ok so I got these two Maine Coon kitties at about 4 months, they were never socialized, they are about 7 months old by now.
They have gotten into my work bag previously and destroyed some foil that smelled like bacon from my lunch. now they tore past my book to get to the foil as well, and tore a few pages out. the bacon will be sealed from now on but Half Blood Prince is now missing a few pages on top of these two still not really being very social after 3 months. what do I do?????
Cats are creatures of chaos. If you have things you don't want them to destroy, put them in unreachable locations. Clean up all food messes as soon as possible - if you have food waste and don't have a closed trash can or if they tip your trash can over, you could try having a ziplock baggie in your fridge or freezer for food waste, which stays there until it's time to take out the rest of the trash. You could get a bag with a zipper to zip it closed so they can't access things inside of it. Good luck with your babies!
dats where all their playing energy is going, you r gonna need to teach them how to play with toys. lots of them !
They are like toddlers, constant redirection and lots of toy options and treats to get them socialized. I hose lickable tube treats are great to keep them close.
It’s unfortunate it’s gone in this long but it’s not too late, but will be lots of work!
Absolutely no temptations for at least a year. Put all food items away and sealed well, tightly fitting trash can lids, lots of interactive toys, use a wand toy for 15 min 2-3 times a day at least. Whenever my 6 month old kitty gets feisty or starts jumping on tables getting into to stuff, I put her down on the floor with some toys. I try to spend at least a few minutes playing with her with a wand or some balls.
Left to their own devices, anything is fair game.
The destructive behavior is likely due to severe boredom and lack of early socialization. You need to immediately implement scheduled, intense play sessions (3-4 times a day) using wand toys, and restrict access to valuable items. Focus on redirecting the energy.
Do you make them hang out with you? I got two kittens on Sunday and I’ve made sure to bring them downstairs to meet my parents and also introduce them to our other cat. It’s been less than a week and they’re already so much less timid and my big boy has already accepted one of them. Regards to them getting into stuff, kittens will be kittens 🤷🏾♀️
Cat tax
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yes I hang out with them at least once a day
Do it more often
Like 900 times more than you think you should. They are babies, and if they don’t get supervised play with you, they will wreak havoc on your life!
i have a job
Doesn’t make socializing your kittens any less important
did I say that what the hell
What have you done already to teach them that socializing is a positive experience? I ask so I don't suggest things you have already done. I also agree with the other comment that you need to teach them their toys are more fun than your stuff. We make sure all food and any wrappers are put away, one of our cats will tear through anything if it smells any kind of meat. Cats are trainable. It's not as easy as training dogs but it can be done.
I talk to them as I am going about my day, sometimes I read or sing to them with music (not too loud), I sit on the floor and just sort of hang out with them sometimes
idk what I'm doing I think I bit off way more 5han I can chew these cats hate me and the right thing to do is probably give them to someone better
It takes courage to admit when you are in over your head. If you want a few more things to try: Swap scents with them - take a blanket they will sleep on and put it over your lap while you are sitting down and reversely put things you have slept in where they normally sleep. If they are food motivated which sounds like it then keep a high value treat on you and give it every time they interact with you in a way you want. Play with their toys on your own without trying to involve them, some cats prefer to sneak up vs. it being right in their face. If they look in your eyes do a series of slow blinks, it's one way cats communicate they are comfortable with each other. Hope this helps.
Since they were never socialized and are destroying things, they likely need a serious increase in enrichment and attention, particularly since they are Maine Coons (a highly intelligent breed). The destruction is a sign of boredom and need for physical/mental stimulation. Buy several puzzle feeders and ensure they get at least two dedicated, high-intensity play sessions with you daily using wands or laser pointers.
Puzzle feeders are an excellent 👌 idea.
You need to make sure they can't get to the garbage, trash can with a lid or in a cupboard, if cupboards don't keep them out, child proof them. You have two furry toddlers
I got my Main Coon when he was 2 and I always wished I could have experienced him as a kitten. Maybe I really don't. They sound like a bit of a handful. I would guess more intense than your typical kitten since Main Coons are so smart and just more intense anyway.
