[SOLVED ] Q. My kitten 5 months old won't play all she wants to do is sleep. She doesn't take any interest in playing

Experienced and professional animal trainer provide their insights in answering this question :

A. If she is sleeping a lot and seems lethargic than she should be examined by a veterinarian to determine if there is a problem. A vet can do a thorough physical exam and run diagnostic tests, if needed, to make sure she is healthy.

How to Identify Common Pet Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced pet care professionals :

If there is no interest in play or exercise, your cat may be feeling unwell, stressed, or be in pain. Being proactive can help get to the root of a health concern earlier rather than later. Cats have preferences, just like us. Whatever activity or toy you have introduced to your fur friend simply may not interest him.

A newborn kitten`s daily routine is made up of sleeping 90 percent of the time — that is almost 22 hours of shuteye! As kittens mature beyond the newborn stage, they will sleep less; but even at six months of age they still manage to spend about 16 to 20 hours a day dozing and dreaming away.

Play with your kitten at least two to three times a day (ideally for 15 minutes at a time) using interactive toys.

If your cat is more playful at certain times of day than others, that`s normal. Stress Cats can be surprisingly sensitive to environment and stress. A rescue kitten often won`t play for a few weeks until she`s grown used to her new home. If your cat has suddenly stopped playing, then think about possible causes.

At a minimum, offer food to 4-6-month-old kittens three times daily. By 10 months of age, two meals per day is the minimum. However, up to six small meals is even better!

Cats, unlike us, seem to know that sleep is inherently valuable and invest the time to recharge. Your cat might not be sleeping too much; you might be sleeping too little! Sleeping and resting up to 20 hours a day is normal for your cat. If he is feeling well, his life is enriched, and he is healthy, just go with it.

Single kitten syndrome is the idea that young kittens, when raised with other young kittens and cats and then adopted into a home by themselves, can become aggressive, anxious, stressed, and even develop behavioral issues like inappropriate chewing/scratching and inappropriately using the litterbox.

Mature. As your cat grows older, you will start to see behavioral changes. From 7-10 years of age, your cat begins to lose their drive to play and is less active. This is a normal shift in activity as your cat is comfortable in their environment and routine.

The amount of playtime your kitten needs will vary from kitten to kitten, as some cats are more energetic than others, but they generally need at least two to three play sessions a day, if not more. These sessions do not have to be long: short bursts of play throughout the day will keep your kitten stimulated.

If you are going to have your cat inside, it is important to make its environment as stimulating as possible. If you don`t, cats can quickly become bored, stressed and even depressed, resulting in detrimental and destructive behaviours.

“If cats aren`t getting enough play, it can affect their wholemodus operandi, and their usual habits can change,” says Wilbourn. “They can become destructive and aggressive because they have all of this bottled-up energy.”

Symptoms Your Cat Is Stressed

Scratching up the wall or carpet can be a sign of stress. Spraying and urinating outside the litter box are traditional stress symptoms for cats, even after they`ve been neutered or spayed. A howling cat that meows excessively may be a sign of stress, as can eating less or sleeping more.

Hold the kitten steady with one hand, and gently rub the genital region in a circular motion with your soft tissue. The kitten should begin to pee. Continue to stimulate the kitten until she is no longer peeing. Depending on the kitten`s age, this may take anywhere from 10 to 40 seconds.

You`ll know your cat is happy if they show affection to you and want to interact with you. A content kitty loves scritches, snuggles, head boops, and lap sits. Every cat is different, of course, and some prefer to lay near you rather than on you. In general, though, a happy cat shows it by being close to their human.

The good news is that most kittens calm down with age. Cats develop much quicker than their hooman families so you can expect your kitten to slow down at around 9-14 months as they advance into adulthood.

Do cats get bored? While cats are known for their love of napping, they also need to be kept mentally and physically stimulated when they`re awake, otherwise, they can get bored – just like us humans.

Feline Sleep Overview

Cats that tend to live indoors and have little to no contact with the outdoors are significantly less active. Therefore, the amount of time they`d need to rest would be a lot less. In reality, though, these little furry friends do sleep because they are bored, which doesn`t mean that they need it.

“Typically, cats who do not have enough mental or physical stimulation become bored. They may be left alone for hours without other people or animals to interact with,” she says “Bored kitties live in a boring environment—they do not have toys to play with, objects to climb or other mental stimulation.”

“Learning about one another and teaching a cat to partake in play and fun is one of the joys of pet parenthood.” Like anything, though, moderation is key. You don`t want to play with cats to the point where they are overly tired or display signs of overexertion, such as panting.

Where Cats Go at Night. It`s natural to wonder where the heck cats go at night. At home, they`re usually sleeping, playing, cuddling, eating, or sleeping some more.

