Are Maine Coon Cats Skittish
People often compare Maine Coon cats to dogs because they have an affectionate personality and love spending time with their human family.
But, sometimes Maine Coons can act shy around people they dont know well or are uncomfortable around. They have an instinctual feeling when someone not a part of their family is around and often becomes reserved.
However, once the female Maine Coon cat gets used to more people coming around, they should open up a bit and become the sweet and friendly cat you know them to be.
Finally, if you notice that your Maine Coon is a lot shyer than you expected, there may be a few things that you should consider:
At What Age Do Kittens Calm Down
Kittens will begin to settle down around the age of 8-12 months and you will see less and less of this hyperactive behavior.
They begin to get hyperactive at the age of ten weeks, so if you want to avoid the hyperactive stage, consider adopting an older cat or one that is just over a year old.
Around the age of three months, a kittens most energetic period begins. From now until they reach adulthood, they will consume a lot of food, run about a lot, and perhaps ruin some furniture and tissue paper rolls.
While some cats will outgrow their hyperactivity, others may continue to be hyperactive until maturity.
Let Catnip Do The Trick
One of the easiest ways to calm down an energetic kitten is to give it some catnip. While other pet owners think that catnip will stir up their cat, it can also have an opposite effect. Catnips have been a great choice in soothing a kitten thats either hyperactive or scared. The best thing is that catnip is generally safe and very effective sedative.
However, not all cats have a gene that reacts to catnip. About a third of the cat population doesnt respond to this herb. To check if your kitten is one of those, try giving it a small amount of catnip and see how it will react. If it dismisses the nip, you can always try other methods I discussed here.
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Feed Your Cat Just Before Bedtime
Cats naturally have a rhythm to their days that involves hunting and catching prey, eating, grooming themselves, and then sleeping. The best way to encourage your cat to sleep is to follow this rhythm!
After youve had a good play session with your cat, to mimic the hunting and catching part of their rhythm, its a great time to feed your cat. This can give them the satisfaction that they naturally would feel if they caught something in the wild and then settled down to eat it.
After your cat has a nice full tummy, theyll be ready for a nice grooming session and then sleep. Timing the start of their sleep cycle to correspond with your bedtime means theres less chance of them waking you up if theyre full of energy as youre going to bed.
Warming Up Cooling Down
A good workout starts and ends with a warm up and cool down session. The same goes for kitten play sessions. In particular, the cool down lets your kitten know that its time to slow things down and relax. While winding the play session down, move the toy more slowly and let your kitten chase it without as much energy behind her movements. When you see your kitten beginning to get tired of the game, let her cool down and then give her food. Instinctively, your kitten will want to eat a meal, clean herself, and take a nap. Do this before bed at night so that she can go to sleep when you do.
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Why Is My Cat Still Hyper
In some cases, cats can manifest hyperactive traits directly from their enthusiastic parents. Or they might just be naturally perky because of some environmental determinants. Felines are at their most active state during the night, typically around the midnight hours.
As previously stated, each kitten is born with a unique personality. Some cats may outgrow their hyper-activeness while others start to calm down.
Cat Trees Scratching Posts And Scenery
Its a big world out there, and your kitten wants to see whats going on. Thats why she needs a cat tree to climb up and perch herself on, and a window to look out of so that she can view the world outside. As well, a few scratching posts are needed so she can release her energy in positive, non-destructive ways. On top of that, these will be little spots around the house that she can claim as her own.
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Get Your Kitten On A Zen Path With Tips On How To Focus All That Energy
Kittens are cute and are naturally curiousits why we all fall in love with these little balls of fur as soon as we set eyes on them. But what we often forget is that kittens also come with an abundance of energy that never seems to let up. Breathe deeply and dont lose your coolthere are many ways how you can help calm your kitty and train proper cat etiquette in the process.
How To Calm A Kitten: 10 Effective Tricks
Kittens tend to be hyper and energetic, which can be a handful at times. Also, kittens can get easily stressed when overstimulated or if exposed to an undesirable experience. As the owner, you should know how to calm a kitten to manage its behavior. This will also reduce your kittens stress so that it wont border to aggression and behavioral problems. You can also try diffusing essential oils, massage, more playtime, and soothing sounds to calm a nervous kitten.
