Conference misery::feline_v1

         I vote for getting a playmate.  When we got our two kittens
    we didn't want them in the bedroom because of their I WANT TO PLAY
    attitude.  But that was towards each other not us.  So they'd just
    do whatever they'd want to OUTSIDE the bedroom door.  Instead of
    getting into all kinds of trouble and looking for new things to
    play with a partner to play with takes the focus away.  Your little
    kitty is just trying to find things to do and probably loves getting
    all the attention from you even if it is for scolding.  My bet is
    if he had a friend he'd stop being so naughty....
    
         Good luck.....
                                                                   KIM

    I also vote for the playmate, but don't give up on the discipline.
    
    Also, I suggest you take time every day to hold the kitty
    and pat it.  Don't let it go.  Stroke it under its chin, behind
    the ears, etc.  You have to train the kitty to understand what loving
    affection is like, and (especially if you start young) then grow
    to like it.  This way, the cat is getting attention other than the
    squirt gun and can make a differentiation between approval and
    punishment attention.                                     
    
    But don't give up on the discipline, especially about counters and
    sleeping until you're good and ready.  If you let them, cats can
    be INCREDIBLY effective at training humans.
    
    Good luck.
    
    MM

    Hi Karen, Sounds like you have your hands full.  I'm sure that you'll
    get plenty of suggestions about getting another kitten, but there
    are always more than one way that things can go - ie. the two of
    them playing may make more trouble than one (I remember what mine
    were like at that age).  When you're away during the day they can
    have quite a party.  
    
    You could try spending a lot of time with the kitten when you get
    home, play with his toys with him, brush him, pat him, carry him
    around (if he'll tolerate it) - maybe this will help him do more
    playing when you're around, and maybe it will tire him out so he'll 
    sleep at night - chances are he is sleeping a lot during
    the day and is more excited when you are home because he has company,
    therefore he acts up.  

    Before you take the plunge (and end up regretting it) try working
    things out with this one first.  It's always easier to get another
    cat than it is to have to find a home for one if it doesn't work
    out.  

      Welcome to the world of kittens!!!
      
     

    be careful about the spanking -- cats have very fragile bones.
    I vote for active play in the evenings, to tucker the puss out.
    This worked with Holly when she was small.
    

    When the Monster Brats (Panther & Eirene) were young, I found that
    if I really tired them out they would be dead to the world when
    I wanted to sleep. Usually, however, they tired themselves out chasing
    each other up and down the Delux Kitty Playground II. In case you
    haven't got an elaborate area of your house devoted to terrorist
    activity training, you could easily tire them out with a Kitty tease.
    This is a small fishing pole with a nylon string that has a small
    piece of cloth tied to the other end.
    
    Deb

    Playing with them definitely helps but you can't always be around
    so what I suggest, and this helped with our kittens, is the cheap
    kitty toy. all you need is a piece of string about 6 feet long and
    an empty black film canaster. Poke a hole in the end of the film
    canaster and run the string through the hole and tie it. Now take
    the other end of the string and attach it to the ceiling or other
    hook up high enough so that the canaster hangs about 8 inches off
    the ground. Bring the kitty to the toy and bat it once or twice.
    Your kitten will then get the idea and take ove the initiative and
    more than likely will get days of amusement out of it. This will
    also give him good training at catching flying animals.
    
    							Geoff
    
    P.S. Getting a playmate couldn't hurt either.
    

    re: -1
    
    be careful with hanging string toys (especially those with elastic
    string). The cat can get it wrapped around a limb causing circulation
    to be cut off. And as the cat tries to free himself by pulling on
    it, the string just gets tighter and tighter like a tourniquet.
    This happened to Argus with a doorknob toy while I was out grocery
    shopping. Luckily I got home before he was badly injured. After
    this incident, I read about this happening to others in cat magazines.
    
