The Way of Cats

Cats have amazing energy storage capacities. They are capable of lying in wait for hours, and then exploding into multiple avenues of action. If the prey goes south, east, or counterclockwise, the cat has a move ready for that eventuality.

Kittens have a rather long learning curve in mastering this tremendous potential. That’s why kittens tend to have only two modes; on, and off.

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When they play, they play hard. When they stop, they stop on a dime. When they sleep, they can be transferred from lap to lap to bed without waking up. So kittens need space and tolerance when they get the “kitten crazies.” Unable to moderate their energy, they tend to expend it all at once, in mad dashes across the living room, skidding turns on the kitchen linoleum, and mountain-climbing the drapes.

The best way to control this energy is to have plenty of safe toys they can turn to. They love things that bounce erratically, and have a lot of different textures on their surface so they can pick them up and bat them around.

They also need space. Keep their toys in rooms where they can run around and there aren’t too many things for them to get into trouble over. Of course, they will venture outward. But, if possible, having a place for them to find new toys will give them a “go to” when they are seeking novelty.

Because kittens can’t control their energies yet, they will likely drop like rocks when they finally get tired. It’s not in a kitten’s nature to say to themselves, Gosh, I’m tired, let me find a good place to sleep. So we are going to find them conked out in various places where they might be in the way, or in danger of sliding off a perch they were on.

It’s perfectly all right to move them to a better spot. We should slide our hands under them to keep them relaxed, and put them on a couch or bed. Don’t leave them on the floor; they will feel safer up and out of the way.

But try not to disturb them otherwise. It’s okay to bring our faces close so they can smell us in their sleep, or rub their heads. But they need their sleep and should be left to it.

Understanding the kitten energy cycle is the first step towards coping with it. They must have room to expend that energy, and they must have time to recharge.

Given both, with supervision, and they will grow up happy and secure.

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