Whats wrong with my cat?

useful_contacts

Hi all

i know its me again:p

My kitten tilly now 15 weeks old has started to behave v odd.

1. He is trying to jump up walls(i mean blank walls with nothing on them) Same with doors and he is tearing up the carpet.

2. He has started to try jump out windows and as we live in a flat he would be pretty much killed-however when we bring him out he freaks out and rips the arms off us until we bring him back inside

3.And also he is constantly complaining. He comes over and screeches at us when we are sitting down. if we pick him up on our laps he jumps back down and 2 minutes later comes over screetching again. Its the most horrible screaming ive ever heard and its constant (Its like the screeching when im feeding him and he yowls at me to hurry up)

I love him to bits but this is CONSTANT and i cant take it anymore.He wants for nothing and dont know what hes complaing over

can anyone help

B'witched

Has he been neutered?

Amberjack

Sounds like he doesn't like the confinement of being indoors and wants to get out. Not sure what can be done but I'm sure others here will have suggestions.

useful_contacts

B'witched wrote: »

Has he been neutered?

no he is being netured when he is 6 months

useful_contacts

Amberjack wrote: »

Sounds like he doesn't like the confinement of being indoors and wants to get out. Not sure what can be done but I'm sure others here will have suggestions.

if thats the case why does he freak out when we let him out and scrape the arms off us to bring him back inside. Hes so bloody confusing:(

Amberjack

He probably feels like he wants to go out and then gets scared and bewildered by it all when he does.

star-pants

Hmm might be partially down to not being neutured.

The climbing the walls etc, well my friend has had cats all her life so I've seen her with lots of kittens and some have odd behaviours. I know a good few of her kittens would do that kind of climbing etc. So it's probably not *that* unusual.

As for trying to climb out the window, he's curious and wants to get out, most cats will do that I'd say. I know my friends cats loved going out the 2nd floor window.

The crying at you all the time - I'm afraid I don't know. But hopefully others will know more to help.

The Sweeper

He's after one of three things: attention, interaction or food.

Have you got toys that are somewhat interactive? Have you a scratching post or cat tree for him? If he's this active, and a bit bored, it might be a good idea to get him a cat tree and hang some toys off it so he can swing out of them and they bounce when let go and so on.

If he yowls, has been fed, and doesn't want cuddles, he wants play. Try throwing a ping pong ball or scrunched up paper ball for him. Tie a toy mouse to a long length of string and throw and reel back in quickly.

Also sounds like he's a frustrated climber, so a cat tree might be precisely the way to go. Don't stick it off in a back room either, it needs pride of place beside the couch.

What have you tried with him? Some cats are more talkative than others. The prettiest of my cat has a yowl like he's caught in a vice grips. It's unfortunate.

ynotdu

B'witched wrote: »

Has he been neutered?

Bwitched i think you are on the right track there,although the OP has said its just fifteen weeks old, its hormones may have kicked in early?especially if a queen in heat is close by.
also agree with poster who says He yearns for the outdoors but when gets out is frightened.

OP you have a hormonal teen on your hands:)

the running up the curtains etc is very common in cats(i find it amusing)

the more active/Krazy kittens often turn out to be the ones who continue to give the owner the most pleasure in owning them for as long as they live, in my experiance:)

good luck with the *BRAT* OP

useful_contacts

star-pants wrote: »

Hmm might be partially down to not being neutured.
.

my vet wont neuter him until he is 6 months he is only 3 and a half months atm

useful_contacts

ynotdu wrote: »

Bwitched i think you are on the right track there,although the OP has said its just six weeks old, its hormones may have kicked in early?especially if a queen in heat is close by.
also agree with poster who says He yearns for the outdoors but when gets out is frightened.

Huh - he is 15 weeks old where did you get 6 weeks out of?

useful_contacts

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

He's after one of three things: attention, interaction or food.

Have you got toys that are somewhat interactive? Have you a scratching post or cat tree for him? If he's this active, and a bit bored, it might be a good idea to get him a cat tree and hang some toys off it so he can swing out of them and they bounce when let go and so on.

