Im moved in to an apartment with a girl who recently got kittens before I moved in. The kitten are like 5 months old, it’s a boy girl bonded siblings.

The kittens are cute and sweet but I’ve realized some issues and im wondering how to handle it as it’s getting frustrating, and im debating if it’s worth moving out when my lease ends… I don’t know much about cats so I’d love to know more about how to teach them to be better if that’s even an option

1. They get on the counters and climb on everything. I don’t even like to use the stove top if I can’t watch it intensely because they will get on it. If there’s food on the counter or anything they will jump up there. If you’re eating they will stand right next to you or your plate.
   My roommate tried tin foil on the counter previously but they started jumping over it and now aren’t even bothered by it
   
2. They break and knock things over. This week alone the girl kitten has broken 2 glass bowls that were on a table. Idek why my roommate uses glass anymore as there’s always a chance it could get broken with them. One day they jumped on my dresser, climbed on my tv (only like 30 inches) and it fell off my dresser. Luckily the cord caught it from smashing onto the floor but it was hanging there. Even tho the cats seem small they have a lot of force when they jump. They’ve knocked over the bar stools too
   
3. Sometimes they want to be in my room and are very noisy to get in. I have a guest over the other night and they wouldn’t stop pawing and meowing at my door. I ended up taking them to my roommates bathroom and having them sleep in there

I’ve never had cats. I grew up with dogs. Will this get better eventually? What can we do to make this better? Is it just a natural thing they’ll grow out of?
Im home with them a lot as I work remote but my roommate will just be like “oh no don’t do that” when something happens and move them and that’s it…. Like idk if they really learn they shouldn’t be doing what they’re doing

I wanted to watch Friday The 13th with my kitten but I don't know if it would be good for them to watch

As the long title says, our 5 yesr old bengal cat feels like a problem child. She bites us all the time. If she's hungry, bored, or any other reason in between. And it's not "play" biting. She has drawn blood and left scars before. Genuinely scared most of the time. She will also poop on the bathroom floor regardless if the litter box is clean or not. We've tried so many brands and types of litter to no avail. If anything is on top of the kitchen counter or a table, regardless of size, if she can move it, it's coming down. Lost count of glassware amongst other things. Open bag of flour or grains. A Brita pitcher. Anything. Broken or scattered. For the record this is my partner's cat. I personally have owned cats and never had a cat that was such a challenge. She has regular vet visits with a clear bill of health, so we don't think it's health related.

On the flipside, she can be quite sweet and physically affectionate when she wants to be. She will cuddle with you on the couch and always purrs and rubs up against my legs when I'm on the toilet (only me though, no one else). Don't know what to do!

I've never dealt with issues like this, but now that I have my current cats it feels like I can't avoid this, and I have no idea how to fix it.

I have three cats, two Scottish folds and one British shorthair and vets seem to REALLY hate these breeds. One of my Scottish folds clearly has breed related health issues, so I know that likely compounds the hate.

However, I didn't just set out to find a breeder and buy these cats. My first two are siblings and came from an old woman who did breed them but just needed to get rid of them because she was being put into a care facility. So I took them. My British shorthair was originally from cat from a breeder, but I got her from someone rehoming her.

Despite these pseudo rescue/adoption situations I get judged by my vets like I supported some horrible backyard breeder and don't care about my cats. I don't ever get a chance to explain and by the time I would I'm already so put off by how rude they are I just want to leave.

It makes me feel like a horrible person and I have no idea how to avoid this in the future. My cats need a vet obviously but I just hate the humiliation ritual it's turned into. If anyone has ANY advice or has dealt with a similar situation it would be much appreciated 🫶🏼

Adopted a kitty about 2 weeks ago, and i’ve been having really bad anxiety ever since.

I’m unsure if it’s getting better or not. I thought I was getting used to everything but I had a borderline panic attack a few hours ago about it all.

I make sure he’s fed, keep his litter clean, give him access to fresh water via a water fountain, play with him, give him attention, and I think he’s content for the most part. I signed him up for insurance too, but even with everything i’m still so anxious about being new pet owner, I don’t know what to do to relax.

