New cat - is this normal behavior?

[Skip Intro]

I just got this little girl from a friend who was going to set her free in the woods. She's only about 9 months old, got her spayed two weeks ago when I got her. I posted here about her a few days before I got her. She is all over the place, more like a cross between a squirrel and that old cartoon "speedy" mouse than a cat (except when she's feeling like cuddling, which she's starting to do now and then as she gets used to me and the new place). Very cute, but way more of a handful than my last cat, a very calm and easy-going tuxedo.

She is cute tho, eh?



(cheap cell phone pics...)

on edit: any idea how to keep her off my chairs - she's gonna destroy 'em...

[tabbycat31]

1. she's really cute

give her extra snuggles for me.

[Skip Intro]

4. Thx. I will...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Yes.

I believe you have what's sometimes called an Air Cat. There are two basic types of normal cats: Air Cats and Floor Cats. Floor Cats are a bit more sedate; they mostly walk around on the floor like normal creatures. Air Cats, however, will seek higher levels, and will do so in almost unbelievable ways. I once had an Air Cat who would leap from a table to the top of a door and walk along it. Your kitty is starting out her career as an Air Cat by walking along the back of a chair. She will almost certainly progress upward from there.

[Skip Intro]

6. Wow. I think you're right. She already climbs the fireplace beam to the ceiling.

She climbs the wood beam from the floor to the ceiling and the hangs there and looks around. She acts like she can't get high up enough.

I've never heard of air cats and floor cats before, but my last one was evidently a floor cat. This one, oh man, I'm almost a little scared of what to expect. I'm gonna have to build her a cat walk high on the wall or cut a hole in the ceiling for her or something.

This is going to be interesting. Any air cat advice?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. I deal with my Air Cats by providing high places for them

that do not involve curtain-climbing or other potentially disastrous activities. I got a cat tree that's about five feet high and has several shelves where they can sleep and hang out. There is also a cat bed on top of my refrigerator.

[Ohio Joe]

3. oh yes

My late cat did it all the time. She could jump from the floor to the back of the chair and never once knocked it over.

Edit to add: Very cute kitty :D

[Skip Intro]

8. This one jumps big time too.

First time for me w/ this kind of cat. Swear she reminds me of a squirrel sometimes...

:D

[dysfunctional press]

5. yes, it's normal. get 'doilies' of some sort for the chairs.

fitted covers would be better. or a towel.

i had a friend whose cat loved to walk and hang out on top of open doors. it was AMAZING to watch it jump up there.

[Skip Intro]

9. Yeah, I just have random clothes across the tops of them now.

I really like these chairs tho, hopefully I can get her to move on to other things or somehow discourage her from hanging out on them. Wonder if a spray bottle of water, set on mist, would do any good. I can't afford new chairs. Maybe she'll move onto the open door thing instead when she gets a little older/bigger.

[dysfunctional press]

17. make sure that they're pushed under the table...especially as she gets bigger...

we had a tabby knock over an office chair, and break the window with it by climbing on the back after he was too heavy.

[havocmom]

19. If the draped clothes don't work, try aluminum foil

the feel of it is icky to cats and it makes unpleasant noise if they jump at it. Most cats like stealth and will avoid things that make a lot of noise.

[GoCubsGo]

29. Or, get her some Soft Paws claw caps

If she's not digging her claws into your chairs, I wouldn't worry about her hurting them. Otherwise, the aluminum foil is a great suggestion. Also, I found that the canned air used for dusting electronics makes a great cat repellent. One of my two cats gets into places where I would rather she not be, like on top of the kitchen table. I keep a can there so I can eat my meals in relatively cat hair-free peace and quiet.

The same cat likes to get up in weird places, too. She used to climb up on the top of my shower enclosure, but got too fat to make the leap from the toilet tank. One of the bedrooms has a palladium window. Before I got one of those paper fans to put in the top, arched area, she'd climb up and sit on top of the blind that covered the rest of the window. I had to move furniture around to eliminate her jumping-off point, as I was afraid she'd tear the blind down. As my vet's technician said, she's something else...

[jobycom]

10. probably not too much you can do about it, except protect the chairs.

She will grow out of it in a couple of years, more than likely. My older kitty used to climb everything, now she is happy to lay around. My new kitten has taken her place on the heights, though.

A couple of ideas: You could tilt the chairs against the table when you aren't using them, so she'll stay off the tops. She may then claw the fabric all to heck. Or you can cover them when not in use. Just put something on them to make them less inviting. Problem is, she may jump on them anyway, and then claw them more as she tries to keep her balance. Or you could get actual chair covers to protect them.

Aside from that, you could put double sided tape on the tops (they sell it at cat stores as a protector for furniture). It does work--cats do not like sticky. Not sure what it will do to the wood long term. I know it's almost impossible to get out of microsuede. Go ahead, guess how I know that. On other fabrics it comes off easily. You could probably find something else that would make the cat unhappy up there--a wood oil, or something that smells bad to kitty, or makes the chair top seem precarious. I used to stop dogs from getting into things by spraying a mixture of water and cayenne pepper on it, and I've stopped cats from peeing on a spot on my carpet by dabbing a little bleach on it.

Oh yeah, and if make her favorite spots unappealing, she'll find new ones, so maybe you could get or build some kitty structure for her that would make her happier. Coat it with catnip a few times to make her love it more.

Of course, if she's landing on the chairs mostly while you are there, she's just trying to be closer to your level. :)

Aside from that, you're on your own. :) Cute little beastie, isn't she? She's worth a few life-marks on your furniture.

