My New Kitty - Help

Good Morning,

I am new to the forum. I got Maverick yesterday. I responded to a "Free Kitties" sign and picked him up. He is adorable. He is a black/gray and light brownish tabby with those cute oversized kitten ears. He is about 6 weeks old. I am a graduate student and this is my first pet to have on my own.

We went straight to the vet, petsmart, and then came back to the apartment. It seemed to be going well. He slept most of the afternoon, went to hide, and then I brought him on the couch with me. This was great, he cuddled next to me and slept.

In the middle of the night, he woke up and would have nothing to do with me. I slept in his bed, and I slept on the couch. We woke up around 1, 2:30, 4:00, and then I finally got up around 5. The good news is that I heard him eating finally. However, I think I did a bad thing. I tried to force little Mav to be around me, and he is scared of me. I thought it would be good to cuddle him, because he has been meowing non stop since we woke up. He appears to me mourning. Presently he is sleeping behind the couch. I decided not to do anything until I consulted with those who know cats/kitties. Do I need to just let him be until he is ready to come to me?

Please help!

JGB

Hi JGB and welcome to TCS.

6 weeks is very young to be taken from mumcat. 10-12 weeks is much better. He is most likely missing his mum and littermates very much, which is why he is so unsettled and crying. It would be best to confine him to one room, so he doesn't get 'lost' in the house. Give him a cardboard box on it's side with a comfy towel or blanket inside and drape the box with a towel or sheet. This will give him a little cave to feel safe in.

Spend lots and lots of time being near him, sitting on the floor, talking quietly or even reading to him. This way, he will get used to your voice, presence and scent. In the next few days, he will probably begin to feel more secure and want to play and snuggle with you.

Something else you can do is place a soft toy or stuffed animal in his bed for him to snuggle with. If you have a small clock that ticks, bury that under his bedding, as the ticking will remind him of his mother's heartbeat and comfort him.

I have an armoir for an entertainment center, he was taken to it last night, so I placed a blanket underneath his mat and draped a towel over the front giving him a cave on the bottom shelf. We will see if he likes that. I will make a rule that I never ever stick my hand in there so that it is his safe place that only he goes into. I took a towel I had been using after I shower to drape over to make the cave so my scent will be around. Is it too much to force the scent?

Thanks,

JGB

No, that's fine.

6 weeks is too young to be taken away from mom/siblings. I would also confine him to one room when you can't supervise. At that age, the entire house/apartment is too overwhelming and you have more behavior problems.

If you can, you should consider adopting an older kitten (about 6-8 months old) that can teach the little one how to be a cat and be more social. Kittens kept with mom and siblings till they are 10-12 weeks old minimum are far more well adjusted to new enviroments and situations/people

The reason he's hiding/meowing is that he is searching for mom and siblings and has no clue where they are.

Post pictures soon

Reading to him has helped with the crying. He only went to his cave for about 20 minutes. His favorite spot right now is in between the couch the wall and an end table. He has a little spot all by himself there. I have a laser pointer and we have been playing back in that spot. He has actually come out twice and walked around the living room a little bit. He then promptly runs back to his spot. That is progress though from hissing at me!

Thanks again,

JGB

Great news.