Expert: Dear Tabbi - 9/4/2009

Question
Hi. I have a 2 year old cat, that gave birth to just one kitten about a month ago. Now I have raised litters before, and not one of the kittens were as active as this one. He never stops, and his mother is always sitting there seemingly punishing him because he attacks her tail while she's asleep. Is it possible my kitten is hyper-active? He was born premature, and he has no litter mates, so does this have anything to do with it?

Answer
Sabina,

Some kittens are VERY active naturally. I call them "kittens of mass destruction"! It means they are happy and healthy..and intelligent. Kittens like that need stimulation to help burn up energy and keep them occupied. It helps to have a kitty condo type cat tree so they can run up and down it (and NOT your curtains!). A pet laser light to chase the 'little red bug' when he is old enough, pulling a string around for him to catch, little stuffed furry mice that he can bat around and carry, and craft balls in a package (Wal-Mart crafts dept, or a fabric/crafts store) are some suggestions to help occupy him.

I would recommend adopting another kitten about his same age, temperament, and energy level. A kitten needs another kitten to play kitty games like chase and wrestling, plus they need another kitten for companionship and to learn from...like when they bite too hard, etc. which is part of the learning experience as a kitten with littermates. Usually the mother cat will take the other kitten too, especially if it nurses from her. A kitten with a lot of energy can get bored depressed without 'someone' to play with, because usually mom will play with them, but not as much as the kitten needs to be happy and well-adjusted.

Tabbi