Just remember that they will grow to be larger than your typical cats. Make sure they learn that human food is for people and their food is for them. My guy can open doors and get into cupboards. He is driven by affection though and I have been able to guide his behavior a little more than your typical cat because he aims to please more than any cat I've ever had. Patience and love might get you far and also the advice here has been wonderful and so true. They need toys. Lots of them.
Kittens are always a handful! 😹
I also adopted a two year old cat, and while I wish I could see his baby pictures, it has been so much easier than dealing with kittens!
He is also generally very eager to please. I think he knows that he has it good here.
Audi was nearly four months when I got him. He was completely unsocialized. He didn't learn cat language from his mom, nor people language from his mom's humans.
He's been a handful and a half. It's been difficult to teach him, but he has learned. He mostly obeys me on the big stuff, and loves being petted.
The main thing he does that I haven't been able to stop is bothering Bouche when she doesn't want bothered. If you have two cats fighting, and there's hissing and growling, it's not play.
Audi doesn't understand that hissing and growling is cat for "leave me alone, you idiot!" Mostly she comes running to me, and I tell him "no" and fingerpoint. Audi doesn't pounce Bouche as much as he did, but we're still working on it.
What some of the others here are recommending are good ideas. I adopted two cats from a hoarding situation - a silver and black tabby male and a tux female. Then, as we made plans to get them fixed both my husband and I got the flu, then we had an ice storm, then the doctor got sick, and while all this was going on Missy the female sneaked a heat past us but not past Buddy the male. The result was Junior the kitten. This picture was taken when Junior was about 2 months old; now he's almost 2 years old and is the same size as his daddy. Missy and Junior in particular like to go exploring in cabinets, so we have a box full of magazines in front of our cabinets under the kitchen sink and we put things we want them to stay out of either in the utility closet or our bedroom (my husband has dust allergies, so they aren't allowed in our bedroom. He loves them as much as I do, though.) Although it's not obvious in this picture, Missy is actually a tux cat.
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You have two little minion demons. You have mega chaos times two. My kitten about a month ago at three months was trying to bite my butt and crawl up my nightgowns. Yeah and I did not properly kitten proof my house so stuff got broken and screens are being climbed so there is that. Now she is focusing on her tail and her two sister cats' tails. I get to watch her never catch her own tail because she cannot figure out that if she quits moving she will catch it. The stuff you are talking about is typical kitten behavior. Kittens are like toddlers but on steroids and dangerously highly mobile creatures. They are very curious about other pets, how the world works and they are just learning to behave themselves like an adult cat. My kitten spent her first two months around a couple of dogs she was horsing around with. So there is that. Your kittens may or may not start to slow down after being altered. Short play sessions with wand toys like around ten minutes or so each throughout the day and especially at night before bedtime will help burn off that kitten energy. Do not tease the kittens with your hands. Cats also crave routines. Get them on a consistent sleep and feeding schedule at night. Invite different people, young and old, male and female over so they get used to a lot of different people.
You can’t. There cats!
I'll take them!
Use human brain to solve issue. Cat brain does not see issue. Cat brain only sees chaos. Nah but foreal u gotta use ur human brain u know wat they will do so prevention is key when u come home put important things like ur purse in a closet or change the location u put it. They r like babies all u can do is take the thing they rnt suppose to have and replace it with something they can have
You have to cat proof your house. They can get into anything left out. And play with them more.
Maine coons are smart Just protect what you can, we use the microwave as a "vault" for food items. I remember ours ran past with a steak. He also loved fresh flowers and would zoom through the house with a rose in his mouth. Sometimes you just have to laugh it off. Keep loving on them. They are the kindest loving cats .
A wise woman told me "You can have nice things or you can have cats"
to add on to this, one of them has been much more social than the other, but recently (few days) has been not so much, sniffing me then running away, and not letting my hand near her
Don’t reach for her until she comes to you and asks for petting.