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13 November 2007

ANSWER THIS ASKMECHA OR I KILL THIS CAT→[More:]I'm at wit's end. My kitten Fry has suddenly started going berserk and destroying shit.

He's always been a normal, rambunctious kitten and he likes climbing on stuff, but up until now he's managed to keep messes to a minimum.

The problem is that here I have bookcases (and tables and cabinets and cardboard boxes) with lots of piles of random shit on them. Not mine -- it's my dad's former "professional" office and full of everything from random genealogy to financial records to magazine clippings. I'm trying to recycle stuff just to reduce the volume but it's still just ... lots of piles.
Since, as some know, he has Alzheimer's or some other creeping dementia and is resisting diagnosis/treatment even as he worsens, I have just recently realized he will never go through these papers again.

Never had this problem with Bert, my brother's cat that I "sat" for most of a year. Fry's been good until now. Since catproofing would take weeks I just hoped I wouldn't need to.

Now, he regularly climbs up on piles and knocks them to the ground. Half a dozen times a day there are 20-40 new pieces of paper on the floor.

Just to add to things, he's decided to pee in the same general area, so I run the risk of valuable records getting peed on if I don't clean up after him constantly. He literally JUST NOW peed right behind the bookshelf and it wafted up and hit my nose so I put him in the cat cage (it's a 3'x4' dog cage, actually).

Finally, he's decided he wants to climb the insulating plastic I've put on the windows. Kitty claws make mincemeat of 3M kits and there goes $$$$ right out the window.

I've tried to play with him more, and I picked up a bunch of new toys, but he doesn't seem that interested in them.

Is this just what I got myself into with a boy cat? I've known boy cats before, including Bert, and yes they were older which accounts for some placidity, but this is ridiculous. When he's quiet, he's cuddly and such, but when he's not quiet, he's becoming a terror.

Even a week ago I'd have said his worst habit was clawing at the liner on his litterbox. Makes noise, makes lots of little holes for pee to seep through and litter to drip from. But that I could deal with. This other stuff is starting to drive me to distraction.

I don't have any anthropmorphic glosses on this like he's getting back at me for something. He's probably just reacting to some problem or more than one and I can't figure out what it is. He spent twenty or thirty minutes giving me a plaintive whine earlier this night and the only thing that helped was opening the window sash (again ... $$$$) and then he just wanted to bang against the storm window. But he doesn't try to sneak out the door, so it can't be wanting outside, can it?

Now, maybe this is the answer. I haven't gotten to the vet to have him neutered. I figured I had a little while longer as he was still pretty young (just four months). Is this a need-to-neuter thing?

post by: stilicho at: 06:32 | 21 comments

i think he's testing his boundaries and the laws of physics with his ability to leap tall stacks of things in a single bound and send them shooting across the room.
Maybe he needs an area. If he never goes out or has anyone to play with, you could make him an area to thrash with cut out cardboard boxes and carpet. Having an area where he can go apeshit might help. You've got to clearly lay down the law with peeing. It would be pretty early for neutering.

posted by ethylene 13 November | 06:57

Huh. Are you sure about the age? Because it really shouldn't be a tomcat thing at four months. You might have him checked for UTI... cats do start acting weird and peeing on things when they have it.

posted by taz 13 November | 06:59

This sounds like a rumbunctious teen surfing on a rising tide of hormones. I've known male cats start tom cat behaviour this young. The peeing innapropriately is usually a sign of stress/urinary tract infection, so do get him to a vet to be checked out asap and discuss neutering, some vets will neuter male cats at four months.

posted by Arqa 13 November | 07:32

What eth said. You're going to have to find him some stuff that he can shred and destroy until he gets some age on him. In my experience, neutering will calm him down in the long run, but he's still going to be a crazy kitten for a long time, so it's best to plan for that.

Keeping him confined in the cage/pen is just going to make him more frustrated, so hopefully you won't have to do that too much.