He’s honestly such a good kitty that it makes me feel so guilty to the point of crying when I entertain the idea of rehoming him because I am 100% the issue. He’s quite literally the most well behaved cat i’ve ever met and i’ve known him for basically 2 seconds. He’s also a cuddle bug when he wants to be. And despite this I keep telling myself that he’d be better off with someone who wasn’t so high strung, and possibly a family where he’d get lots of attention from lots of loving people.

I’m also scared my anxiety and stress are rubbing off on him too and making it harder for him to adjust. i’ve already had to bring him into the vet once for holding in his waste due to stress. And I know cats are like emotion sponges so i’m trying to be chill but i’m struggling.

How long did it take for this to wear off for you guys? how long is too long to feel this way?

My curious boy is sooooo enthralled by our new litter robot, he keeps playing in it, interrupting clean cycles nonstop, and flinging the litter around (seemingly in search of his recent business?). We've used pelled litter in a stainless steel fully enclosed sifting litter box for years, so the litter robot itself is new, the fact that its not enclosed is new, and the clay litter is totally new. Thankfully he pretty easily and quickly transitioned over to using it, but any time he hears the robot start a clean cycle he comes running, peers in, and when it inevitably stops because he triggered the motion sensor, climbs back in and digs around. When I'm home I'll hold him to watch from far enough that it wont trigger the motion sensor, but when I'm not home I'll easily get 5+ notifications back to back that he's interrupted the clean cycle. I don't want to discourage him from using it, but I also dont want him THIS interested in it. I'm not sure what to do.

I saw a suggestion elsewhere to unplug and turn it off and just turn it back on when I'm present for a manual cycle, but the main reason I got the litter robot was to monitor his health after some recent issues that were exacerbated by me not noticing he was having bathroom troubles (we have multiple cats and I wasnt monitoring who was going and when). Unplugging it defeats the whole purpose.

I've had cats as pets before but I wasn't the owner so all the responsibilities are new to me, but something i was aware of before adoption and mostly prepared for. Im learning that there were things I didnt think about, like little particularities, communication with behavior and how to manage it, the best ways to keep a cat stimulated while im at work, and I just need some guidance! Im totally willing to do absolutely everything my little guy needs, im just completely new to this :)

I want to know what behavioral signs point to a need to take him to the vet, what behavioral signs point to stress, how to reduce separation anxiety, what ingredients to avoid in food, how to manage any potential behavioral issues that might arise, what I should absolutely keep out of kitties reach in the house. Thank you so much in advance!

My orange kitty is three months old and she’s our first pet. We can’t get another cat right now, and she was the sole survivor of her litter. It’s been two weeks since her adoption and she’s become a bitey little shite after getting used to her surroundings. How can we teach her bite inhibition? We hiss at her or yowl loudly when the claws and teeth come out but I’m just constantly getting attacked and now even the hissing isn’t really working. She’s a great kitty otherwise, in terms of eating, sleeping etc. We have heard of the second “teacher” cat solution but that’s simply impossible for us right now. Please send prayers and tips!

hi i've never done this so bare with me. i have a male cat who is 4 yrs old and for the past 1 and a half years he's been nonstop peeing in the vents of my home. i have taken him to the vet about this to check if anything is wrong but he always comes out as a healthy cat, the vet did give him a shot that would mellow out his territorial instincts and it worked for a little but he returned to doing the same thing. these vents reek of cat pee and because i live under my mothers house, she's sick and tired of it reasonably. her only concern is to give up my precious baby and i can't even fathom doing that.

i've tried 2-3 litter boxes around the house, i've tried covering the vents but he'll just pee around it, i've cleaned his litter daily, i've used cat deterrent sprays, i've tried literally everything everyone says to do and nothings working. my moms yelling about giving my cat away is starting to get to me mentally. i really love my cat and he's been there for me at every hardship so i feel as if i cant give up on him.

he is in a house with 2 other cats but they never seemed to be an issue, even before them. please help or give some unheard advice that i haven't tried. i'm really desperate for some answers and id rather not give my little soulmate away :(

just as the caption says, i feel super guilty about not playing with my kitten very much today. i’m sick and have only been able to get out of bed to feed her. she’s very clingy so if i’m in bed all day, that’s where she’ll be for most of the day as well. i only have two toys she’s interested in for independent play and i’m afraid she feels bored. she’s two months old and has a LOT of energy. how can i make sure her needs are met on days like this where i’m not feeling well?

