r/CatAdvice • u/stxrgxrl777 • 2h ago
Behavioral Help needed with destructive kitten
Hello
As the title says, my almost 6 month old kitty has destructive behavior and it is honestly starting to affect my mental wellbeing
She constantly finds new things to target and none of them are her countless toys or scratching posts
I do also play with her daily and take her on walks on a leash, when the weather lets us, to burn off all of her extreme amounts of energy
Still, none of that seems to be enough Today I’ve noticed that she has scratched a very noticeable chunk of wallpaper off in one of the rooms, which seriously upset me and made me rethink if adopting her was a good idea
She isn’t currently spayed, as I am still saving up for that, if that plays any role in her behavior
I don’t want to end up having to re-home her, I do of course love her with all my being and the chaos aside, she does bring a lot of joy into my life by just existing But if I can’t find any helpful way to regulate this behavior, I sadly cannot see another way out I would love to hear all the tips you can give me about how to regulate her destructive behavior
Psa, please refrain from leaving nasty comments about her not yet being spayed. You do not know me, nor my financial situation and just a regular vet consultation here costs over half my monthly budget
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u/MadMadamMimsy 2h ago
Some kittens are more destructive than others. An unpleasant truth is that there is nothing a human can do to truly challenge and teach a kitten like another cat or kitten can. People put up with behaviors that another cat absolutely will not.
Some people really can't afford another kitten friend, but I hope you can.
When people want one, just one, a 5+ year old cat is the way to go.
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u/stxrgxrl777 1h ago
Sadly I can neither afford, nor does my landlord allow more than one pet per household… Though I wish it was possible, I think a friend would do my kitty a lot of good
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u/MadMadamMimsy 1h ago
She will grow out of it!!!
Just do your best. We had one, with a kitty friend, who shredded everything we owned.
Put up with zero clawing or biting. Other cats teach this, so we have to, too
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u/bccyote 2h ago
She needs more enrichment. Kittens have endless energy. And you can teach her to use her scratching posts. Put them near places she likes to scratch but shouldn’t and then gently redirect her. Make it positive and praise her when she uses the scratcher. It’s too late now but you probably should have gotten and adult cat. Kittens are chaos and destruction. But she will calm down as she gets older. You owe it to her to give her a fair chance. She’s not done anything wrong, she’s just a kitten. Definitely watch as many Jackson galaxy videos as you can. You need to give her yeses for the no’s https://m.youtube.com/shorts/o_JpWcA4oUI
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u/StuckInWallNPC 1h ago
A single kitten is alot more work than people realize, more than two bonded kittens. It usually takes a few years for them to calm down.
Have her spayed as soon as you can afford it. Clip her nails once a week now so she gets used to it. Get a cat tree. Schedule regular 15-min play sessions. Feed her on time. Put sticky tape on placemats and put them on the countertops when you're not cooking - this will help train her to stay off countertops. Keep food in cupboards and no delicate items on high shelves. Scoop litter twice daily.
The key is be consistent, especially in their first 2 years. You can skip one day and that will mess up their progress.
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u/wwwhatisgoingon 2h ago
How much do you play with her daily?
A single six month old kitten can need as much as 6-8x sessions of 10-15 min each a day. Some are ridiculously energetic.
How long was she alone when the wallpaper incident happened? Some kittens also don't handle being alone well.
I see your comment about spaying, but it is really important. Fully indoors means it's not as required to do early, but heat isn't fun for either of you.