I don't think it's humanly possible to entertain a young cat as much as they'd like to be entertained, btw, so don't YOU get frustrated by that, if you can help it. Also, if he's ignoring the toys you bring home, try rubbing some catnip on 'em. (You can buy little packs of it at the pet store.)

posted by BoringPostcards 13 November | 07:49

Am I misremembering or did a new kitten also recently find it's way into your home? One that had problems with its back legs? Was that someone else?

posted by chewatadistance 13 November | 09:19

If you're talking to me and not stilicho, chewie, no, that's not me. We did adopt a new kitty in August, but he's full-sized (though very young, we think) and his back legs work fine.

posted by BoringPostcards 13 November | 09:51

Is there a way you can close the door to the room with all the stacks of papers - you know, divide and conquer?

Alternately, provide something else for kitty to trash. Mine loveslovesloves wrapping tissue paper. and plastic bags. and boxes

Climbing the plastic: try double-sided sticky tape (or rolled clear packaging tape)on the location where kitty first puts paws. Mine hate the feel of sticky tape.

Peeing may be urinary track infection, or just that kitty doesn't thing the box is clean enough. I don't use the plastic liners because all kitties get their claws hung up in them. If you're not using clumping litter, try switching to that. Or, maybe kitty doesn't like location of box. Is it near the food dish? That's a no-no in some kittie-minds.

And, when does kitty become most active? If it's during the evening when you're home, it may be to try and get more of your attention....

posted by mightshould 13 November | 10:02

chewie, stilicho he did have the tiny one with the back legs problem that he was trying to feed to keep alive, but kitty didn't make it. :(

posted by taz 13 November | 10:10

In addition to all the wonderful advice above: I would try, as much as you can, to start tidying up the space he's trashing (assuming you can't lock him out of it; if you can, just do that). It sounds like there are lots of emotional issues tied up with the mess, so I understand it's not just a weekend project, but it sounds like the cat is aggravating the emotional response you're having to all the papers and things, and it's probably best for all involved if you can just get the stuff out of (both of) your way and not constantly be fighting a small being with very little brain power, let alone will power, about it -- because you're unlikely to win these sorts of battles with cats, and I'd hate to see you tie yourself in knots trying.

posted by occhiblu 13 November | 10:35

Good thoughts, all. Occhiblu -- quite perceptive. Yes, I'm under super stress recently and this isn't helping. (The cat was SUPPOSED to help. Well, he is cleaning himself sitting on my chest right now and that does help, and I petted him for 10 minutes just now.)

Divide and conquer not possible. (It did work for something I didn't want him to destroy by climbing.)

I guess I can skip the liners if it's part of the problem, it's more work to clean the boxes though.

Yeah, chewie, that was Munch who was only with me for about 2.5 days. Fry was from a house litter and very healthy, though. I know his age because I was going over to hold and play with him almost as soon as his eyes opened. I just didn't take him until he'd had almost 12 weeks of proper cat-rearing.

posted by stilicho 13 November | 10:55

My kitten earned the Spazalot name at about 4 months, too; I feel for you. I would get the peeing checked out and talk to the vet about things to get rid of the smell to the point that the cat can't smell it, otherwise he'll keep peeing there. I like Nature's Miracle for this. You can neuter a male cat as soon as their testicles drop, and probably should to prevent spraying. That might help a bit with the energy, too. Is there a doorway where you can hang something for him to play with? Those elastic dangly toys that go around a doorframe are kitty heaven, but the elastic only lasts about a day; I've hung some fan-folded paper on a string at a height kitten can get at, and it helped wear her out a bit. If you can afford it or have the skills to make one, you might want to consider a cat tree that he can scratch and climb and play with dangly toys on. Lastly, for training cats, the spray bottle is your friend--spray him with water (accompanied with a loud "no!") when you catch him doing something he shouldn't. Works like a charm and doesn't hurt him.

Best of luck to you, stilicho. It does end eventually.

posted by elizard 13 November | 11:35

And, if your kitty is one that wakes you up in the wee hours, a good tactic is to nab said kitty and wet down some fur - kitty spends hour or so drying off and forgets to wake you up for a bit. I've actually seen it work to train kitty to not wake you up in the wee hours...ymmv, of course.

Cat tree is easily constructed with 4x4 post secured to large plywood base and plywood top. Wrap post with sisal rope. Use carpet or furry fabric with padding for top...

posted by mightshould 13 November | 12:16

If there is one thing a cat loves more than anything else, it's a stack of papers. Wait, that's not right: if there's one thing a cat loves more than anything else, it's toppling a stack of papers.

