New Kitten. Need Advice

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fierycoco

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I just got a 6 week old kitten but I have been having a few problems. I didnt know until after I brought her home that she was basically raised by humans. Her mother is an outside cat that I assume breast feed the kittens and went back to the outside and her father is a feral cat.

So she tends to freak out whenever I hold her by the back of her neck to calm her down which tells me her mother never raised her. She cries constantly for food, attention, to be picked up, and anything really which tells me she was picked up whenever she cries. She doesnt clean herself, and she hides and wont go to her food or litterbox unless someone is with her. She just doesnt seem to have any independence or knows how to be a cat.

Does anyone have any advice or tips on how to raise her to be more like a cat and less like a person.
 
mrblanche

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A six-week old kitten should be about as independent as a 3-year old child. In other, she's pretty young to be away from mom. She's dependent on you to help her.

A kitten that small should be in a "safe room," such as a bathroom (preferably a tile floor), with her food, water, and litter box. At that age, they can easily get lost in the house and have accidents. When they're lost, they're likely to cry for help, because that's what they do when they're with their mother.

But it sounds like she has been handled plenty, which will make her more of a lover and companion when she gets older, which you will enjoy, right?
 
threecatowner

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mrblanche is correct: this baby is a... baby! However, don't confuse her with a human baby, who can possibly be spoiled by being held whenever they cry. This kitten is extremely young to be away from her mommy.

I'd do everything advised above, including giving her lots and lots of love. Enjoy her kittenhood - she will "turn into a cat" soon enough. And with lots of love and care from you, a happy, healthy, well-adjusted one!
 
StefanZ

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Seconding my colleges, I want to add, if it is an option for you to have two cats - try perhaps to get also another cat. Properly raised AND cat sociale - so you are sure the additional cat will be friendly to your little one.

Cats CAN learn from each other. Especielly if that other is a pal. This way, she will have a decent chance to learn more to be a cat.

And as we all know: having two cats is often easier than having one cat - IF they are pals. Most often they are.


Good lucl!


ps. Welcome to the Forums!
 
hissy

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Originally Posted by fierycoco

I just got a 6 week old kitten but I have been having a few problems. I didnt know until after I brought her home that she was basically raised by humans. Her mother is an outside cat that I assume breast feed the kittens and went back to the outside and her father is a feral cat.

So was the kitten bottle fed or do you know? It seems like you are giving these cats human tendencies which can lead to problems. They don't breast feed- the kittens nurse on the mom when and if she is available.

So she tends to freak out whenever I hold her by the back of her neck to calm her down which tells me her mother never raised her. She cries constantly for food, attention, to be picked up, and anything really which tells me she was picked up whenever she cries. She doesnt clean herself, and she hides and wont go to her food or litterbox unless someone is with her. She just doesnt seem to have any independence or knows how to be a cat.

My suggestion is to stop scruffing her. It may be that you are not doing it correctly, you can actually hurt a kitten by scruffing the wrong part of their neck, or scruffing to hard. The endorphins release during and after the neck has been scruffed, so yes, they may fight if you are indirectly hurting or scaring them. You may not know you are doing it incorrectly, but when a kitten is squirming in your arms, the response is to squeeze the scruff tighter.

She really might just need an older cat or another kitten to help her out. Because she is so young, she should still be with the queen and the litter, but humans tend to tire of kittens quickly and try to "get rid of them."

Does anyone have any advice or tips on how to raise her to be more like a cat and less like a person.
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Again, suggest you get another kitten so she can play with them, or even an older cat. Stop picking her up for awhile and let her just adjust to this new life offered to her. If you do get an older cat, try and find one that has lived with other cats and is accepting of kittens as they can be a bit hard on some of the older cats.

If you want to be her friend- get her either Da Bird or Neko Flies and play with her interactively every day for a few minutes at a time. Make sure you don't leave these toys available for her to get to when you aren't in control of the stick. The string when swallowed can be quite dangerous.
 
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