If he yowls, has been fed, and doesn't want cuddles, he wants play. Try throwing a ping pong ball or scrunched up paper ball for him. Tie a toy mouse to a long length of string and throw and reel back in quickly.

Also sounds like he's a frustrated climber, so a cat tree might be precisely the way to go. Don't stick it off in a back room either, it needs pride of place beside the couch.

What have you tried with him? Some cats are more talkative than others. The prettiest of my cat has a yowl like he's caught in a vice grips. It's unfortunate.

We play with him all the time- he gets a few hours a day play time and he still screams his head off:( he has plenty of toys but doesnt have a cat tree- maybe i should get him one

star-pants

useful_contacts wrote: »

my vet wont neuter him until he is 6 months he is only 3 and a half months atm

Sorry I realise he's too young to get neutered, but just as others said, it might be hormonal a bit early.
Minesajackdaniels got some good advice there

ynotdu

useful_contacts wrote: »

Huh - he is 15 weeks old where did you get 6 weeks out of?

Yeah soz about that,i edited the post to say i had misquoted you,
can only think that i was thinking of the average age for a cat to be a teenager is approx 6 months.:)

bug

How long have you had the cat?

Was it taken away from the litter early?

useful_contacts

bug wrote: »

How long have you had the cat?

Was it taken away from the litter early?

he was rejected by his mother and i took him at 6 weeks otherwise hed have died

The Sweeper

Six weeks (while not ideal) is a survivable age for a kitten to be separated from mum. I've fostered weaned kittens from 4-5 weeks onwards before.

The cat trees are life savers. I've posted a pic on the "Post your pics" thread just the other day of some of my lot and their cat tree. They're useful, scratchable, need to be sturdy, but they'll often take a lot of angst and madness out on the tree itself - saving your couch etc. Encourage them to wreck it. They'll take a lot of cat-ness out on it and hopefully leave your curtains alone.

Have you many roaming cats that lurk outside? If he can hear or smell them, it could be making him very agitated.

Lots of Aussie cat owners use the herbal remedy, Bachs Flower Essence for Pets, Rescue Remedy - a few drops in their water and even a few on the cat itself. I've never used it, so I can't give a personal recommendation, but I've heard a lot of positive stories from people with wound-up cats getting good results through using it. Not sure if you can get it in Ireland, but give it a google.

Other random things you can try - other than more playing - try not to get upset when he yowls. My guy Eric is a certified singer - if he were feral he'd have a permanent thrown-boot imprint on his arse. He yowls, chirps, burbles, screeches, roars and makes a particularly disturbing threatening noise when food isn't coming quickly enough that sounds like a siren. Unfortunately my smallest, Sasquatch, is picking this up and joining in, and Sas is the one wtih the vice grips voice. However, if you get annoyed by Eric's vocalisations and demonstrate irritation, exasperation, frustration etc at him he just gets louder and LOUDER and it gets really, really bad. Where we lived before, my housemate couldn't bear it when he kicked off and a couple of times she ended up screaming at him. That prompted noise that sounded like he was being skinned alive. A vocal cat can have a wide range of cries that mean different things. Try talking to them while they yowl. You can have whole conversations.

These days Eric is calmer, and his voice doesn't bother me so I never get upset with him. If he's being really persistent, I'll distract him with something - a cuddle, a short game, a relocation to a different room, something to break the pattern. I'm lucky that I have a large tribe of cats though, and often one of the others gets to him before I need to.

When your guy hits six months and is neutered a lot of the drive for this behaviour will fade and he'll chill out some.

I woudn't have him outside while he's not neutered - and if you do decide you want him to have outside access once he's desexed, don't carry him on the initial foray into the outside world. You go out first, leave the door ajar and wait for him to follow. Any cat, being taken toward anything that scares them, will scratch the bejesus out of you trying to get away. Ultimately he'd be a lot safer as an indoor-only or restricted-outdoor cat.