Below, I discussed ten easy steps you can take to calm your kitten. Ive done this to my kitten Watson, and so far hes doing great:
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Stages Of Kitten Development
Cats have a fairly brisk physical development, although not all will develop at the same rate. There are various factors which determine the duration of this period, but there are general stages of a kitten’s development. Hormonal and morphological start occurring as soon as they are born and can be broken down into the following stages of kitten development:
- Neonatal: begins with the birth of the kittens and usually lasts until the ninth day of life. During this time, the newborn kitten is completely dependent on their mother for survival. They have not yet opened their eyes and are mainly guided by smell and touch. They locomotor skills are limited, so they will stumble a lot.
- Transition: between their 9th and 15th day of life, the kitten undergoes a transitional stage after birth. This is when their eyes and ear canal open and their mobility and autonomy progressively increase.
- Socialization: a kittens’ socialization period begins around their second week of life and extends to the seventh or eighth week. At this time, the kittens are becoming even more independent and constantly play with their siblings. This is a key stage in the development of any cat. They learn how to interact with their environment and those within it. They will also try other foods in addition to their mother’s milk at this point.
What Are The Benefits Of Neutering
Population control
Millions of cats are destroyed across North America each year because there are far more cats born than homes available. A single male cat can father many litters so that neutering of intact males is essential for population control. Although sexual desire will be greatly reduced by castration, some experienced males may continue to show sexual interest in females.
“Vasectomies are not performed in cats because this procedure only sterilizes the cat but does not stop production of male hormones.”
Spraying
The most common behavior problem in cats of all ages is indoor elimination at locations other than the litter box. A large number of these cases are cats that spray or mark walls and other vertical household objects. Adult male cats have an extremely strong urge to mark territory, both indoors and out. Neutering reduces or eliminates spraying in approximately 85% of male cats.
“Neutering reduces or eliminates spraying in approximately 85% of male cats.”
Aggression
Cats, whether neutered or intact, can get into fights but most intercat aggression is seen between intact males. This is a direct result of competition between male cats, and because intact male cats roam and protect a muchlarger territory. If these fights lead to punctures or wounds that penetrate the skin, abscesses are a common sequel. Neutering reduces fighting and abscessdevelopment in male cats.
Roaming and sexual attraction
Physical changes
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Understanding Cat Behavior: Anxiety Fear And Hyperactivity
There are many things that can stress out cats, says Christine Calder, a certified veterinary behaviorist and the director of behavior services for Midcoast Humane. By nature, cats are both prey animals and predators, so fear is a hardwired emotion in cats, Calder notes. As a result, many are easily rattled.
Calder says the most common situations that trigger the need to help calm a cat are run-ins with other cats, unfamiliar people, dogs, noises, new environments, car rides, visits to the veterinarian, and even handling.
Other times, you may need to calm a cat for reasons that have nothing to do with fear. For instance, when he goes on a late-night, hyperactive rampage while youre trying to sleep.
Whether its fear or just hyperactivity, there are steps you can take to help calm a cat down, whatever the root cause.
How To Calm Down A Cat: 5 Herbs For Cat Stress Relief
Some cats are naturally stressed and anxious as part of their demeanor, while others save their freak-outs for car trips and vet visits. This leaves many pet owners wondering how to calm a cat to them a little stress relief in any situation. Fortunately, effective remedies are available that are both natural and easy to administer. Try these herbs and flower essences to help calm down your cat.
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First Step Reward Good Behavior
First, move the toys in an engaging fashion, encouraging them to stalk, chase, pounce, and catch. Once the kitten catches the toy, let her bite and bunny kick it before moving it again. When the play session has ended, reward the kitten with a treat or meal to simulate the satisfying experience of eating after a kill.
As tempting as it is to wiggle your fingers or tickle their bellies, this teaches them that its okay to practice their hunt on your skin. Even if you dont mind the playful attacks, prospective adopters may — especially as the kittens get bigger. Theres nothing cute about a 12 pound tabby stalking your ankle! Kitten caregivers therefore have a responsibility to help kittens establish good biting behaviors from a young age, as its easier to build a good habit than it is to break a bad one. When a kitten attacks your hands or feet when you move, simply disengage and redirect them to a more suitable object.
Developmental Stages Of Kitten Behavior
Well-socialized cats are more likely to have well-socialized kittens. Kittens respond to their mothers calm or fearful attitude toward people. Although feeding time is important, its also vital to include petting, talking and playing in order to build good people-skills in your kitten.
Kittens are usually weaned at six or seven weeks, but may continue to suckle for comfort as their mother gradually leaves them more and more. Orphaned kittens, or those weaned too soon, are more likely to exhibit inappropriate suckling behaviors later in life. Ideally, kittens should stay with their littermates for at least 12 weeks.