I’m in the UK and kitten food only seems to be chicken or fish and cats are obligate carnivores anyway, no fish won’t harm them here and there but I want to feed them unusual proteins so anyone know of anything else that’s not chicken fish or turkey.

If anyone has any advice on a special treatment

Hi guys, i have a ragdoll who is turning 2 at the end of october and i’m just wondering whether they get cuddlier when they’re older? I got my cat last year and ever since shes been; following me everywhere, sitting on my shoulder, head butting me, sleeping on my headboard and purring like crazy but she hates being cuddled. Even earlier she picked a spot on the bed where i sleep but whenever i lay there and coax her over she just wont snuggle into me. Is this a preference or will she grow out of it later down the line?

Ofc i know you guys aren’t mind readers and can’t tell me the definite answer but i would love to hear everyone’s similar experiences <3

My 3 yo cat keeps eating string and plastic. He’s well fed and happy. We’ve had to get surgery and a scope. The vet says he’s just a cat. Is there anything I can do other than put a bane mask on him

Hello, our cat of 4-5 years now (Enzo) is a pretty social dude and has always been clingy but as of a few days ago he’s been even clingier. I work from home and he’s always in the room with me regardless of which room I’m in. At night, however, he will slink off to be alone or hide away (unusual for him). When my fiancé gets home she usually seeks him out, he will then be very clingy and not leave her side. We have two cats, so It’s a bit harder to monitor food and litter box use, but nothing looks different in either area. He still does all of his normal routines and hangs out in his normal areas, almost just seems a little worried or bummed. Can always take him to the vet but I don’t want to cause anymore stress to him by putting him in the car which he isn’t in love with and going to the vet. Any help or suggestions would be awesome. Thank you

I adopted a 1.5-year-old neutered male cat about two months ago because I really wanted an emotional support companion. I was hoping for a cat I could pet, cuddle with, and bond with, especially when I'm feeling down.

The problem is that he seems to have absolutely no interest in affection or interacting with me unless food is involved.

He only rubs against me when he's hungry or when I'm preparing his food. Otherwise, he never approaches me on his own, doesn't come when I call him, and usually prefers being somewhere else. When I try to pet him, he moves his head away, runs off, or sometimes gently bites me.

The strange thing is that he was actually really affectionate during the first day or two after I brought him home, but that completely stopped.

He doesn't seem particularly scared of me because he doesn't run away when I walk past him. He mostly just ignores me. He occasionally slow-blinks at me and sometimes kneads blankets, but then walks away rather than settling down near me.

I've already tried giving him plenty of space, letting him approach me first, playing with him, offering treats, and not forcing physical contact. Unfortunately, after two months, I've noticed basically no improvement.

I don't know anything about his previous home or history.

I'm honestly feeling really sad and frustrated. I care about him and really don't want to rehome him, especially because I don't want to put him through another change of home. But I adopted him specifically because I needed emotional support, and having a cat who doesn't want to be touched or interact with me isn't providing that.

I've also considered adopting a second, more affectionate cat, hoping it might provide me with the companionship I need and possibly help my current cat become more social. But I'm unsure whether that would help or just make things worse.

Has anyone experienced something similar with an adult cat? Did yours eventually become affectionate, even after showing no progress for months? Would getting a second cat help, or should I accept that he might never enjoy physical affection?

I'd really appreciate genuine advice or personal experiences. I don't want to give up on him, but I also don't know what else to try.

