Have you ever been so afraid to leave your cat alone because she gets too frisky and does a lot of risky stuff? Yea, some cats can be calm when they’re asleep, but the moment they wake up, they become a terror. You often wonder where they get all the energy from, and think of ways to calm down your hyper kitten. Well, you don’t need to lose your patience with your rambunctious four-legged friend. We’ve got you covered with some simple ways to dial down a hyper kitten.
Without much ado, check out these smart tips:
1. Allow your kitchen to have her space
Maybe the reason why your kitten is hyper is that she needs a space to call her own. So you just have to be sensitive and try to create a space to allow her spend some time in her private haven. You don’t necessarily have to leave a large space; just a small room with a dim light is enough to unwind.
Some kitties need a little time away from people, distractions, and other pets. Sometimes, a hyper kitten may just need a space in which she can play and exert all her energy without the fear of destroying anything.
That’s more reason why you need to create a safe space where she won’t be put at risk of any harm. Take your time and ensure there isn’t any area where your kitten might get stuck in. Block all parts that might hurt your cat in an attempt to pass through.
More so, ensure you remove any object or valuables that might be broken by your hyper kitten that sees everything as a potential toy. And keep out any object that might be dangerous to your cat.
2. Play appropriately
Every cat needs some time to play. Little wonder they exert so much energy during their play session and maximize the opportunity to practice their hunting skills. Besides, play is a form of exercise, and as your kitten grows older, she wants to practice new abilities to jump, climb, stalk, and explore.
However, instead of allowing your cat to play all alone, you can spend some time with her to help her release some energy. This works great to keep your cat from loneliness or boredom- two factors that can contribute to hyperactivity.
The secret is that when you share play sessions with your kitten, it creates more bond and help her release excessive energy, thereby calming her in the end. You can try games that mimic hunting- maybe you use toys like stuffed mice or wands with feathers at the end. This triggers your kitten to display her natural predatory skills.
You can also try challenging stuffs while you play, but always give her the chance to win. This helps her feel the thrill of overpowering her prey- at least to satisfy her imagination.
However, you need to allow proper warmup and cooldown during each play session. The cooldown lets your kitten know it’s time to slow down and relax. So, you can start by moving the toy slowly and allowing your kitten chase with little energy. If this doesn’t work, you can toss a ball at her so she can grab and safely play on her own until she gets exhausted.
As your kitten starts to get tired during the play session, let her cool down, and then give her food to eat. You may let her catch a toy before the meal just to make her feel she hunted for her food. Instinctively, your cat will feel happy to eat, relax, and take a nap. At this point, you can take away all objects or toys that are potentially dangerous and allow your kitten to sleep peacefully. You may try this when it’s almost bedtime for you, so your kitten can go to sleep when you need to go to bed.
3. Play soothing music
Factors like fear or uncertainly can sometimes cause your kitten to act hyper. Maybe you just moved into a new home, and it needs time to adapt to the new people, new cats, or other stimulants in the environment.
So a good way to calm your hyper kitten is to play some good music at a low volume. Let it be easy- instrumental, listening, or classical music, as this helps greatly to relax your kitten’s nerves.
4. Try puzzle toys
Apart from getting the benefits of physical exercise, puzzle toys are great for a mental workout as well. You can decide to hide treats at strategic places that require your kitten to work a bit before figuring out how to get them. More so, toys having treats inside easily grab your kitten’s attention, and she would expend all her energy just to figure out the puzzle to get to the enticing treat.
You can choose from the many available options of puzzle toys, but ensure you pick toys that help to keep your fur baby entertained as she hunts for her prey. After accomplishing this task your kitten would most likely be ready to take a nap.
5. Provide scratching posts, cat trees, and a great view
You can help you kitten release so much energy by providing her with a scratching post, a cat tree to climb on, and a window to allow her view the outside world. As she enjoys these provisions, she tends to release more energy faster in positive ways. Besides, she tends to stay happy because she’ll have more space to call her own.
6. Get your kitten a companion
Sometimes, your hyper kitten only needs another kitten or young cats to help her release energy and stay calm. As they continue to live together and grow to become great friends, they can keep each other’s company when you’re out of the house. This helps to keep boredom at bay, thereby calming your hyper kitten.
7. Give her plenty of attention
In addition to playing with your kitten, you also need to give her plenty of attention to make her feel loved. You can allow her to sit with you while you watch television or work on your laptop. You can also pet her while she purrs in your arms or maybe snuggle with her in bed. This helps to prevent feelings of loneliness, neglect, or boredom- all of which contribute to making a kitten hyper.
8. Address any hyperthyroid issue
Sometimes, hyperactivity may not be behavioral. Yea, your cat may be living with a condition called hyperthyroidism- meaning an overactive thyroid gland, which controls energy levels. This condition can make your cat have a burst of energy, which leads to reduced sleep and a voracious appetite. So most times, your kitty tends to become restless and eat almost everything that comes her way. However, this condition is common among older cats.
Luckily, there are treatment options for hyperthyroidism, and it includes:
- Surgical removal of the thyroid gland
- Medication methimazole
- Radioactive iodine therapy
Conclusion
Kittens are no doubt one of the cutest friends you can have at home. However, they can be feisty because they are learning and growing through imagination, play, and exploration. You just need to understand that that playful energy is part of being a kitten. But if you notice that her energy or friskiness is going to the extreme, and it is exposing her to great risk of harm, then you can follow the tips above to calm a hyper kitten.