’t think cats are going to be happy indoors.

OP you'll find there's people who think all cats need to be able to roam about outside, whereas in some countries letting cats out is frowned upon - a number of cities in Australia for example have a ban on cats roaming outside their owner's property at any time, while others have a curfew.

Any possibility of a catio? It makes a huge difference.

I have a young Ragdoll mix who is incapable of going out alone (would flop on the road, make friends with random people, etc), but can be a PITA. The Catio has saved our sanity and that of our other cat. Doesn't have to be huge, but can also work well over a door as a way to get in and out without the cats escaping.

Has he got enough things to climb? That also seems to burn energy.

I think you’re in a hiding to nothing trying to keep a cat like that as an indoor cat.
The poor lad has testosterone and bags of energy coursing through him. He needs a positive outlet for that and I’m not sure your house is big enough to provide that. It also sounds like he bullies your other cat and that’s not good for her.
Personally id take the risk letting him out. A short happy life is better than a long miserable life cooped up inside. Many with disagree with me for saying that but I think animals should have a natural life as possible.

I agree. Some cats (the majority I would argue) just aren’t suited to indoor life.

You don’t need a huge garden to cat-proof it or to install some kind of catio.

Cats are hunters, designed to roam for miles and explore their territories. While a small number may be content to live within four walls for their entire lives, it’s not exactly ideal and many develop health and behavioural problems as a result.

I would definitely look into harness training. He is the right age and being able to go outside really will help him.

There's no way I'd walk my cat on a lead, the amount of dogs around, I'd worry about her being attacked, plus she'd be terrified.

Agreed, plus what happens if they slip their harness and bolt?

It happened to a cat near us, was being walked on a lead, a dog approached, the cat panicked, escaped the harness and ran - that was three weeks ago and it’s not been found or seen since.

He is at peak teenage behaviour. Neutering will definitely help as will felliway. There's also a felliway spray that you can put on their toys and scratchers to divert them away from your legs.
I'm a cat fosterer and must have looked after nearly a hundred cats and thought I knew what I was doing when I adopted a kitten to live with my older cat. It was like introducing a lunatic to the house and I really wondered if I'd made the right decision.
Luckily he can go outside but as that's not an option it's a case of knackering him out and keeping him stimulated. Laser pens, interactive toys that spin or puzzle balls with treats in them. Even making a maze out of old cardboard boxes.
Hopefully it will pay off, mine is two now and he and the older cat cuddle up together and things are a lot less stressful. Good luck!

I couldn't risk walking him on a lead. Sorry to drip feed, but there's an xl bully living a couple of houses down, frequently out without a lead or muzzle. I know it's illegal, but can't report them, not sure of their house number, can't see their door from mine. Also none of the neighbours want to report them due to their life style, definitely drugs involved. My flat is frequently targeted anyway, I don't know by whom, so don't want to risk aggravating the neighbours.

I've bought some new toys and am keeping the kitten as busy as I can, which is helping at the moment.

Just let him out and get a tracker on him for peace of mind.
Cats are not meant to be kept indoors, he must be bored stiff, especially as he is so young. He needs the natural stimulation of the outdoors.
Anxious cat owners make their cats life a misery, it's so cruel.
If he could talk he would rather hunt in the wild than eat in captivity, even if it reduced the years of his life, quality over quantity.

So you'd rather let your cat out near a busy road, with a potential violent dog on the loose and given that cats have been poisoned nearby? I'm sorry, I think that's irresponsible.

I don't have any garden! Or balcony. I live in a first floor flat.

He's booked in to be neutered in two weeks - earliest I could get. I'll see what happens after that. He runs around plenty, my other cat keeps out of the way, sleeps most of the day.

I would also rehome him to a home with a garden. My first two cats were rescues and I think this is why they’d been rehomed. They loved being outside and one of them in particular would stay out all hours. He was absolutely miserable if I had to keep him in.

It’s also irresponsible to keep a miserable cat inside for your own benefit. If you’re not prepared to let him out, rehome him.

Cats have no concept of life spans or their own mortality, though. They’re not humans.

Would you get a bird and keep it locked inside a cage all day in case it flew away? Get a rabbit and keep it locked inside a hutch?

Cats should be free to roam. They’re hunters and explorers and adventurers, not house pets.