First time owner of a 4 month old kitten

Hi Everyone,

So i contemplated the idea of adopting a kitten for about 2 months before i actually did it, i tried to be good about doing my research to get an idea of what i'd be getting myself into since i'd never owned a cat before. Well this past saturday i went to the shelter and found my Peyton, he is a 4 month old orange tabby. He's not shy at all, very affectionate when in the mood but also...very vocal.

So i have a few questions, i read many places (and was also advised at the shelter) that i should limit him to one room in my place, i set him up in my spare bedroom with toys, scratching post, litter box, food, water, and his bed. He did okay the first night used his litter box and had some kibble for dinner...he did meow for a bit before going to sleep but i would imagine its to be expected with a new environment. The minute i open the door to his safe room he bolts out into my living room, kitchen and restroom....but yesterday morning he eliminated urine on my bath mat while i was getting ready for work. Then later yesterday afternoon he eliminated urine once again outside of the bathroom this time...i know he uses the litter box because i scoop stuff out of it but i'm wondering why he's eliminating on the rug? also he seems to be a digger, i let him on the couch to cuddle with me then next thing you know he's digging into the couch...i dont know how to make him stop the tapping the wall or the spray of water dont do much if anything at all.

I also noticed he sneezes a bit or sniffles on occassion is that normal? How long does it take for him to get use to his environment? ahhhhh i'm scared of being a bad mommy and it breaks my heart when he meows at night before going to bed or when i leave for work in the morning

any tips for a new kitten mommy?

Peyton is adorable ! I love orange tabbies. I think his litter box issues are mainly because he is just a little guy in a new environment. You could try putting a few extra litter boxes around for when he is out of his room and make sure they are scooped everyday. Some cats are very particular about that. You could also try a Feliway diffuser. It has pheremones that mimic a mother cat. It might help him to feel more comfortable in his new home and not pee outside the box. As far as digging on the sofa, you could temporarily try putting some double sided tape there or a piece of tin foil, some cats don't like these textures. You could put a cardboard cat scratcher there and he might like that better. I wouldn't spray with water to deter him. It's ineffective for behavior and he won't understand why you're doing it anyway. It's very common for shelter kittens to have uri's. If he is sneezing and sniffling take him to the vet for antibiotics. It's easier to treat when it's still mild. You mentioned how it's sad when he cries at night. Why not let him sleep with you and just use the safe room while you are out. Congratulations on your new kitty.

Thank you for the tips i will try putting his cardboard scratcher on the sofa when he starts getting the urge, i placed one right next to the leg of the couch since he liked scratching and stretching there. I hope this works!

I also set up an appointment with the vet this friday to get him checked out, his poor sniffles seem to be bothering him but he's still eating and drinking water so hopefully its just a mild cold!

Lovely little red boy.  Bath mats are often irresistible to kittens and also grown cats, very simple solution is to pick the mat up after use.

No need to use a spray bottle, all that does it make him fear you and you risk an ear infection from water in his ears. Pick him up and either redirect with a toy or place him on his cat tree. 

Shelter kitties often have URI's, make an appointment with your vet and have him checked out. 

Lovely red boy.  I would say no need to keep him in a room by himself if he is bolting out to explore. That is more for if they are frightened or you have other pets.  And you need to take him to your own vet.  Find one if you haven't already.  He needs to be checked over good.  And it sounds like he has a URI but it could be allergies, too.  Yes, cats can suffer from allergies!  My Tyrion, also a wee red lad, suffers from them. 

For some reason, red tabby boys seem to be very active and mischeivious.  Another friend of mine calls it the red gene!  They are adventurous and very affectionate but also very bratty at times.  It's a good thing they are so cute.  Agree, spray bottles don't work.  Especially not with the red gene.  You have to be the one to adapt.  Set limits by saying "NO" and turning away or putting him down.  After a few times of this, he will start to get the picture. 

Don't worry about being a bad mommy.  It's a learning curve.  Just try not to overthink it.  Be calm and he will be, too.  Cats very much are a mirror of our own actions.  If you're stressed and frustrated, he will pick up on that and he will be, too.

P3 and The King said:

 Another friend of mine calls it the red gene!  They are adventurous and very affectionate but also very bratty at times.  

Click to expand...

Like ginger haired humans tend to be 

Super-cute kitten - I want!

It would be worth confining him when you are not around, in a room where peeing outside the box isn't a problem.  When you are in, if he does that simply put him in the litter tray.  Do you know what type of litter the shelter was using?  A change can be problematic.  Also, the places other than the litter tray - were they anywhere near it?  If not an extra tray or two might be advisable for the time being.  He might be a bit backward and still at the 'got to go Right Now' stage, or finding the house so exciting he ignores needing to go until he can't get to the distant litter tray.