In general, a major part of getting a kitten to sleep has to do with how well the sleeping arrangements match their needs. Kittens will look for warmth and cosiness when they want to sleep. This means that the best place for a kitten to sleep is a secure spot, sheltered from draughts and warm enough is the best set up.

In general, a 1 to 3-month-old should only be left alone for 2 to 4 hours, a 4 to 5-month-old could handle 5 hours, while a 6-month-old can do 8 hours. Health: If your cat has any health issue that needs attention, 24 hours may also be too long.

Kittens under 4 months old should not be left on their own for more than 4 hours at a time. If because of your lifestyle, your cat will need to get used to time alone, begin training your kitten by gradually increasing the amount of time you are out of the house.

Most cats with Tarzan Syndrome are aggressive toward other cats. They will defend themselves from the cat you are trying to introduce because they never learned to interact with their own species. They instinctively tell the new cat to back off or else!

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Q. I have a 1yr old male 38 lb Labradoodle and my gf just brought a month old kitten home. Can they interact? If not, for how long?

ANSWER : A. Interactions whenever a new pet is brought into the house should start off slow, then can be increased in time. The best steps when introducing a new cat is to allow your cat or kitten to have a room in the house all to him or herself. Allow your dog to sniff under the door to get used to the kitten’s scent, and even show your dog articles such as bedding the cat has slept on. After a few days, an introduction with your dog on leash, or a barrier such as a gate where both pets can look at each other but not see each other is best. This will allow each to get used to seeing the other without the ability to jump, bite or scratch the other. Once the two are used to this, then a face to face interaction can begin. If at any time a fight or scuffle breaks out, separate the two pets and try again at a later time. The amount of time this introduction takes can vary depending on how the two react to each other.

Until your kitten is older, or you are sure both are fine together, do not leave the two pets together unattended. Even a well-meaning and playful dog can accidentally break a leg of a kitten or worse without meaning to! A safe room for your kitten to be in while you are away, or a barrier to allow your kitten to escape to safety if needed will help until both are big enough to play alone safely.

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Q. I recently added a new 2 month old female kitten to my house and my male 5 month the old kitten has turned aggressive and chases the kitten down..

ANSWER : A. It is possible it could be play behavior but without seeing it in person, hard to say. Is the male kitten neutered? You may want to consider doing so. Also, try re-introducing the kittens slowly by creating a safe space for the new kitten behind a closed door in a room. Keep her there for at least a week so she is protected but your male is still able to smell her. After a week or 2, you can then graduate to using a baby gate so they can then not only smell each other but safely see each other as well. If that is going okay, after another few days you can bring the gate down. Also, be sure to have feeding bowls in separate locations and at least 2 litter boxes.

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Q. My 3 month puppy eats his own poop and is also biting what can I do to prevent this

ANSWER : A. When it comes to poop eating, you want to consider a few things. First off, what is his diet like? Maybe something is lacking in his diet that is causing him to want to eat his own poop. This is the most common reason why dogs eat THEIR OWN poop. Try a higher quality kibble like Taste of the Wild, Ziwipeak, Orijen.. and try feeding three meals per day, instead of the more common two meals per day. Remember to gradually switch his kibble. Add a little bit of the new kibble and reduce the old kibble very slowly.. little by little every couple of days until the bowl is mostly new kibble! You should also be cleaning up his poops IMMEDIATELY after he does them.. I mean like, you have a bag in your hand, and you are low enough to scoop it up RIGHT when he finished so he doesn’t have a chance to eat his poop.

When it comes to nipping there are a few things you can do. First, you should yelp as soon as the teeth touch your skin, stand up, cross your arms, and ignore the puppy until he is ignoring you. Once he is off doing his own thing, swoop down and calmly reward him by playing with him WITH A TOY so he doesn’t nip your hands. Whenever you pet him, or interact with him, you should always have a toy on-hand so you can give it to him. This toy should be a soft braided rope toy that YOU own. This means, your puppy is never allowed to have this toy on the floor, and your pup can never “win” tug games with this toy. This is YOUR toy that disappears when you’re finished playing, and reappears when you want to play. If you keep this up, in a weeks time, your puppy will be so excited to see that toy, that as soon as you bring it out, he stops nipping you because he wants to play with the toy. Another thing you can do is have two bags of toys. Bag#1 is full of chew toys/soft toys/squeaky toys/etc. After one week, Bag#1 disappears and out comes Bag#2. Bag#2 has the same types of toys as Bag#1, and it only stays out for one week. This keeps the toys feeling like new to your pup!

