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Please help, this is a very serious matter to me, please do not post if you think this is petty, funny, etc. I adopted 2 kittens over the summer, I went back to school this fall and almost every day that I come home something is destroyed.
I am in school for long hours I leave at 7:30 and I usually come home around 6pm or I will come home briefly and then leave again and not come home until 11 or 12am. I have toys for the kittens, they have their own room but I leave the door open to the living room and the kitchen is also open to the living room because it is an open floor plan. The kittens have killed and destroyed every house plant that I have, they have broken glasses and other dishes and bowls, they jump onto the glass lid of my aquarium and have knocked things into the the small opening in the lid so that things are floating in the aquarium. It is very possible that the aquarium lid will break ( it is thin glass) and the kittens will cut themselves and fall in or shatter the entire 30gallon aquarium. Then have knocked over electronics, they have shredded an expensive lamp shade, they have shredded a part of my carpet and began pulling out the padding from underneath, to day I get home and I am looking for the damage and I am almost relived that they had not done anything today when I walk into my kitchen and a huge potted plant that I had moved ( I thought to safety) to the top of my refrigerator is on the floor, dirt every where, the container is broken, the plant is in pieces like they played in it to make sure it was pulled apart, oh and I forgot to mention that before I moved all the plants they knocked a potted plant off its shelf over my sink multiple times causing my plumbing to become blocked with dirt, the kittens jump and any hole or scratch or imperfection an the walls, that is how I have a 4X5 shredded hole in the PAINT on my bedroom wall.
There is likely much more that I am leaving out because I am typing as fast and furious as I can and I am stressed to the max. I planned on coming home and studying but I can barely even cross my kitchen and get to my bedroom because of all the dirt and plant parts!!!!!!! Please help me. I have only had an older adopted cat previously and he was nothing like this. I have been reading this forum since before I got the kittens, I have tried the methods mentioned in previous threads, spraying water only stops them from bad behavior at that time. I have spayed them and then as soon as I put the bottle down they were right back to doing what they were doing RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!! I tried sticky tape to keep them off the counters in the kitchen , they just jump over it and apparently it did not work anyways because when I finally took the yards and yards of take up from all over my kitchen it was covered in fur, like the kittens had just been lounging on the tape. I clap my hands, I yell "NO!" and they might as well be death because I get little to no reaction from them, they look at me and at the same time continue doing what ever bad thing it is that they are doing. I am at my wits end, I can't deal with this type of stress and I can't afford to replace all the things they have destroyed. I own this house and I need to be able to sell it when I am finished with school but it is going to cost me a small forturne to repair the damage to the house.
1. My options as I see it is to give them away
2. lock them in the room at all times when I am not home
Is there any constructive advise out there for me?
Last edited by mekia02; 10-16-2009 at 05:34 PM..
Reason: left out other methods tried, spelling
At this point in their young lives, everything is game. Nothing is safe. They are training for stalking and killing. I think cats are inherently more wild than dogs, and dogs aim to please. Cats don't care. You may have to find them a home where someone can either watch over them, or play with them until they tire. Left alone for hours at a time, and this young, you can't expect them to sleep or lounge around.
An older female might keep them under control. That is how they usually learn, is by example from mom. I think you are gone too much to keep up with them but no doubt you love them, too. So lock them in the least-damageable room but expect them to be WILD when you get home. You may not get any sleep. Or find them a new home. Would the shelter take them back? Don't just give them away "free." Anyone who can afford to feed a cat can afford to pay $15 each. Otherwise they could go to someone who sells to labs or to be bait. Ask for and check references. Good luck!
I know this is serious.. they are seriously destroying your home!
But you need to do something that is fair for the kittens, and fair for you.
They are babies... kittens are never-ending balls of fury and energy. There's nothing you can do about it. Having an older cat is great, but nothing like surviving through the "terrible toddler" years of kittens.
Maybe they're angry at you for being left alone so long? It's great that you have 2, at least they have a playmate in eachother!
A lot of people think declawing is inhumane, but have you ever tried just trimming their claws? I do this with my cats, when I clip my nails, they wait on the edge of the bed for me to do theirs too (if you've never done it before, you might hurt them, and being kittens that they are, they might not let you! so look into before even entertaining the thought)
Houseplants and cats have never gotten along together in my world. I can't help you there. I would begin by strongly suggesting confining them to 1 room while you are not home. Free reign to play and prance and explore, but in moderation. Do you own any scratching posts? And have you tried spraying anything with citrus, where you specificly do not want them to be?
As soon as I began using lemon scented disenfectant on the kitchen counters, my kitties kept to themselves. Whether you're angry at them or not, you can't get hom, survey the damage, then go punish them. They won't understand, and they'll plot against you the next time you turn your back
Its important to set boundries, and follow the rules when you're there to enforce them. But that's just it, when you're there. I think giving them the entire house to destroy is a little overwhelming.