Kittens orphaned or separated from their mother and/or littermates too early often fail to develop appropriate social skills, such as learning how to send and receive signals, what an inhibited bite means, how far to go in play-wrestling and so forth. Play is important for kittens because it increases their physical coordination, social skills and learning limits. By interacting with their mother and littermates kittens learn how to be a cat, as well as explore the ranking process .
The following chart provides general guidelines for the stages of development.
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Keep Kitty Out Of Your Bedroom
It might take a little while for your pet to get used to sleeping alone, and they may cry or scratch to get into your room. Try to ignore it and dont be tempted to give them any attention like feeding them or playing, as this will start a habit they will want to continue!
If you think your kitten is waking because theyre hungry, consider getting an automatic feeder cats have a shorter sleep cycle than humans and may want breakfast before you wake up, so an automatic feeder will stop your pussycat scratching at your bedroom door because they are hungry.
Still Not Sleeping at Night?
Always keep an eye out for signs of any injuries or medical issues which may be disturbing your kittens sleep. If you have any concerns, take them to a vet to be checked over. Once the vet has given the all clear, persevere with your training routine – you will soon come to an acceptable situation for both of you.
You may want to consider using a FELIWAY Optimum Diffuser which will help provide a calming environment for your kitty and help with training your kitten to sleep.
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Create Safe Outdoor Experiences
If cats dont have safe, structured ways to entertain themselves, theyll figure out ways to use that energy on their own. Dodman likens off-the-wall behavior from cats to cabin fever. Theyre cooped up inside, and though your cat may seek outside stimulation, dangers like traffic and wild animals typically make this an impractical solution.
However, there are ways to provide safe outdoor activities for your cat. Lane recommends using a harness for cats to explore with you or providing an outdoor enclosure such as a catio, which allows your feline to enjoy being outside without being subject to predators.
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What Does The Neutering Operation Entail
For both male and female kittens, neutering is a very safe surgical procedure. It will take place under general anaesthetic and your kitten will be admitted for the day.
When you collect your pet, you will be offered painkillers and the all-important buster collar. The collar will ensure that your pet isnt tempted to nibble or scratch at the site of the wound, which will have been shaved and stitched. Youll need to ensure that they wear this collar for a few days at least.
Once home, they may initially be a bit drowsy and wobbly , the buster collar will also play a part in this. Let them have some food and rest if they need to. However, many kittens are such bundles of energy they’re back at full speed within a few hours.
You will need to keep your kitten indoors for a few days. Keep an eye on the wound and make sure theyre eating and going to the toilet as normal. You must take them back to the vet after a few days for a post-op check-up. The wound itself should take no more than 10-14 days to heal.
How Long Does It Take A Male Cat To Recover From Neutering
It takes about 24 hours for the cats to fully recover from anesthesia and regain the ability to regulate their body temperature. So it is important that the recovery location be temperature-controlled to keep the cats from getting too hot or too cold. Ideally, the room should be kept to about 70 degrees.
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Kittens Need Lots Of Playtime
If you find that your kitten is exceptionally hyperactive, then they might just want to play.
Playing with your kitten is excellent because not only will it keep them entertained and from getting into stuff, but it will also burn some of their energy so that they will be more tired and calm later.
It also will help the kitten feel more comfortable and build their confidence.
How Do I Get My Cat To Calm Down
If you have a new cat or kitten who is anxious and hyper, I think you can use these ideas. What matters most is whether your cat feels safe. Cats dont like it when they dont know where they are and whats going on around them. So its essential to give them secure place to feel safe.
The first step is to have a carrier for the cat. Use the carrier only when you HAVE TO take the cat with you somewhere elsedont use it as punishment! If the carrier is only used for punishment, the cat will hate it and avoid it at all costs .
Secondly, it is very important that the cat feel safe in his den. His/her bed or bedding should be a place that the cat feels secure and comfortable.the cat can make his own decision if he wants to lie on it or not. He will probably go on it to rest or sleep. If your cat doesnt want to go on the bed please leave him alone and let him make his own decisions about where he wants to sleep.
Third, feed your cat food and water at consistent times every day. Try not to change anything in the cats life from day-to-day unless there is a good reason for doing so .
Fourth, you need to give the cat sufficient play and exercise time. Exercise and playtime allow the cat to work out a lot of the anxious energy that he may have. The more active he is, the less stressed he will be. An active cat is generally one who feels safe enough to be relaxed and confident in his own territory.
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