Behvaiour modification help needed!

[kittytrouble]

This is my first time posting anything in a forum, but I'm at wits end. I love cats and have never had a problem until Brook. She doesn't seem to be normal. She's almost a year old and she's been spayed but she acts so bizarre. She attacks walls, chews through any article of clothing (last night saw the destruction of black knee-highs, an expensive nightie and the shower curtain). She bites the back of people's knees and holds on while they try to shake her off. She loves water and using the spray gun only seems to encourage her. Cat-off sprays don't work, she'll lay there and sniff them and once they start to wear off, she attacks the sprayed article. She tears through the two-bedroom apartment, knocking over anything in her path. Sometimes she's incredibly cuddly but within a minute, she puts her ears back and attacks. Nothing I do to try to calm her down or discipline her helps. I've tried positive reinforcement with treats. It seemed like it was working for a few weeks then she resorted back to her old antics. She shreds toilet paper and kleenex. She straches the carpet even though she has a scratching mat and I clip her nails frequently. What can I do??? I was told by the vet when we first got her that she wasn't as old as we were told. (They said 6 & 1/2 weeks - vet said maybe 4). Is this why? Is there anything I can do? One thing I'm concerned with is the people down the hall are extreme smokers - the smoke gets so bad it travels down the hallway into our apartment. Could the smoke be contributing to her behaviour? If anyone has any suggestions or can shed some light on how to discipline her, I'd appreciate it. Thanks. (PS. She's adorable... and I'd never consider giving her up for adoption or anything like that).

[jason]

when was the last vet visit? does she have any health issues at all?

other than positive reinforcement, what have you tried? have you done immediate time-outs? (bathroom or small room with water/food/litter for 30-60 minutes)

i would complain about the smoke, for yourself as well.

[kittytrouble]

Last visit was when she got spayed. They said behaviour like that is normal. We used to try kennel time-outs but she's learned how to open the cage and she loves to sleep in it now. We've timed her out in the room with her kitty-litter, water and food but she destroys everything else in the room (bathroom). I'll discuss the smoke with the landlady when rent is due at the end of the month. Any other suggestions!??

[jason]

i would stick with the time-outs as long as you dont time-out more than 4 times a day. be sure they are immediately following some form of behavior that is way out and clearly not acceptable and leave her in time-out for at least 45 minutes.....probably a little more.

when placed in the bathroom, you might want to shut off the lights in there...she can sse enough, dont worry. might calm her down and eventually send the picture.

this routine of time-outs will take a few days probably before you notice some real changes and might take alot longer before its curved considerably.

always keep in mind some cats are more active/super active than others and yours happens to be young anyhow.

also, has she always been like this or only after a certain time?

[kittytrouble]

I'll definitely try the time-outs. It's just hard to catch her chewing clothing. She's been a little devil since the day we brought her home. Actually, could inbreeding be a factor? I was told that since she has a lot of toes on all of her paws, she's probably inbred. Also, none of the kittens in her litter had tails except for her...
What should I say to Brook when she's going for a time-out? No doesn't seem to work and she knows other commands - i.e. want some treats.
Thanks for taking the time out to answer my posts it's really quite helpful.

[jason]

no need in saying anything, although a simple "no no" as your carrying her to the time-out area wouldnt be a bad idea...in the long term, the "no no" might eventually carry some weight.

you mentioned she knows other commands, so it's clear she can learn new tricks such as "no no"....since its discipline rather than reward, it will take time and alot of patience/attentiveness on your part.

good luck, keep us informed and take your time.