Kitten post surgery is standoffish

We recently fostered a batch of Maine Coon kittens (3 were polydactyl, one wasn't). We adopted the grey kitten who was more shy than the others and does NOT like going out. She has always been skittish, which is why we named her Skit, but now she's just different.

Skit has 6 toes (polydactyl) but 7 nails. She has 2 nails fused together on each front paw. One of these nails was curling into her foot and it had to be removed. Now I took her to Petco once (showing the foster kittens) and she hid during that visit and then pooed in the carrier on the way home (I had to put the litter box on the back seat and let them loose in the car). She was just shook up by that experience. Since coming home from her surgery she has been licking her paw a lot, hiding in boxes and behind things, and doesn't like to be petted or messed with.

Before this kitten would sit in your lap and get very happy if you petted her. She still reacts well to getting treats, but that's about it. At that, she now gobbles them down and then runs off. She just looks at you when you pet her and pushes her head back away from you, and sometimes she'll bite.

I don't know what to do. I'm just worried she's angry with me and I don't know how to make it up to her. She wouldn't let me clip the nail, so I had no choice. I want my Skitty back

Well she's gone through not only an 'operation', but then being dragged to Petco to be 'assaulted' by other cat smells, meows and whatever else in the store was unfamiliar (just about everything I imagine), and had no way of knowing you weren't going to leave her there. Cats don't make friends like that in any case - it can take them weeks of supervised introduction, and that's at home where they're comfortable to begin with. Check with the vet again to be sure her paw is ok and doesn't need extra help, and give her time to get over going to the store - another vet visit will also shake her up a bit but I think she should have it checked out.

Actually she visited Petco last year sometime (around November). I was using that example as a refrence to show she was skittish before, but i'm worried that now she doesn't even want me to pet her. The vet did say to call if I have any concerns but it's the weekend.

please don't ever take your kitty out unless it is to the vet. Some can handle it but yours obviously cannot. I am not suprised she is a little standoffish since going to the vet. Buy some Feliway and confine her to a small bedroom or room to get settled in with all her supplies.

We had to take her because she was a foster kitten at the time and really needed a new home. The other kittens had a wonderful time, but she's just real nervous. They had this big cage to run around in with blankets and a litter box and Skit went under a blanket the whole time. The oldest was adopted immediately (which was nice for us because she was biggest).


I tried putting her by herself in my room but she got all upset and started meowing for her kitten friend Callie (calico) who was outside the door. Skit's alseep on my mother's bed with Callie right now. My cat Sarah is also looking over them. The cats were horrible to Skit after the surgery so I made them go in another room. Now Sarah is nice if Skit doesn't bug her too much.


I just wonder if maybe slowly petting her a little more each day might help some. I also put her cat box (one of those boxes with a hole in the side and they can go in and sleep) in my room and she sleeps in there. Callie prefers to play in the box or sleep on my bed with me.