Lonesome?

Hello!

I just got a new kitten yesterday, and he is the sweetest kitty in the world. Right now though, I'm trying to introuduce him to my three dogs and so I have to put him in a bathroom for a little bit while they all adjust to each other. He's not in there much but when he is, he meows loudly. When I go check on him, he begins purring imediately. As soon as I leave, he meows loudly again. The bathroom is quite large and his litter box, food, and water are all in there so I don't know what the problem is. Is he lonely or does he want attention? Maybe I'm just jumping the gun because I just got him, I just want to detect anything bad early. Any suggestions or answers would help greatly


Thank you,
Kris

How old is this kitten? You have to remember that his kitten has not been in the world all that long, and right now the world as he knew it has changed drastically. Try to offer him comfort and put a stuffed animal in with him, an alarm clock with a loud tick (if you have it) wrapped in a towel near his bed will help, as will playing classical music for him non-stop very low. He is used to the warmth of his mother and his littermates and now he has this big empty space with harsh lighting, so if you can, take the normal bulbs out and reduce the wattage or go to night lights, this will calm him down. Good luck

Thank you so much for your reply! I'll try that next time he needs to be alone I'll tell you how it goes!!

new house - new noises and smells and now new humans and other 4 legged cretures to deal with! EEKS! Your babe is trying to adjust as Hissy said. I wish you all the best with your new fur babe. Let us know!

The stuffed animal worked wonders! Choo Choo even plays with it! lol thanks for all the help

Kris

Of course he is lonesome. He is a baby taken from his mother and siblings (if there were siblings). Young kittens are extremely social and need others to be with. If not interfered with by humans, kittens would be with their mother and litter mates, getting nurting, companionship and socialization for up to 6 months. It is not natural for a young kitten to be alone. How old is he? If he is under 12 weeks old, he is too young to be away from his mother so would really feel upset about being alone. I would recommend getting another kitten, but I'm not sure about the dog situation.

To help with his loneliness, get a large carrier and bring him out of the bathroom sometimes to be in whatever room you are in. If the carrier is big enough, you can fit a small litter pan in it. That will also help with the dogs getting used to him and him to them, with the kitten being safe. The small stuffed animal for him to cuddle with will help some.

I worry about dogs with kittens. Some dogs have a strong prey instinct and kill kittens. I hope your dogs don't. A friend of mine got a kitten, but her dogs killed it. Some dogs just can't resist when the kitten runs- it triggers the prey instinct. Hopefully your dogs are very, very well trained to sit, stay and leave it commands.

I have a large household -- myself and at present 7 dogs (3 of the puppies of various sizes and ages) and as of today, 16 cats (4 of the kittens from 8 weeks to 15 weeks old). They all come to me from the street as babies or youngsters and are mixed, so it is impossible to know what all their genetic hardwiring urges them to do. Dogs love to chase, and you have to be very, very firm. I let the puppies and kittens socialize with each other and with the older animals in the house for some weeks before I every let a youngster out into the garden with the older animals. In a more closed environment, I can reinforce proper behavior on all sides (the dogs not to bark or chase, the kittens not to scratch, growl, or bite). I also make it a point to have them learn to accept other humans by consciously having them in the same room with visitors (unless the visitors are the silly types who are terrified of getting a scratch or a nip from one of the babies - but then, those kinds usually don't come back a second time...). I discovered that, if I was the only human they knew, they were shy and sometimes anti-social with strangers.

When I started out, I was rather ignorant and, because they loved each other and slept in the same laundry basket at night, I allowed a rapidly growing puppy to play at will with a kitten of the same age. Only, at 6 months the puppy was surpassing German Shephard size (she is a huge, slender, graceful grayhound and retriever kind of mix), while the kitten was still quite small. One day in rough play the kitten made a leap for the window and the dog, not wanting him to leave the game, snatched at his hind legs with his mouth. The cat had a broken pelvic bone and other problems with the head sockets of his thigh bones. Four months in a confined cage, and two operations later, the cat and the dog were still together, but I had gotten some sense and taught the dog proper manners and some important commands. A mistake I did not repeat. Now all socializing is initially done under supervision, and I am very severe about dogs chasing even if, as is often the case, the cat invites the chase.

To end this long story, the numbers of the household inspire female dogs to adopt kittens, and cats to adopt puppies, and both puppies and kittens to adopt each other as siblings. Each new introduction to the household creates some stress and problems, but when the pride and pack are both in harmony, then newcomers are much more quickly and peacefully folded into the family. I have not yet taken in a stray pup who wanted to kill cats, even though many of them are mixed with breeds that normally are dangerous to cats -- terriers, doberman or rottweiler mixes, hunting dogs of all kinds. But then, I never, ever take in an older animal. I do not have kennels, and all of the animals have to share the garden with me and with each other. I spay females at 8 or 9 months, and neuter the males around 6 months. Thus, socially, we are a community of orphans and adoption -- we become a tribe of 3 interlocking species and no longer have much experience of customs or behaviors practiced by outsiders. Most of the cats become more dog-like and most of the dogs more cat-like, and all learn my moods and fancies, as I try to adapt to theirs. So, rarely any chasing or nastiness between species -- only occasional inter-species postureing...

Just be careful with the dogs, and be very, very strict about the essential forbidden behaviors.

I appreciate everything that everyone has told me it has helped me out bunches... And as for the kitten, he is allowed to roam around this house now (but I still watch him like a hawk lol) at this very minute he is sitting behind me on my chair sleeping... he and the dogs have gotten used to each other to the point where they don't growl or hiss, but they aren't totally into each other yet. So far nothing bad has happened and by the looks of things, it doesn't look like anything bad will happen, but ya never know and that's why I'm watching him like a hawk.

Also, at night, Choo Choo sleeps with my sister in her room. I would have him sleep in my bedroom but there are so many places he could crawl into and I wouldn't ever know. Her room is much more cat proof than mine. He seems to like it in there, and he doesn't mind being alone the little bit he is now. He's more playful and energetic as ever

I'd like to thank you sooo much for being patient with a new kitty owner lol I appreciate your suggestions greatly and after reading all the de-clawing information, I talked to my parents, and we aren't going to get Choo Choo de-clawed Thanks again

Kris