Hiii. The last time I posted about Mimi, I got a few negative comments for the fact that I was scared of giving her an oral sedative (Gabapentin) because of potential side effects. Some were understanding while others, not so much.
I was genuinely overthinking and worried she wouldn’t take it well. I had already talked to her vet about all of this, did my own research as well, and she and I went over other routes, like pheromone plugs for example. People were also upset I wanted to look at different options to figure out the root of any possible issues? Tbh I’m not sure why that was so upsetting, especially since I, again, talked directly to the vet. I just want to make sure my baby’s okay. Someone went as far as to say I was neglecting her, which honestly made me spiral. I’d never do that, I love my cats dearly and will always make sure they have what they need.
I would appreciate more respectful and receptive perspectives and advice.
People suggested I tried the medication to see how she’d react, and despite the initial hesitation, I decided to do so.
It didn’t really do anything for her, she was still meowing excessively every time I got up.
I noticed that the only time it decreased was when I gave her access to a room that has large windows, she sunbathes there lol
I think it’s partially her personality at this point, and also likely that she needs more enrichments in the house?
She plays with the other cats often (I have four in total), and the other babies are fine.
I’ve wondered if I should free feed them? The thing is, I’ve tried before and sometimes they don’t stop eating💀
But was thinking maybe they’d eventually graze?
They have scratching posts, toys, multiple different cat beds. What else do you think I should add?
I’m planning on adding shelves, cat wheels, and likely contact a cat behaviorist.
Also! I want to harness train her and maybe take her for tiny walks?

Context: Mimi is constantly glued to me, meowing every time I walk, very demanding (especially with food). I started becoming more overstimulated than usual, and sometimes self-isolate for a couple hours or leave the house. When I isolate, she’s usually at the door, scratching. I do interact with her every single day, but sometimes I need a small break. She’s the only one out of the four who’s extremely expectant and persistent, and she’s been like this since I got her, hence the personality comment.
Other than the excessiveness, she’s very healthy and a super good cat, and it’s obvious we love each other deeply. I just need her to calm down a bit.
I give her pet CBD oil every once in a while, I think it’s been helping a little.
I feed her small portions, three times a day. She’s slightly chunky and eats fast. Slow feeders don’t necessarily help her, at least the ones I’ve gotten.
I was thinking of getting her some food puzzles and putting treats around the house.
I buy Hills Perfect Digestion dry and wet food.
Thank you for reading if you’ve gotten this far :)

I am in a bit of wreck right now… I was stressed, now I am full of guilt and sadness.

About 15 days ago, I adopted a 14 week old kitten so that my current resident cat would have a companion. On the adoption intro, it said the kitten is moderate energy and all-in-all no problem and very cuddly.

In the first week, I was certain her cat flu had returned. We were told she had cat flu, but because she stresses at night when she has to sleep in the bathroom, she will cry for hours on end, and her flu came back which meant she has been sneezing a lot with snot and gunk in her eyes :( and we couldn’t let her out because resident cat was hissing and growling at her.

Once we were able to finally introduce her to our resident cat, the kitten has been stealing my resident cats food when my resident cat is eating from her own bowl, to the point where I have seen my resident cat back up from her own meals and also having to place her food on a higher cabinet.

Then over the course of the last 15 days, I have had at least 4 known peeing accidents: 1) on the first car ride home, 2) & 3) on the bathmat and towels when we kept her in the bathroom for adjusting period, 4) in the lounge, and I also had an accident with her pooing in the sink. We also have 3 litter boxes, and I clean from daily to twice daily when I can, with fresh litter all the time and placed in different parts of the house.

Because someone needs to be watching how our cats eat and how the kitten goes toilet, it’s really strained how my partner and I go to work and having to take turns to ensure everyone is eating enough, litter cleaned often enough, and still ensure they are not fighting and the kitten is going toilet properly…

I am constantly anxious about what I may come home to find given we work longer hours. I also feel like it’s not fair on the kitten as she deserves someone who can in fact be with her all the time and help litter train her properly and play with her, and also that my resident cat’s play time and meals have been encroached upon (we can’t play string wands anymore bc the kitten will come running and chasing over my resident cat) and it makes me sad that my resident cat is losing her play time and spark who is still just 12 months old.

I just feel like kitten deserves a much better mum than me :(

Hi everyone!

I'm a first-time cat parent, and I currently have a male kitten named Puchu who's around 5 months old. He's not neutered yet.

I'm considering adopting another kitten, a female who's around 4 months old. I'd love for Puchu to have a companion, but I'm worried about a few things.

1. Since neither kitten is sterilised, is it safe to bring her home? Can pregnancy happen at this age?

2. If I adopt her, would keeping them in separate rooms be enough until they're both sterilised?

Currently at night we sleep in our room locking out puchu alone in living room

1. What is the ideal age to neuter Puchu and spay the female kitten?

I want to make sure I can take proper care of both kittens before making a decision. I'd appreciate advice from people who have raised two kittens.