Read Full Q/A … : Why Dogs Eat Poop – The 5 Primary Causes – Dog Poop Diet

Q. My kitten 5 months old won’t play all she wants to do is sleep. She doesn’t take any interest in playing

ANSWER : A. If she is sleeping a lot and seems lethargic than she should be examined by a veterinarian to determine if there is a problem. A vet can do a thorough physical exam and run diagnostic tests, if needed, to make sure she is healthy.

Read Full Q/A … : My kitten isn't actively playing… is there something wrong …

Q. 2 month old Bulldog. While playing gets TOO rough:gripping hand REALLY tight/growling/shaking to the point of drawing blood. Aggresive?Normal?HELP!!

ANSWER : A. For the most part, this sounds pretty normal to me. English Bulldogs can be like this. What you can do is teach him bite inhibition. He needs to know that biting gets him nothing. Each and every time he nips, even gently, you immediately yelp like a puppy would, stand up, cross your arms, and ignore your puppy. Once he is ignoring you, go back to calmly playing with him WITH A TOY. Remember to always use a toy when playing with/petting/interacting with puppies. They will be teething very soon, and they don’t understand that biting you is inappropriate, so using a toy to redirect their attention is important. He needs SOMETHING to bite, or else he will choose your hand. Give him more options.

Another thing you can do is have a toy that YOU OWN. This can be a soft braided rope toy or something of the like. Dot not allow your dog to have this toy whenever he wants. This toy disappears when you are done playing with him with it, and reappears when you want to play. Never allow him to “win” games with this toy. Eventually, the toy will hold so much meaning, when he sees it, he will be instantly interested in the toy instead of your hands.

It also helps to have two bags of toys. Bag#1 is full of chew toys/rope toys/soft toys/etc. It comes out for one week, and then disappears and out comes Bag#2. Bag#2 has the same types of toys in it. This will keep the toys feeling like “new” to your pup and make him less likely to chew on you during play!

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Q. I just started a new job w.long hours. Would my 3 yr old Siamese enjoy a kitten companion? If so, m/f? I was thinking of a shelter kitten.

ANSWER : A. Generally adult cats can take to younger kittens a bit easier than another adult cat. You may want to get the opposite sex from what your Siamese is. Also, slowly integrate the new kitten into the household giving your current cat a chance to get used to her/him. Start off by having new kitten behind a door for a few days or even a week. From there you can put up a baby gate so they can see each other but still have somewhat of a safety barrier and after that, you can let the gate down to see how they do. You may want to feed in 2 separate areas and you definitely want at least 2 litter boxes. A shelter kitten rescue would be a great idea!

Read Full Q/A … : Siamese Cat Facts. Siamese Cats – The cats with the most …

Q. i believe my cat is pregnant but showing signs of being in heat

ANSWER : A. Cats are induced ovulators, meaning they will continue to go into heat until they are bred, or spayed (reproductive organs removed). If your cat is showing signs of being in heat (excessive yowling, presenting her rear to you for inspection, attempting to get out or other cats hanging near your house) and you don’t want kittens, it is best to have her spayed. Most cats are also semi-seasonal in their heat cycle meaning they will more likely be in heat through Spring-Summer than in Fall-Winter.

Pregnancy in cats lasts about 60 days. Signs of pregnancy may include weight gain, increased appetite, nipples that become pronounced or “leak” and seeking nesting areas to deliver kittens. If you saw that your cat was in heat, or had her mated, you can use the date she was bred to determine when she may be due for kittens. Your local vet can help determine if she is indeed pregnant and can also take an X-ray to determine the number of kittens present if your cat is nearing her due date. Be sure to feed mom a kitten formula in the last few weeks of her pregnancy and during nursing as it will help provide extra beneficial nutrients for both mom and babies.

If you do not want kittens, some very early term pregnancies can be aborted with spaying, otherwise spaying mom is usually done when kittens are weaned from their mom.

Read Full Q/A … : How to Tell if a Cat is Pregnant: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

Q. I have a 5 mo. kitten. She has a problem with teething, chews on my fingers and nose. I tell her “No” & got to the point were I am bopping. Help!

ANSWER : A. 5-7 months is typically the age cats and dogs will begin to get their adult teeth. This can be a troublesome time as cats may want to chew on things to help relieve their gums from soreness and pain. If your kitten is very mouthy, providing lots of soft toys she can bite and play with will help redirect the behavior to appropriate objects. A chewy treat or even a small piece of ice cube can help to soothe and numb sore gums! If she begins to get mouthy with you, stop the play session, get up and walk away. She will quickly learn that chewing on you means she doesn’t get to have fun! Luckily, most kittens will outgrow this behavior once their adult teeth are in!

Read Full Q/A … : 3 Easy Ways to Stop a Cat from Biting and Scratching