help!!! Not sure if I should purchase this ragdoll x Bengal kitten due to his extreme anxiety when I

Hi there,

I have always owned dogs so getting a cat is something new for me.

I wanted a dog like cat so I decided to go for the ragdoll breed. I found a 3/4 ragdoll 1/4 Bengal cross kitten that looked super cute...but when I went to meet him he meowed the whole time and was gripping on with his claws pretty tightly. He seemed reeeeally scared.

The owner said he was the last in the litter and was missing his siblings...and that he was also in another part of the house that he's not used to...but I'm not so sure!

Is it normal for kittens that are 8 weeks old to be so stressed? Literally not one moment when he wasn't meowing pretty much.

I work full time and live on my own so I want to have a fairly chill cat that will be cool on his own and I'm just worried about the anxiety level of the little guy.

Should I give him a chance??

Thanks guys!!

Tina
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Gosh that's really hard to tell you.  Kittens do require time and energy.  Leaving Mama at 8 weeks isn't ideal either; 12 is preferable.  My 2 are litter mates that were adopted together.  We crated them in a large wire dog crate at first because they could actually fit themselves under the doors in our old house.  The first morning after we brought them home we found them in the living room watching the fish tank!  They were about 11 weeks old.  The crate had a small litter box in the back, food and water in the front and a bed with toys in the middle. They slept there at night and stayed there while we were at work.  In the morning I would use a double stacked gate to keep them in the back hallway to run and play.  I had to angle the top gate in because they would climb them!  I do think I had it easier having 2; they entertained each other and kept each other company.  But they still got into some kitten mischief.

Even with general breed characteristics; it's not guarantee you will get one who acts like others.  I'm wondering if a little older cat would be better; one past the "worst" of the kitten antics.  There are breed specific rescues in some areas.  You can also visit some shelters and see if you find a kitty that you connect with.  Sometimes shelter workers or fosters get a really good opinion of the cats personalities. It's not always a guarantee; but it can be helpful!

Good luck with your search! 

I think the problem is that since you've had dogs all your life, you automatically apply the way dogs act and socialize to cats, which is usually not the case. Cats will seldom come bounding to a new person to sniff you out and meet you, and it's really not uncommon for a cat to take days or weeks to warm up to a new person, much less a new setting. Some kittens are very outgoing and fearless, and some are very reserved and shy. Unlike dogs, cats haven't been specifically bred for their characteristics for thousands of years and so even if you've researched a breed's temperament, it's much more variable than dogs'.

If you're not home very often and this kitten is already struggling with not having littermates around, I don't think it would be a great idea to take this youngster home, especially if you have no other cats to keep him company and do cat things with him. Being gone for half an hour can feel like an eternity to an adult cat, but to a kitten who's being ripped from the only home it's known with no familiarity to see someone they've never met after 8-12 hours of loneliness can probably be stressful. In addition to loneliness, having a way to occupy the kitten becomes another issue. Like @MoochNNoodles mentioned about kitten mischief, kittens who are left alone will find ways to get into trouble. The ones who don't have another kitten to play with will go and find other ways to busy themselves and will challenge even well cat-proofed homes. Without someone there to reinforce good behaviours, this can become troublesome.

I totally agree that you should look into rescues for adult cats. Not just adult ones, but ones that meet your criteria. Rescues get to know cats very well once they've grown into their personality. When I was looking into rescues, I found lots of cats of all breeds that were described as very outgoing, very social, willing to fetch, etc. An adult may also have an easier time adjusting to your schedule.

Here's my honest opinion: If you are unsure, the kitten is probably not for you.

I've read all these stories of people being "adopted" by their cats. We don't choose them--they choose us. If you met this kitten and the meowing/its behavior has left you uncertain in terms of whether you want to take it home, I'd go with your gut feeling--don't.

When we met our girls at 6 weeks (farmer's cat got pregnant but could not keep them in his home so they were separated from mom a bit too early and sent off to a shelter) we knew they were going to be ours. We took them home at 10 weeks (left them a few extra weeks at the shelter, they were getting properly socialized and everything), and having each other really helped them adapt to their new home.

A single kitten, who might already have separation anxiety/loneliness might not do well in a household alone where you are gone most of the day. A kitten also has tons of energy and will not obey you the way dogs do, so some of the behavior might drive you crazy. Could you consider adopting a pair of kittens/cats so they could keep each other company? Or consider an older cat who has shown that he/she is okay with independences (some cats do better when they're the only cat in the house).