Additionally, ignore the neighbours and try harness walking him? You can buy tiny cat harnesses. They hate them on first use, but with lots of praise and coddling you can teach your cat to walk on a harness outdoors. It could be a short term solution if he's hankering for more variety and you're demented wtih him.

useful_contacts

Ive been letting him out in the small garden at the back of the flats latley and he seems much happier:D

useful_contacts

useful_contacts wrote: »

Ive been letting him out in the small garden at the back of the flats latley and he seems much happier:D

ok wont be letting him out again the neighbours tom cat ripped him apart id to go out and kick him off tilly

my poor babys all cut and bitten

summer_chic

useful_contacts wrote: »

ok wont be letting him out again the neighbours tom cat ripped him apart id to go out and kick him off tilly

my poor babys all cut and bitten

poor little thing.. thats unfortunately a fact of life, my two girls are constantly being bullied by a neighbourhood tom who, thankfully, has now been neutered - makes my house smell much better !

He sounds like he's attention seeking - of my two ( girls ) one is well able to entertain herself, the other, just can't - convinced she has ADD... you're best not letting him out until he's neutered, although you have quite a while to go, but Toms, particularly young ones, wander far and wide, and while most make it home, they will have you in tatters before they do !!

I don't have any suggestions, apart from chatting to him when he's howling at you, and he might temper his tone to yours after a while..

All the best with the little guy !

summer_chic

Also .. keep an eye on the cuts and bites, they can become infected .. although he's likely to wash them clean himself.

One of my girls got bitten straight through her ear, and although I noticed the scab, she didn't let me near it so I left it go as she didn't seem to worried by it. She ended up with an infection and reversing around the house howling..The other side of that is the other one got bitten in the paw, bled all over the house, but seemed to miraculously recover, and stop limping, when a can of sardines was opened !

useful_contacts

summer_chic wrote: »

poor little thing.. thats unfortunately a fact of life, my two girls are constantly being bullied by a neighbourhood tom who, thankfully, has now been neutered - makes my house smell much better !

He sounds like he's attention seeking - of my two ( girls ) one is well able to entertain herself, the other, just can't - convinced she has ADD... you're best not letting him out until he's neutered, although you have quite a while to go, but Toms, particularly young ones, wander far and wide, and while most make it home, they will have you in tatters before they do !!

I don't have any suggestions, apart from chatting to him when he's howling at you, and he might temper his tone to yours after a while..

All the best with the little guy !

cant keep him in until then he screams to get out- quite painful to hear really:( hes booked to be fixed on 19th october a day before his 6 month birthday.

Hes a tough little thing an hour after the fight he was yowling to go out again. had my neighbour in screaming that i kicked her cat- she shut the hell up when i showed her the damage her bully did to my kitten. I dont care if i kicked him he was tearing my kitten to shreads i could hear him scream from inside the house

useful_contacts

summer_chic wrote: »

Also .. keep an eye on the cuts and bites, they can become infected .. although he's likely to wash them clean himself.

One of my girls got bitten straight through her ear, and although I noticed the scab, she didn't let me near it so I left it go as she didn't seem to worried by it. She ended up with an infection and reversing around the house howling..The other side of that is the other one got bitten in the paw, bled all over the house, but seemed to miraculously recover, and stop limping, when a can of sardines was opened !

oh dont worry brought him straight to the vet who cleaned him up- didnt even charge me which was nice of him.

summer_chic

you might invest in one of those power water pistols that kids use, a normal one is useless. Saves you kicking someone elses cat, and will actively discourage the other Tom. they're very territorial the little sods ! Our neighbourhood bully batters the cat flap every now and then to get in. Luckily I don't let the girls out at night & lock it, but one night I forgot and found the little sod on the landing... he was petrified ..

He didn't learn his lesson though.. thank god they've fixed him, he's a little less agressive and doesn't stink the house out anymore.. the girls are 16 months old now, and well able to take care of themselves...

useful_contacts

summer_chic wrote: »

you might invest in one of those power water pistols that kids use, a normal one is useless. Saves you kicking someone elses cat, and will actively discourage the other Tom. they're very territorial the little sods ! Our neighbourhood bully batters the cat flap every now and then to get in. Luckily I don't let the girls out at night & lock it, but one night I forgot and found the little sod on the landing... he was petrified ..