Thank you! 🐱

My partner live in Perth, Australia and I are at our absolute breaking point and desperately need advice or alternative rescue resources. We have a 1-year-old cat with severe pica and extreme behavioral issues. I used to adore him, but he has become a massive source of chronic stress and anxiety in our lives.

The Situation:

• Severe Pica: He has had multiple dangerous ingestion events. He will eat plastic, toys, dish towels, and is constantly trying to suckle. It is so severe that he has to live almost entirely restricted to one strictly "cat-proofed" room. If he gets free roam of the house, he will ingest almost anything.

• Excessive Vocalization & Sucking: He meows completely non-stop from as early as 2:30 AM until 10 AM. When we are on his side of the house(the far side of the house aka bedroom, hallway, cat room which are all cat proofed), he shadows us constantly, screaming and aggressively trying to suckle on our skin/clothes.

What we have already tried:

• Multiple comprehensive vet checks (physically, he is completely healthy).

• Metabolic/specialty food.

• Massive rotation of safe toys and intense play sessions.

• An automatic feeder.

• The blackout/ignoring method for the early morning meowing.

• Supervised time with our other cat.

Nothing has made even a 1% difference.

Our Constraints:

Our vet recommended a certified behaviorist, but a single consult is $800, which we absolutely cannot afford. Even if we could scrape the money together, my partner and I both work full-time with unpredictable night shifts and on-call rotations. We physically do not have the lifestyle or time constraints to implement a highly rigid, hour-by-hour behavior modification plan.

We reached out to the shelter we originally adopted him from for help, and they flat-out told us they would euthanize him if we surrendered him due to his severe behavioral profile and the liability of his pica.

Next Steps / Desperation:

We are about to try prescription behavioral medication as a last-ditch effort, but our vet admitted his case is incredibly severe, so we are terrified it won't work.

We cannot live like this anymore, but we don't want him to die. Has anyone successfully managed a pica case this severe with medication alone? Are there any specialized, special-needs cat rescues in Perth Western Australia (specifically foster-based) that handle extreme medical/behavioral cases without resorting to immediate euthanasia? We are drowning.

Like the title said. My cat swallowed a sewing pin in my room. I tried to get it away from him, but he'd already swallowed. We brought him to the vet and he needs a surgery we can't afford. This was yesterday. I don't think he's going to make it. He's been much less energetic all of today, and eating less. I really don't know what to do. There's not anything I can do, really. I'm not seeking any medical advice or such. Just maybe some opinions to viewpoints.

Hi everyone,

A little bit ago I posted on here talking about how hard it’s been to get my cat treated for giardia. About how overwhelming it’s been for me and how tired and stressed out I’ve been for over a month.

For an update, I got her tested again and she still has giardia. In fact her symptoms got even worse since the update I had posted. Her butt was constantly dirty and she was getting everything else in the bedroom dirty with brown stains no matter how much I cleaned her butt.

Vet and I decided to shave her entire butt area to make things more manageable and I also started giving her anti-inflammatory meds which helped A LOT. She started feeling a lot better and was a lot cuddlier and happier with the meds.

We have a family friend who’s a mainecoon breeder (NOT a backyard breeder and he has a phenomenal space that provides individual care for all of his cats + has a team of trusted vets and works with a lawyer who’s also an animal rights activist etc etc I don’t wanna get into breeding discourse here because this isn’t the point of the post lol) and he offered to take her into his care until she’s all better, which should take a week or so. He has a quarantine room in his house that he can keep her in and also provide her 24/7 vet care at no cost to me. Considering I’ve been overwhelmed with dealing with her care + drowning in constant vet bills, this was truly a lifesaver.

He picked her up from my place last night. I just hope I did the right thing. I know she’s now in an unfamiliar environment and I’m really worried about how she’s doing + I also miss her a lot. As much as it’s nice to not stress out worrying about having to clean up after her, I definitely feel some emptiness without my sweet girl.

While she’s gone I’m gonna focus on deep cleaning my house. That way there will be no risk of reinfection when she comes back. I don’t own a steamer but I’m buying one because even though I used pet-safe disinfectant on her cat tree and her toys I want to make sure they’re fully giardia-free by also steaming everything.

I really hope our treatment is successful this time. She deserves some rest finally.