    Deb
                             

    
    	Re : those who suggested string toys
    
    	I bought T.K. a string toy yesterday.  It's one of the ones
    	with a fuzzy creature on the end of an elastic string.  Well,
    	he decided he didn't like the elastic string.  He's very smart.
    	He bit through the string and off came the fuzzy creature.
        What fun!!  So I tied it up again and he bit through the string
    	again.  I guess he has other plans....  But he spent the evening
    	chasing the toy around the living room so I guess he liked it.
    	He has one other door knob toy.  It is a beer cap tied to a
    	string at attatched to the door knob.  He likes the noise that
    	it makes I guess and loves to play with it right when we are
    	trying to go to sleep so we have to take it down at night.
    	He also likes to play fetch with bottle caps and last night
    	we played sneak attack!!  I wrestled with him for a while then
    	walked away but got attacked from behind.  Pretty sneaky little
    	thing isn't he.  He is alot of fun when I am trying to do my
    	homework because he likes to attact my pens and highlighters
    	and I swear that one of these days I am going to have to use
    	the excuse "the cat ate my homework".
    
    	Karen
    	

    I have one of those "naughty" ones at home.  He's always trying
    to get into mischief and I use the spray bottle or a roll of newspaper
    for discipline.  All I have to do is slap the newspaper on my knee
    and he leaves the scene of the crime.  I know you're not supposed
    to let them see where the water in the spray bottle is coming from,
    however, it didn't take D.P. long to figure it out.  Everytime I
    reach for it and he's up to some of his tricks (trying to steal
    another cat's food, threatening to leap up onto the counter, etc.),
    he heads for cover.
    
    The best things that keep him busy and out of trouble I found are
    his favorite toys - a paper bag and plastic ball with a bell in
    it.  He'd play for hours with that plastic ball; chasing, fetching,
    and bringing it back to be thrown for him just like a retriever.
    He'll even take it off to another room and smack it all around the
    floor by himself.
    
    I have 3 cats and only one of them actually plays with D.P. so when
    she gets tired and wants to nap and D.P. isn't ready to sleep, he's
    got to find something to amuse him - if not toys then the human
    element in the house gets his full attention.  I naturally put up
    his plastic ball at night; wouldn't want that banging around upstairs
    over the landlady.  He's pretty good at night though; has a game
    of tag maybe twice with Holly and then goes to sleep (I think).
    It's usually around 4:55AM that he comes in my room and first hits
    the dresser, knocking things around on top then if that doesn't
    get me up, he jumps up on the bed and nibbles on my fingers trying
    to say "get up and feed me; I'm hungry".  I wish his watch would
    coincide with my alarm clock though, it goes off at 6AM not 4:55AM!
    
    Good luck!
    Pat
    

	 The Destructo  Twins (Josh and Becky) used to play tag at about
     2:00  AM.  In  general I would be sound asleep when the two of them
     would  go  dashing  across my face, small claws extended for better
     traction! Not a pleasant way to wake up. Most of the time, a little
     bit  of  food  would  calm them down. They would usually go back to
     sleep once their tummies were full again.  
     
	 Now they  wait  until  I  turn the alarm off in the morning and
     roll over before they walk on my face :-)


			    Kathy

    Your kitten sounds just like Snuggles.  
    
    Everything you said your kitten has done, Snuggles has done.  I
    do notice that if I give him lots of attention at night when I get
    up in the morning nothing is destroyed.  If you feed him both wet
    and dry food try giving him only one type when you get home and
    the other before you go to bed.  This might help to calm him down
    so you can get some sleep. 
    
    I think Snuggles has your kitten beat in the Naughty Dept..  He
    likes to get onto our **hanging** asparagus fern and sit in it to
    look out the window.  This plant was brought back to life by my
    husband.  Boy did he hit the roof when he found out Snuggles was doing
    that!   Snuggies came very close to getting kicked out of the house!
    I swear if my husband and I ever get divorced it'll be because of
    Snuggles!  
    
    Does anyone know where I can get a catnip plant?  I figure I'll
    get Snuggles his own plant so he can do what he wants with it.
    
    Kathy
    
    
    

    I grow lots of Catnip around my house for Aja. Basically, she
    ignores it until it's crushed. (Then it's YOOOWWWW!!!!!!). She
    much prefers the other houseplants to play in.
    
    I have lots of very potent seeds if you'd like some....
    
    Edd