7 week old kitten

Hey all

I have just got a 7 week old kitten and very worried, first cat I have ever owned and want the best for him. I got him yesterday and he had just got to the pet shop, so guessing he had just been removed from his mother.

The worry I have is he is making very hight pitched meeowing noise, He stops when you play with him, but some times he will meeow once he has got his mouse, he also does it when he is eating. Is it a good idea to play with him when he is meeowing? or should I leave him alone or move him onto his scratching post? What is the best thing to do so that he grows up a lovely cat.

Any help would be great, oh he is also picking at the sofa a bit etc, should I pick him up then and put him in on his post?

Many Thanks

Chris.

Hi, and relax. Your baby's missing his littermates and mother when eating, but will get over it, especially if you stay nearby, maybe lightly stroke his sides when he eats and give him lots of cuddles otherwise. He's way too young to get any message about where or where not to scratch, so it's best if you just wait a while, though I guess it can't hurt to move him if you want. You were told that he needs to eat at least 5 times a day? And that milk is not really good for kitties as it can give them gas - water's fine, but he could also have 'Cat Milk' - comes in a dark rose juice box looking thing. Are you giving him kitten food? He's too young to eat crunchies yet too, and do let his food warm at least to room temp. before giving him some. Keep us posted on how he does!

Ah brill!!! thanks for your help!!! yeah I thought as much, I have read not to play with him when he is meeowing as he will learn this is the way to get us to play with him, is this true?

We are making sure that he always has food out for him to eat during the day and water. We have got him kitten food, also some small crunches that are for kittens that are meant to help them grow etc.

I guess he is doing very well, less than 24 hours and he was sitting up on the sofa, he is now on the sofa with the girlfriend and they are both fast a sleep, the funny thing is he keeps on getting his claws stuck and not being able to work out how to get them out of things.

I have another worry that I have posted here:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...65#post2295965

Sorry the pics are massive!!

Thank you so much for your help,

The over worried owner

Chris.

Seven weeks old is pretty young to be away from his mother, although I have seen plenty do fine at six weeks. He's only been eating solid food for a couple of weeks, so it would be best to provide him with wet kitten food. There are lots of recommendations around here for the best food, etc., so I won't presume to tell you about it.

Even adult cats spend as much as 18 hours a day at least looking like they're sleeping, and a kitten will have short bursts of frantic activity, followed by long periods of sleep. This is normal.

I assume he's litter trained, but he's pretty small, so be sure you have a low-sided pan and that it is somewhere he can find easily. In fact, if both of you are out of the house, you should probably confine him to a small room (like a bathroom) with his food, water, and litter pan, just to avoid accidents.

A kitten this young is essentially like a toddler. He will get into everything, and he will want to play with everything. Look around the house carefully for anywhere he might get trapped. Block small openings, and cover or otherwise protect wires. Those little needle teeth will go right through plastic, and more than one kitten has been electrocuted that way.

If he meows for attention, why not give it to him? You're his only playmates, and he's lonely. However, if you don't want to turn him into an alarm clock, don't get out of bed to play with him or feed him first thing in the morning. You might want to leave out some dry kitten food overnight, if he seems to need it.

As to the claw thing, you might want to clip off the very tip, just to reduce the "needleness" of them. At seven weeks, they're pretty small, but plenty sharp! Just the very tip is enough to do the trick.

Be sure to ask any questions you may have. Cats are pretty low-maintenance pets, really, but they are definitely different from dogs.

Kittens need attention and affection. I have 2 6 week olds right now that are much happier as a duo than a single.
My two boys came as littermates as kittens too.
If you are open to it another kitten to play with is great. They learn a lot from each other.