I'm sort of concerned that your box-trained cat is pissing all over the floor, though.

posted by muddgirl 13 November | 12:19

Get him neutered. He may be getting adolescent hormones. Cats who are neutered late may develop and keep the spraying habit - not good at all. It's not that expensive for males; ask the vet if they know of a neutering clinic. Get/make a climbing post and scent it with catnip spray. Good luck with the cat and with your dad.

posted by theora55 13 November | 15:15

Great ideas above and mine are probably mostly repeats:

- This is perfectly normal behaviour for a four month old kitten. They usually calm down, to some extent, between 12 and 24 months. However, this is perfectly normal behaviour for a fourteen year old kitten ..er.. cat.

- Get him to a vet asap about the peeing. As mentioned it could be some sort of UTI.

- My boys were neutered at six months. Check with the vet; he may be fine to be neutered early.

- Close the door if possible. Is it possible to put the piles into folders or a cabinet? Can you use paper weights?

- A spray bottle is your friend. Cats usually learn quickly and it won't take long for him to flee at the sight of you reaching for it. Unless, of course, your name is Oliver and you love to be sprayed with water.

- He doesn't want to get even for anything; he's young, he's playful, he's full of energy. Paying more attention to him may help, but it may not especially if you're already spending lots of time with him. The toy suggestions above are great.

- He may or may not respond to catnip. My adult cats like it as does one of the kittens (seven months old).

I'm sorry for what you're going through with your father. Good luck and don't forget to take care of yourself as well.

posted by deborah 13 November | 21:12

Oh, I'm going ahead and ordering this Armarkat cat tree thanks to an AskMe thread. I have a couple of doorknob sisal scratchers that Bert would use, but Fry just bats around a bit. According to "Calling All Pets" cats love a stable base for a scratching surface which is why upholstered furniture is so vulnerable. I'm thinking of bracing them or just nailing them to the wall somewhere.

There hasn't been any peeing today. I cleaned his litterbox, maybe that was it.

The piles are just gonna have to be dealt with one by one. I keep finding (amid valuable stuff) seminar booklets from 1994 and print-outs of e-mails that my mother sent him that he would then print so he could ask her about, and (in his "system" that I grew up with) would need to be marked in pen for disposition. Most of these are still waiting for her "mark" .... Early symptoms, or was he just always a control freak?

Right now he's playing with me a bit. He has a big plush mouse that is supposed to be his "wrestle" toy, and a catnip cord mouse that he bats around like crazy. At least this is directed mayhem.

posted by stilicho 14 November | 00:55

Hang in there, stilicho. *hugs*

posted by occhiblu 14 November | 01:30

The Armarkat cat tree looks so cute, I want to play with it.

posted by taz 14 November | 02:50

His litterbox should be scooped out once a day*. You mentioned using liners. Are you using regular clay litter? You might try clumping litter and not using liners. You can't dump the used litter down the toilet (bag it and trash it daily) but you also don't have to dump all the litter once a week (as you should with clay). You just top it up with clean sand as the level goes down.

My mum uses the sisal scratchers (I have cardboard) that are supposed to hang on doors. Her cats won't use them on doors, but are fine with them just laying on the floor. If she notices that they're scratching where they shouldn't (usually her kilim carpets) she'll move one of the scratchers to the spot to redirect the scratching kitty.

*I have to admit I'm bad at this but my cats are quite forgiving and don't pee/poop anywhere else.

posted by deborah 14 November | 14:59

Oh, I *scoop* it pretty much daily, and I *try* to replace it as needed. I use clumping litter, and no I don't send it down the toilet. (I'm not a complete cat novice here. I am definitely a kitten novice, though.) I wonder if he was just complaining about the accumulated ammonia smell or something. Trash day is tomorrow so I may as well do it.

He hasn't peed inappropriately since I changed the one near the office (there's one upstairs as well, he seems to prefer using it now) but he has knocked more piles over and has done some fierce whining even though as far as I can determine all his needs are taken care of. I had to cage him again, I couldn't work with him going on nonstop. (And yes, we had playtime and cuddle time already today.)

*shakes head*

posted by stilicho 14 November | 15:53

... and now he's whining again. He's got food, he's got water, he's had a pee in the box. He sits behind the bookcase (where I can't easily get to or reach him) and mews at me.

posted by stilicho 15 November | 01:09

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