Finding a home where they will be supervised 24/7 is entirely an option, but I think it would be a rather extreme "last resort", you're having normal kitten woes. They don't last forever.
Edited to include: getting them an older cat is a wonderful idea. They will follow suit.
I lot of times I leave the TV on for my kitties. Animal planet, national geographic, etc. They may just be going sitr crazy without you there, or any other form of entertainment.
I agree with all the advice you have been given. It is up to you to "kid proof" your home. All breakables, plants, basically, anything you value, should be put away until they calm down. They sound very typical...kittens like to play and they need to be kept busy or they will get into trouble. Lots of toys...my guys all love their Turbo cat scratcher. Mine will be hours with it...Amazon.com: Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy (Colors May Vary): Kitchen & Dining
How about a cat tree to forfill their climbing needs?
Trimming their nails as stated above will also help if they have begun to scratch or knead your furniture.
To me, they just sound bored...home alone and ready, willing and able to find any possible trouble.
I agree with what everyone has said so far. How you tried giving you cats cat toys to play with during the day? You can always set out some stuffed animals during the day for the cats to mess with. Or even an empty card board box. But the trick is keep rotating out the new toys every day to keep them entertained.
Here's an idea and works with my cats. Let'em shread up a phone book.
Personally I think kittens are bad choices for most people in your suitation...young, first starting out, you've got longevity behind you true..(cats can live over 30 years) but so much is happening, so much is changing,there are landlords( real idoits over cat welfare imo), new loves,ect, ect.
Personally I think kittens are bad choices for most people in your suitation...young, first starting out, you've got longevity behind you true..(cats can live over 30 years) but so much is happening, so much is changing,there are landlords( real idoits over cat welfare imo), new loves,ect, ect.
My advice is to find someone to take them.
Average life span for an indoor cat is 15-18 yrs. Considerably shorter for an outdoor cat.
Most "Average" pet food is garbage. There are very low standards in place to test pet food, basically anything that keeps weight on an animal and doesn't make it die after 30/90 days is legal for use in pet food. Also standards are low to prevent what goes into pet food put to sleep cats and dogs can legally be rendered as meat meal and meat and bone meal in most states.
Just because a brand is wade marketed does not make it good. In fact it can mean the opposite because the makers of the food are concerned more with profits then animal well being. Purina is a well known/promoted brand in many supermarkets/pet stores and yet it is used by labs on FIV+ cats in clinical trials for human HIV cures/drugs- after getting unknown drugs they are cut open,dissected,ect. Do you think they give a crap about the quality of food fed to cats that are going to be killed and dissected anyway. The good news about doing it like this besides saving money on animal feed and the health benefits to people is that if it works well for those cats its going to do an even better job on cats who are loved in homes and fed a better diet.
So... if you ate nothing from babyhood on but burger king, mc Donald's, and just garbage out of trash bins would the "average" human live to see 100 or would he/she die at 30, 40, 50 or 60"
Humans have a max life span of 120 years but most fall short of this due to diet
Yes... you are right about that outdoor cats can live shorter then indoor but this has to do with the outdoor threats ,cars,mean people,animals, diseases ect.
Last edited by PantherPride; 10-17-2009 at 11:22 AM..
Most "Average" pet food is garbage. There are very low standards in place to test pet food, basicaly anything that keeps weight on an animal and doesnt make it die after 30/90 days is legal for use in pet food. Also standards are low to prevent what goes into pet food put to sleep cats and dogs can legally be rendered as meat meal and meat and bone meal in most states.
Just because a brand is wade marketed does not make it good. Purina is a well known/promoted brand in may supermarkets/pet stores and yet it is used by labs on FIV+ cats in clinical trials for human HIV cures/drugs- after getting unknown drugs they are cut open,dissected,ect. Do you think they give a crap about the quality of food fed to cats that are going to be dissected.
So... if you ate nothing from babyhood on but burger king, mc donalds, and just garbage out of trash bins would the "average" human live to see 100 or would he/she die at 30, 40, 50 or 60"
Humans have a max life span of 120 years but most fall short of this due to diet
Yes... you are right about that outdoor cats can live shorter then indoor but this has to do with the outdoor threats ,cars,mean people,animals, diseases ect.
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(if you've never done it before, you might hurt them, and being kittens that they are, they might not let you! so look into before even entertaining the thought)
), new loves,ect, ect. 
There are very low standards in place to test pet food, basically anything that keeps weight on an animal and doesn't make it die after 30/90 days is legal for use in pet food. Also standards are low to prevent what goes into pet food put to sleep cats and dogs can legally be rendered as meat meal and meat and bone meal in most states. 
