When Do Cats Grow Out of the Hyper Crazy Stage?

After staring at that teeny fur ball at your neighbor̵7;s house, you decide to bring him home. But you had no idea what you are in for. Little Beethoven seems to never sleep. He climbs up the curtains, scales his way up to the top of the highest shelf and scratches everything in sight. Being overly hyper and crazy is perfectly normal for young cats, but it̵7;s just a stage and he̵7;ll grow out of it.

  1. Kitten Development

    • Kittens tend to be most active between 7 to 14 weeks of age, the Austin Humane Society explains. During this era, your fluffy friend is learning all about the environment around him, which is why he has to touch and jump on everything in sight. Once Beethoven reaches 3 to 6 months of age, he̵7;ll start figuring his rank in the house. You might see him pouncing on the other cats -- or even the dog -- to prove that he is the dominant animal. He̵7;ll be a teenager between 6 to 18 months old. While he̵7;ll still have a high activity level, he̵7;ll be more comfortable in his own skin and surroundings, making him a calmer, more well-behaved member of your family.

    Learning Friendly Play

    • Even though Beethoven is getting comfortable in his environment and establishing a bit of dominance, he has to learn to play nicely. When he̵7;s overstimulated after sticking his face in the catnip jar or after chasing that ball down the stairs, he can become a little aggressive. He might seem like he wants you to pet him and purr loudly, but when you reach over to touch him, he swats at you in a playful manner. While he doesn̵7;t want to hurt you, you don̵7;t want him to get away with this unacceptable behavior now. Otherwise, he could wind up being a scratcher when he and his claws get bigger. The next time he smacks you, get up and walk away. He doesn̵7;t want you to leave -- you̵7;re his best buddy. After some time, he̵7;ll learn that when he starts getting too rough, his human goes away.

    Teething Stage

    • Your fuzzy chum can seem super hyper during the teething stage. His gums are sore and he just wants to gnaw on anything he can -- including your hand -- to get the pain to go down. Beethoven̵7;s milk teeth start dropping out around 11 weeks of age to make room for his big-boy chompers. All of his permanent teeth, including his big canine teeth up front, should be in by 6 months of age, notes Healthy Pet U. Once his munchers are all in place, he shouldn̵7;t be as ambitious to run around and bite as much. Of course just like with the swatting, if Beethoven does put his teeth on you, get up and walk away until he chills out.

    Sterilization

    • Getting your kitten fixed can help calm him down, although it̵7;s not a guarantee. You can have him sterilized as early as 8 weeks old in many cases, reports the ASPCA. After he̵7;s neutered -- or spayed for female kitties -- his sex hormones won̵7;t be on overdrive and make him seem crazy. His personality won̵7;t change, he̵7;ll just be less likely to show some of his less-than-desirable behaviors, like spraying or humping objects.