The vet hopefully knows what treatment that shelter gives - do they treat for worms for example?

Clean wherever he has had an accident with a solution made with an enzyme (biological) laundry liquid or powder.

Thanks for the info everyone i really appreciate it! I hadnt heard about the ginger gene in male tabby's but this little guy can go from super playful with his feather toy to being a lap cat all night long, last night he had no desire to play at all, all he wanted to do was lie on the couch with me or hide under the blanket by my feet....i love the affection dont get me wrong! but i was concerned he had no desire to play? as a kitten i thought this was their fave thing to do?

I did buy some enzyme cleaner from the pet store and he is all set to see the vet (recommended by one of my friends who is a fellow cat owner) on friday, fortunately he is still eating and drinking water so i think he might actually have allergies or maybe a combo or URI and allergies...the little fella does enjoy sneezing on me (eeek!)

I am happy to report that he did use his litter box yesterday and didnt have any accidents, for the time being i only confine him to his safe room (the spare bedroom is an open area since i never got to furnish it so it literally is his playpen) when i'm at work but when i am home i do let him out.

Thanks again for the inputs everyone i really appreciate them!

-Neena
 

How wonderful that this kitten is doing so well under your care. So glad this baby got a second chance at life!!

Hi!  I too am a new kitty "mom."  We've never, ever had cats before and now have two almost 8 week old kittens, Sashi & Tygralily, in addition to our 2.5 year old male yorkie.  The little girls are doing really well, but I had a few problems with Sashi going outside of the litterbox at first also.  These are the things that have helped me in my two weeks with our little girls:

1. Nature's Miracle Just for Cats Urine destroyer- it has an enzyme cleaner to remove the smell from wherever they peed.  It has to be cleaned really good or they'll be tempted to go there.  You can use it in your laundry or as spot treatment.
2. Cat nip spray- I spray it on their toys and cat tree so that they are even more tempted to play with these things and leave other stuff alone.  (I now totally understand where the saying "Curiousity killed the ca," came from.)  I got mine from Petco, it's just a regular catnip spray.
3. Kitten Attract litter-  I just ordered some of this because I am moving the girls to a covered box and I didn't want them to be confused.  I've heard extremely excellent things about it on every website I've seen.  Right now I am still using the Tidy Cat pine naturals litter and they seem to like that well enough.  Regular clay litters are dusty and harsh on their little baby paws.
4. Interactive type toys- My girls LOVE those type of toys where there is a ball in a circle and they can bat it around or the ones that are boxes with lots of holes in them & balls inside; they stick the paws in and bat around the balls, it's supposed to be like a kitty puzzle.  A tired kitty is a good kitty!  
   
   
5. I also started out with the water squirting thing.  It really didn't curb their behavior and only made them stop for a few moments out of annoyance, then they'd go right back to what they were doing.  Catnip spray on their things & redirection have worked the best.  

Hope that stuff helps!

Hi glamourkitten,

Thank you for the tips you have some good ones in there! Yes you are right, a tired kitty is a good kitty but lately my peyton gets bored of his toys very quickly, my only lifesaver was picking up a laser toy which he chases to no end, thank goodness i found something he doesnt seem to get bored of!

I did buy an enzyme cleaner/repellant, but thus far it hasnt worked, so i've only let him out to roam free when i'm home and can keep on eye on him so if i catch him sniffing and digging into the carpet i run into his room where the litter box is and he follows me in and goes in his litter box. So ironically he does use his litter box but for some odd reason he seems to pick that spot outside of the bathroom door or near my bedroom door to do his business....im soo puzzled by this and i wish the repellant would work

I'm also using tidy cat but did see the litter attracting litter, i think i will try that next and see if it helps!

and also congrats on being a fellow new kitty mommy!

Thank you, congrats to you too!  Have you figured out why he keeps peeing there?  Try the Nature's Miracle enzyme cleaner, it has really worked around here and in the past with ones for dogs, I've discovered that not all are created equal, lol.

Now that I got them the kitten attract litter mixed in with the pine litter, there has been not a single accident, even with switching them to a covered litterbox and changing the location to right next to the dog's pen.  I'd definitely try it.  I actually like it better than the pine litter also because it doesn't stick to their paws and they aren't tracking it everywhere.  (I have an old cut up yoga mat at the entrance to catch the litter they track out.  Couldn't find a litter mat that matches my decor colors, haaaaa.)