seeking advice from cat owners...
Ok, as most of you know I'm a first-time cat owner with 2 cats. Technically they're still kittens, but at almost 9 months old, they're not very kitten-like anymore. Addie is pretty good almost all of the time, and listens to me. Nina can be a little hell-kitten a lot of the time...a cute hell-kitten, but a hell-kitten nonetheless. So, I'd like give a rundown of what she does in hopes that some cat lovers out there will understand, recognize, or be able to translate what's going on:
* Affectionately bites hard - This isn't playful or aggressive biting. Where one cat will rub noses and then lick my face, the other will rub noses and then clamp down on it or a lip, eyebrow, finger, arm, etc. I can wake up to a bite on my arm or leg in the middle of the night. I've tried spray bottles, clapping loudly in her face, pushing her away, and bopping her on the nose. Since she's almost 9 months old she should be well past teething.
* No interest in tastes cats should like - She had no interest at all in an freshly emptied can of tuna that still had a lot of juice. Nor did she care for a small piece of chicken I put in the dish. Addie took to both very easily. I even bought Nina a dog's nylabone to chew on and soaked it in chicken broth...no interest.
* Strange obsession with the refrigerator - Every time I open the fridge, she's right there trying to get in. Sometimes she succeeds and I have to drag her out of it. Even if I close her in for 30 seconds, I'll open the door to find her lying in the back of the bottom shelf as happy as a clam.
* Loves taking small items on shelves and loses interest once they're on the floor - I can't seem to keep from doing this. She doesn't take interest when I show her a cat toy instead, or roll a ball across the floor. She just wants to take things on my shelves.
* Doesn't seem to like a clean litter box - While Addie has no problem with my cleaning the litter box, I have to race Nina to the bathroom (she knows what the plastic bags are for) and close myself in to do the job. If she gets there first, she'll camp out in the box and smack every scoop I try to make to knock the litter out of it. When I do get it clean and open the door, Nina is lying right in front of the door and races to the box to check it out every time.
* Paw at the food mat - Nina has always pawed at the litter box walls. I can only imagine it's to clean them. But now she paws at the mat under the food dish, often toppling the dish. And what's worse, now Addie has picked up the habit, too. So frustrating...
There is probably more idiosyncratic behavior that I'm not thinking of right now, but this is a good start. So, can anyone help me out with this?
* Affectionately bites hard - This isn't playful or aggressive biting. Where one cat will rub noses and then lick my face, the other will rub noses and then clamp down on it or a lip, eyebrow, finger, arm, etc. I can wake up to a bite on my arm or leg in the middle of the night. I've tried spray bottles, clapping loudly in her face, pushing her away, and bopping her on the nose. Since she's almost 9 months old she should be well past teething.
* No interest in tastes cats should like - She had no interest at all in an freshly emptied can of tuna that still had a lot of juice. Nor did she care for a small piece of chicken I put in the dish. Addie took to both very easily. I even bought Nina a dog's nylabone to chew on and soaked it in chicken broth...no interest.
* Strange obsession with the refrigerator - Every time I open the fridge, she's right there trying to get in. Sometimes she succeeds and I have to drag her out of it. Even if I close her in for 30 seconds, I'll open the door to find her lying in the back of the bottom shelf as happy as a clam.
* Loves taking small items on shelves and loses interest once they're on the floor - I can't seem to keep from doing this. She doesn't take interest when I show her a cat toy instead, or roll a ball across the floor. She just wants to take things on my shelves.
* Doesn't seem to like a clean litter box - While Addie has no problem with my cleaning the litter box, I have to race Nina to the bathroom (she knows what the plastic bags are for) and close myself in to do the job. If she gets there first, she'll camp out in the box and smack every scoop I try to make to knock the litter out of it. When I do get it clean and open the door, Nina is lying right in front of the door and races to the box to check it out every time.
* Paw at the food mat - Nina has always pawed at the litter box walls. I can only imagine it's to clean them. But now she paws at the mat under the food dish, often toppling the dish. And what's worse, now Addie has picked up the habit, too. So frustrating...
There is probably more idiosyncratic behavior that I'm not thinking of right now, but this is a good start. So, can anyone help me out with this?