He didn't learn his lesson though.. thank god they've fixed him, he's a little less agressive and doesn't stink the house out anymore.. the girls are 16 months old now, and well able to take care of themselves...

believe me i hate anyone hurting an animal and dont like the fact id to kick him off my kitten- but i did what i had to do. he had him in a corner and was tearing him asunder

summer_chic

useful_contacts wrote: »

believe me i hate anyone hurting an animal and dont like the fact id to kick him off my kitten- but i did what i had to do. he had him in a corner and was tearing him asunder

Oh I know exactly how you felt, when I saw my scaredy cat cornered by the bully, and even more so afterwards when I saw what had happened to the bush she was hiding in when he was attacking her.. red mist, I think its called !

useful_contacts

summer_chic wrote: »

Oh I know exactly how you felt, when I saw my scaredy cat cornered by the bully, and even more so afterwards when I saw what had happened to the bush she was hiding in when he was attacking her.. red mist, I think its called !

ya something red anyway- just wanted to protect my kitten, and gave my neighbour what for aswell when she banged on my door screming that she saw me kick her cat- conviently she didnt see him ripping my kitten apart:mad:

fuzzy28

God that sounds annoying, I am the same I love my cat but she can be annoying sometimes. Sounds like the cat is bored. Parts of what you say reminds me of my cats behaviour. When she is bored she likes to jump onto door frames and cries at me etc. etc. etc. I let her go outside because my housing estate is fairly safe but she is very easily made afraid so comes running back in if there is any noise etc. Sometimes she is too scared to stay outside and actually comes back in crying at me until I follow her outside. I dont have to stay outside with her or anything but its like she just wants a little reassurance.
Does this make sense???
What I try to do is play with her by throwing things for her to run after the best way to tire her out is to chase her up and down the stairs.
I probably sound like a nut but like you I find it annyoing when she is crying at me non stop.
She also has a spot at the window where she sits watching my neighbours this keeps her entertained sometimes.
I dont know if this is of any use.

trilo

We've had kittens that have grown into cats over the past while.
At 15 weeks the kitten is still quite young and needy. I reckon he thinks of you as him mom, he is still too insecure to go out on his own. Give him time and he will want to head out on his own accord.
As for the jumping against walls etc... the only time a kitten in my experience has never looked for attention is when he is asleep..and they sleep loads. And the kittens we've had have been terrors especially at night time and the early morn... no chance of sleeping then

If you have have any more concerns you should go to your vet and perhaps alleviate your worries there.

amy85

useful_contacts wrote: »

Hi all

i know its me again:p

My kitten tilly now 15 weeks old has started to behave v odd.

1. He is trying to jump up walls(i mean blank walls with nothing on them) Same with doors and he is tearing up the carpet.

2. He has started to try jump out windows and as we live in a flat he would be pretty much killed-however when we bring him out he freaks out and rips the arms off us until we bring him back inside

3.And also he is constantly complaining. He comes over and screeches at us when we are sitting down. if we pick him up on our laps he jumps back down and 2 minutes later comes over screetching again. Its the most horrible screaming ive ever heard and its constant (Its like the screeching when im feeding him and he yowls at me to hurry up)

I love him to bits but this is CONSTANT and i cant take it anymore.He wants for nothing and dont know what hes complaing over

can anyone help

hi op
our kitten is like that too.she is just gone 4 months and is doing practically the same thing as yours.. jumpin up the frame of our windows right to the top,jumpin at doors etc. she has started doing that awful whinging aswell... drives me lil bit mad at times. haha..

like you,we live in an apt so cant let her out on her own. i bring her out on a harness every day for a while and she seems to like it,but then goes crazy if somebody comes round the corner or if she hears loud noise.

she is lavished with attention all the time so not sure why she is crying and whinging... am hoping she might grow out of it soon,she seems to start it alot when we are eating our dinner,but she has her own food to eat and wont. just wants out dinner!! maybe its just a phase they go through..

annefitzy

useful_contacts wrote: »

no he is being netured when he is 6 months

Why wait until he is 6mths, We have the cat hospital here in Cork who will do the kittys at 16wks http://www.thecathospital.ie/ I would reccomend the cat hospital to anyone that has a cat or a kitten. I have 5 kittens that are going in to be fixed this week 3 females and 2 males

Cheers
Anne;)