[Gormy Cuss]

12. +1 on the double sided tape

and give her acceptable places to climb. She's still a kitten and loving the new view from heights. As long as she has a few places where she is allowed to climb she'll eventually figure out that you don't want her on the chairs.

[NV Whino]

31. +2 on double sided tape

You can get it at PetCo. It's about 2" x18". Works great.

[Skip Intro]

16. Good suggestions! Thanks.

Never occurred to me to lean the chairs inward when not in use. And that double sided tape thing sounds like a furniture-saver (no microsuede here - and I got a good idea how you know about that particular fabric, lol).

And yeah, she does seem to get up on those chairs when I'm at the computer (same small room). Actually, she pretty much follows me wherever I go in the house.

I'd take the cat over the chairs if it has to be that way, but I would love to spare them if I can.

Great post, thanx. :)

[jobycom]

18. She loves you, then.

Speaks well of a person when a cat bonds to them like that. :)

[emilyg]

11. What a pretty sweetie.

[Skip Intro]

14. Well hey.

Haven't seen much of you around since the primary wars in GDP. Then again, I haven't been around much myself.

Yeah, she's a cutie. A little more of a handful than I was expecting, but she's a keeper.

[LeftyMom]

13. I think orange cats are all a little wild and crazy.

At least, every one I've ever met is. They're fun though.

[GreenPartyVoter]

41. Not my Pretzel. He is so sedate and cuddly. We call him the Teddy Cat. :^D

[AlGore-08.com]

15. That is one crazy adorable kitten

When my current cat was a kitten, she used to try and climb everything -- everything! Many times I saw her jump from the floor to the intersection of the wall and ceiling -- nothing there at all, no way to get in the ceiling -- I think she thought she could just sink her claws into the ceiling and hang there like a bat. When she wasn't trying to kill the ceiling, she was racing around, jumping from the top of one piece of furniture to the next like she was on fire. I about lost my mind trying unsuccessfully to kitten proof the apartment.

Now that she is four years old, she spends 75% of her time on the floor, sleeping and 20% of her time on my bed, sleeping and 3% of her time on my bed, walking over my face at least an hour before the alarm is supposed to go off as a subtle reminder that I should get the f*ck up and follow her into another room so she can sleep on the floor in there for a change.

As the a mature, adult cat she now is, she won't jump on anything taller than the seat of a chair unless there's a launching pad she can climb on first -- like jumping on the bathtub THEN jumping on the bathroom sink. And she takes her time on the tub, spending a minute or two thinking about whether it's really worth jumping all that long way up to the sink before she actually does it.

[Betty88]

20. yes it is

[wickerwoman]

21. Holy crap!

Is that a Siamese-Jaguar mix?

[Betty88]

22. I guess that would explain this....

[Sanity Claws]

35. That cat is formidable

That is a very long tail. To me that cat looks part Cougar.

[Bertha Venation]

23. She's beautiful. Here's an idea about the chairs.

Put aluminum foil on the tops where she's walking. She won't like that.

"set her free in the woods"?! :grr: Thank you for taking her in.

[tabbycat31]

24. what about getting her a cat tree?

http://www.cozycatfurniture.com/cat_trees.html

something where she can climb and it's just her (and the other felines in the house)'s space to climb to their heart's content.

[hamsterjill]

25. No real suggestions for your issues, but thanks for saving her from the woods!!!

AND for being responsible and getting her fixed!!! Kudos to you!

I'd try a squirt bottle if she starts damaging the chairs and things get desperate. Cats don't like water. It's pretty "strong medicine" for them, but it doesn't actually hurt them, of course. There is, of course, always the human element, of being able to "hit" the target!!! LOL

Good luck to you!

[BurtWorm]

26. Is there such a thing as Cadderall or Kitalin?

:shrug:

She is cute, though!

[Arugula Latte]

27. Oh my god she is adorable!!!

:loveya:

Kitties love to explore. :)

[ironflange]

28. She's a sweetheart

But I sure don't have a very high opinion of your friend.

[fizzgig]

30. omg i'm melting at that face

:loveya:

[BlueIris]

32. Yes, normal. Good luck with your new furbaby. nt

[applegrove]

33. Awwwwwe she's gorgeous. And all legs at this stage.

[barb162]

34. Two of my cats are always on the top of the chairs like that.

I finally made some "sleeves" for the top of the chairs and as they get shredded I just do a few more. Better to shred the sleeves than the chair's upholstery. Use material on sale and then you won't feel like you're spending a lot. I bought a large amount of material... each sleeve lasts about 6 months.

She's a cutie!
My chairs are totally upholstered except for the armrests, and boy, the two of them just like standing on the back of them like your cat. I think they do it so they're higher, like they're in a tree. EVen though I have two very high cat trees, they still like to do that to the back of the chairs.

[Sanity Claws]

36. Kute Kitty

I have a feeling that you will fall in love with this quirky kitty.

[david13]

37. Oh no no no, that is not normal. That cat must be possessed or

something. I know, I have had cats and still have one left. My cat would have knocked that chair over long ago, ripped some ripples into the cloth seat cover, then skidded around on the table several times leaving large scratch marks in the wood.
So I think some weird angelic force has gripped your cat. Unless he is just planning his major destruction for later.
dc

[greenbriar]

38. what an awesome kitty

very cute

[hippywife]

39. What a cutiepie!

My youngest does the same thing. Instead of monorail kitteh, she's the EL kitteh. LOL

I don't know how to make her stop because I never could say no to a face like that. Good luck! :hi:

[GreenPartyVoter]

40. Very normal. My Pickles is almost 16yo and she still does things like that.