siamese kitten

Question
I recently bought a 8 weeks old siamese choco point kitten, during the first two days he was in the house, he was quite shy and afraid of loud noises, always running to his favorite hiding place but during the past few days after he had gotten comfortable with the new surroundings, he has turned into a really..really playful cat, chasing people around the house. He has also been quite playful even when left alone, chasing tiny specks around the floor or playing with and destroying stuff around the house.  You can also frequently see him running and jumping around the house, even bumping his head into things around the house.  And even when you try to caress him, he will try to bite and claw you. So we have resorted to putting him to a cage, when no ones around to look after him, to prevent him from further destroying stuff around the house or hurting himself. I know he is quite a young kitten, but is this kind of behavior normal, and what can we do to train him to behave. I'm also worried about putting him in the cage as a punishment. I'm also planning to move him around a lot, since I frequently stay at my computer shop, I've been thinking of bringing him along and bringing him back to house when I go home, will he be able to adapt to these frequent change of location?
Thank you for your time and hope to hear from you soon.

Answer
Hi David.  The Siamese is a very active, high energy breed.  This is behavior you should expect from a Siamese kitten.  He should continue to be quite active throughout his life.

Destroying things is a common problem.  Though it is something that comes with the territory of being a kitten owner, the damage can usually be minimized by keeping the kitten entertained with more appropriate items.  Provide plenty of toys, scratching posts, perhaps a video to play on the TV (see www.cattv.com), and honestly, consider getting him a playmate if that would be at all possible.  I never have been able to have a kitten without a buddy (can be an adult cat or a kitten).  They simply become too bored and too lonely and end up driving everyone crazy.

Having another cat would also likely alleviate the aggression you're seeing.  Kittens really need to be with their litter mates until 12 weeks, because between 8 and 12 weeks, they learn to curb their aggression through interacting with other kittens.  They learn how biting and scratching feel.  Your kitten probably attacks because he doesn't have any idea he's hurting you.  Getting another kitten to teach him this lesson is really the best thing.

However, if that's not possible, then the recommended method of training is to give a time-out.  This works especially well with Siamese.  They so adore their owners, that a time-out is absolutely the last thing they want to endure.  So when he behaves inappropriately, put him in his cage or a room by himself for 15 minutes.  I've used this numerous times throughout the years, and it always helps.

Most cats will adjust to any type of lifestyle with ease if started as young as possible.  If you would like your kitty to travel with you, there should be no problem there, but start now for the easiest transition.  I've had cats that go with me all over the place, too, and the Siamese, with their inquisitive nature and the desire to be with their humans wherever they go, seem to really enjoy it.