[almondy_love]

How can I tell if my cat is mental or spoiled? I can't close myself in a room with out him meowing like he is about to die. So I have no choice but to open my room door and let him in. But its not just my room. The bathroom, my sisters room... does he have a anxiety disorder or is he just spoiled?

Also if you could help,
He licks dishwater mop water he eats wood styrafoam couch stuffing hair trash and a lot of other things. He is 2 months and I don't know why he does this. How do I make him stop? Is this behaivor normal for a kitten? Will he grow out of it?

[odinn7]

At 2 months he shouldn't even be away from his mother yet...why is he?

And no, you shouldn't just let him eat whatever he wants. Kittens will get into things and try to chew and eat...doesn't mean that they should.

Although I am fairly sure I know the answer to this already....has he been to the vet yet?

[almondy_love]

At 2 months he shouldn't even be away from his mother yet...why is he?

And no, you shouldn't just let him eat whatever he wants. Kittens will get into things and try to chew and eat...doesn't mean that they should.

Although I am fairly sure I know the answer to this already....has he been to the vet yet?

Yes I have but they just gave him shots and said he was fine. he is away from his mother cause she got ran over

[tickle]

Kittens are weaned quite early, you having him at 2 months is quite okay, that is eight weeks. Cats are enormously self sufficient and in the wild he would already be searching for fresh meat.

You have to realize that you are dealing with a baby sort of and excuse some of his crazy habits, he is learning boundaries so meowing a lot means he doesn't want to be away from you because he has bonded with you.

Keep him out of his unusual eating habits. He is old enough for some good protein food, dry or canned, or both; leave dry kitten food down for him all the time. Cats don't eat like dogs, and get him some canned cat food as well.

He is being a normal kitten, enjoy beig with him and just love him to pieces.

[Wondergirl]

Cats and kittens HATE closed doors and will loudly object until someone opens the door (and then the cat will usually walk in, sniff around, and maybe walk out again -- his curiosity satisfied).

Do what we did for our cats -- create a play area for him. Cats love empty boxes. Since he is small, find smaller boxes like shoe boxes so he can jump in and out of them and hide or even sleep in them. Cut one end open so it's even easier for him to get into one or two of them. Cut cat-sized holes (like doors and windows) in a larger empty box, then put the open part on the floor so it looks like a "house." He will have fun crawling into and out of the various openings. Of course, we have catnip toys that our cats bat around the floor like hockey pucks. There are many websites that will give you more ideas about how to keep a kitten/cat amused. Here's a good site -- HowStuffWorks "Reuse Household Items as Cat Toys". And be sure to spend time with him in interactive play.

[odinn7]

Popular opinion is that a kitten should stay with its mother for 12 weeks but in this case, you didn't have much choice. As long as you took it to the vet and it was checked over, you're just dealing with crazy kitten behavior. Some are real nutty, some are just a little nutty...but they are all nutty to some extent. We have a kitten that is now a year old and I was hoping she would calm down but she is still as crazy as when we got her.

Just watch over the kitten and take care of it like you should and things will work out the way they should.

[tickle]

Odinn, where did you hear 12 weeks? Kittens can be weaned by,( truth be told in a less domestic environment they are left to fend at six weeks ) 6 weeks, ready to eat meat at 4 weeks. We are talking felines here, not canines. Felines born in barns learn to fight for every scrap of food at 6 weeks.

[odinn7]

In general, yes, they are weaned around 8 weeks and can survive but most breeders and vets agree that 10 weeks is minimum and 12 weeks would be ideal...it is to help them grow, adapt, and socialize.

Here is just one article on it:
FBRL: Resources: How young is too young?

[tickle]

Pedrigee kittens, I can understand that, breeders have to protect the blood line and make sure the kittens grow into healthy adults after they are sold, but gosh, Odinn, we are talking here about our garden variety cats, I think. My cat came from a barn litter. I picked her out when she was five weeks because the kittens had to go or be dead. She is a force to be reckoned with at l0 years old !

[hheath541]

The behavior is all normal for a kitten. Cats just hate closed doors, because something exciting might be on the other side. Kittens, like toddlers, put everything in their mouths.

At 8 weeks, you're just going to have to deal with letting him into the room with you. He's too young to feel comfortable and confident alone, and needs company.

The chewing and licking is more worrisome. Some of the things you mentioned could be dangerous for him to ingest. Styrofoam can actually be poisonous to cats, depending on how it's made. Hair and string can tangle in their intestines, if they don't pass it, and cause dangerous blockages. The chemicals in floor cleaner could make him sick, if he drinks too much mop water. You need to eliminate his access to anything you don't want him getting to, at least as much as you can. Beyond that, spraying with a water bottle will help deter unwanted behavior.

[Alty]

I'm not reading any of the previous posts.

Your kitten is 2 months old. Cats like to be with their humans. If you close the door on him, he'll want in, he'll want to be with you. If this is not something you want, why did you get a pet?

Most pets are hunters, seekers, by nature. If they're not given enough stimulation in their environment, they'll find their own. Eating Styrofoam, hair, etc, is his way of finding his own stimulation. It means he's not spoiled. In fact, it sounds like he's neglected.

You lock him out of your room, seem to want nothing to do with him. Did you just want a pet so you could have a pet, or did you actually want a pet to interact with, to make a part of your home and family? From what you wrote, it sounds like this poor kitten is very much isolated from you, the rest of his family, and any supervision.

My suggestion, if you're not willing to include this kitten into your life, and take responsibility for him, would be to re-home him to someone that will.

[almondy_love]

I let him in my room. But I don't lock him in any room. I spend a lot of time with him. But if I go to the bathroomfor 5 minutes he wants in. If I go in my room to change or to talk on the phone he wants in. I love my kitten and spend a lot of time with him he is not neglected

[talaniman]

Cats cannot be trained as a dog. You can't make them sit or stay on command or not be curious. I think you have to get used to them following you no matter where you go. If you need privacy from your cat, I doubt if the cat cooperates. Its not in their nature.

[Wondergirl]

But if I go to the bathroomfor 5 minutes he wants in. If I go in my room to change or to talk on the phone he wants in.

That sounds normal. When I go to the bathroom and close the door, invariably I'll hear scratching and whining from one or more cats on the other side. One cat even dug a hole into the carpet where the door meets the wall as he tried to claw open the door. When I finally open the door, the cats look at me as if to say, "What were you doing in there without us?" and "Why don't you just leave the door open so we don't have to whine and claw the carpet?" Now at times I tell my cats where I'm going and that I will be back soon, so maybe take a short nap or play with some toys for a few minutes. My son tells his cat when he's going to work and that he will be back at a certain time. His cat must have an invisible wristwatch because he is always waiting at the door at the right time. Cats like to be talked to and told what is what -- pretty smart little guys!

[talaniman]

Over time I think cats, and dogs get use to the habits of the owners. Just requires patience by the owners. Loving patience.

[Alty]

When I had cats I never got to pee alone. Same when I had kids, and with my dogs. If I close the door, there's always someone, either 2 legged or 4 legged, asking to come in. Peeing alone is a luxury I no longer have.

Cats want to be with their humans. My cat Whiskers (RIP) followed me around like a shadow. He hated everyone else, I was his human. I could never get a picture of him if I was holding the camera, because he was always right behind me. I have fond memories of doing my homework and having to move him off my books so I could read the next page. He slept with me every night.

That's what cats do, and dogs as well. They're loving creatures, and need interaction with their humans. Instead of trying to change your cat, accept that he's a cat, and is going to act like a cat. You have to adjust if you want a cat in your life.