Several Questions...please help

Hello everyone I found this site while searching the internet with my numerous questions, I appreciate your response and advice.

I have a female cat around 3-4 months old. It was a stray cat but in good health as far as I can tell. Someone has been feeding the cat because it wasn't thin. Anyways after having the cat for a week I have some questions about her behavior

1) It constantly meows,howls-growls. I pick her up and she starts purring like she is happy, she sits on my lap for a little while then jumps down and starts to meow-howl???
2) She hides in my bedroom and cries so I go in their numerous times pick her up pet her and she starts purring take her in my living room where she reserts back to jumping down and crying and howling back into my bedroom?
3)She will sit at the corner of my bedroom door and stare at me till I get up and go in there to where she runs under the bed, I get her out hold her sit her down on my lap and she jumps back down and repeats the whole cycle?
4) In the middle of the night she always starts meowing and taking her nose and rubbing it into mine, why is this?
5)The howling is almost scary it sounds really creepy, I know I have only had the cat for a week but Im getting really tired of the "cat and mouse" game and her constant crying but apparently it isn't me that she wants? Why does she always hide out in my bedroom or at my door staring at me?

please offer advice, I'm new to the cat world but I would like to keep her but I don't see the point if she stays in my bedroom-door

At 3 to 4 months old your cat is still a baby. She'll be more clingy then an adult will. It also sounds like she's a "talker", some cats meow more than others.

2 - She may just want you to be in the bedroom with her. Maybe she feels more comfortable in there?

3 - Being a kitten who you don't know the history of, she may not be that well socialized prior to you taking her in. As long as you never give her a reason not to trust you, she should out grow most of her skittishness. Also don't pull her out from under the bed and force her to stay in your lap -you'll end up scratched that way, try convincing to come out with food. Canned food works wonders, especially for hungry kittens.

4 - She may think you're her mom now. Lots of people's kittens wake them up at night for play or snuggling. Rubbing her face against your's is a sign of affection and acceptance -she's marking you as her's.

5 - She may want to go play by herself but is still adjusting. Kittens are a mix of boldness and insecurity (more so if they are not as well socialized), she's also alone now - she may have had her siblings or mother before she ended up where you found her.

Give her time and encourage her as much as you can to come out and play on her own. Tempting toys and feeding her in the kitchen -if that's where you choose to feed her, will help her move beyond that room.


She'll need to go to the vet soon for a checkup, worming/check for fleas, shots, then she will need to be spayed.
Stick around and post some pictures of the little girl if you can and look in the other sections (especially health and nutrition for food information) for other care tips. Does your kitten have a name yet?

Has she been to the vet yet? Maybe there's something physically wrong. She should be seen anyway to be treated for worms, etc. She probably is lonely/scared, and will adjust.

My other thought was that perhaps she's a bit older than you think, and is possibly in heat?

Either way, a vet visit is in order to make sure everything's okay.

I second the trip to the vet. Sometimes a cat will purr when in pain. Long periods of howling don't necessarily fit a clingy cat. One of my kitties is a talker and a bit clingy, but I have never heard him yowl and his talking is not constant.

Iluvdevons - I'm guessing that your cats were never found out alone on the streets?.. There's a big difference in a well balanced socialized kitten from a good breeder, they tend not to be insecure.

My Tomas was a found kitten at 10 weeks old. This left him very needy so that he would yowl/howl for me until he was several months old. He's still prone to sudden kitten sounding yowling and he's over a year now.

So it could be the that the kitten is crying because she's alone or thinks she is. But yes, definitely a vet visit soon as the cat needs to get her kitten shots soon.

I would say she's probably still scared and lonely. Or was just dumped by someone who didn't want her and she's looking for mom/siblings, etc. Or she COULD very well be in heat (kittens as young as 4-5 months old do come into heat).

I vote for a trip to the vet to be checked out and an appointment to be spayed, all shots, etc. The fact that she stops when you pick her up tells me she's seeking attention and unsure of things.

Bless you for taking in this kitty! You've only had her for a week, so she may be a bit overwhelmed by the whole situation and a bit insecure in her new environment. When we moved to a new house 3 years ago, my older cat who I'd had for 5 years walked around the house and howled, especially at night because she was insecure in her new home. If I'd been smart, I'd have confined her to one room for several days so she could get used to the sounds and smells of her new house.

Provide her a "safe place" like a closet or spot under a bed where she's got a nice place to snuggle so that when she's feeling scared she can "escape". You don't need to drag her out from her safe place, but make sure you can see her and check up on her. If you think she's been in hiding too long or when she's sitting in the doorway wanting to come out, use one of the interactive toys to draw her out. Also, when she's in her safe place, sit on the floor near her and just talk to her in a calm soothing voice. Read to her so she'll get to know your voice and feel comfortable with your voice and you. Offer her some treats or a few morsels. Just put them on the ground and let her eat them. She'll associate good munchies with you.

Make sure she has plenty of toys to play with (balls, feather toys like "Da Bird"...awesome toy, stuffed toys she can bat and kick around) as well as some interactive toys (toys on strings or wands you hold) you can use to play with her. You may be able to divert her attention to the toys when she's being "whiney", but it sounds like she likes to be loved and petted.

Have several litter boxes around your house as she can't "hold it" to make it to the box like an older kitty can. You can use cake pans or the aluminum foil cake pans work great.

By all means, take the kitty to the vet to be checked out and rule out any illnesses or medical problems. Otherwise, sounds like your kitty just needs time (and it may take a couple of months) to settle in and become comfortable in her new home.

Stephanie

The first thing that came into my head when I read this post was that it sounds very much like she's in heat.

I agree with the others, take her to the Vet for an exam and then you can make an appointment to have her spayed.

Bless your heart for taking her in.

You have been given some very good advice, so I will not repeat it. I just wanted to say "Bless You" for taking this girl in. She needs a lot of love and patience, but once she comes around, it will all be worth it. Please keep us posted on her progress.

Apologies! You are quite right, I don't have experience with cats that did not come from a breeder - sorry if I offended.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Iluvdevons - I'm guessing that your cats were never found out alone on the streets?.. There's a big difference in a well balanced socialized kitten from a good breeder, they tend not to be insecure.

My Tomas was a found kitten at 10 weeks old. This left him very needy so that he would yowl/howl for me until he was several months old. He's still prone to sudden kitten sounding yowling and he's over a year now.

So it could be the that the kitten is crying because she's alone or thinks she is. But yes, definitely a vet visit soon as the cat needs to get her kitten shots soon.

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