Poor kitten cries all night

stephim

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Please help! I just brought my little 12 week old British Shorthair mix Smudge home yesterday. He is so adorable but he is acting a little strange. He ignored us all day yesterday except for a few meows. He preferred to stay in his cat carrier. He ate a really little bit of food, almost nothing. Then night came and he kept us up all night. He cried and called all night. He would calm down for like a half hour and lay against my back but then he would get up and search for his mom and siblings and then start crying really loud. My neighbours were angry because he was so loud. Today he mostly hid but came out for a little interaction. He wanted to play a little and ate a few bites of dry food and treats. We played and he nipped me a little. It was more playful than hurt. Now he's back to hiding and meowing loudly. Some crying. He seems to groom himself when he cries. He won't let us pet him at all. It's like he's not used to human touch at all. I feel so bad and I don't know what to do. Should I leave him alone and let him cry or should i go to him. He doesn't want to be comforted at all. Should I be worried that he isn't really eating or drinking much? Please help.
 

jcat

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He's homesick for mom and his siblings and scared in a strange place, but it's a good sign that he's eating a bit and coming out of the carrier. Have you given him a stuffed toy to cuddle with? He's almost certainly not used to sleeping alone. I'd distract him with play and cuddles till he settles in.
 
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stephim

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Unfortunately he doesn't want to cuddle. He doesn't want us to touch him at all. I tried a stuffed animal but he didnt want it at all. Poor guy is misearable. I'm trying to play with him alot so he feels like he's not alone. I feel so awful for him.
 
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stephim

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I posted yesterday but I need help. Please help. I'm physically sick over my situation. I just brought my kitten home and he is absolutely unsocial. He cries day and night, no matter what I do for him. He has been here three days and he just cries. He doesn t wanted to be petted, cuddled, comforted. He tries to scratch us and bite when we try to comfort him. He doesn't want to play.
He barely eats.He is only quiet when he hides from me and my husband. And all he wants to do is lick himself. If we touch him he starts grooming. We are nice to him but it's like he had no human contact whatsoever and is completely unsocialized. What can i do? A second kitten is not an option. We are only allowed one because of our landlord. If we leave him alone he is quiet but as soon as he sees us all hell breaks loose. And yes he has food, water scratch post. Everything a kitty can need.
 

Columbine

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Hi, and welcome to TCS :wavey:

I know it's so, so hard - not to mention heartbreaking - to hear your kitten crying so much. He may well be poorly socialised - sometimes breeders don't do all they should for their kittens - but he may just be an anxious, nervy type who is struggling to adjust to his new home. The overgrooming is likely his was of self soothing, and should lessen over time, as he gains confidence with you.

Set him up with a sanctuary room - somewhere quiet, that's been totally kitten-proofed and has everything he needs. Just have him in there for now - he may well be partly overwhelmed by the size of your home. A smaller space to own will help him gain confidence faster, and will stop him getting himself into trouble. Give him a heat pad and a kitten-sized stuffed toy to snuggle up to - these will help give him the comfort that he's missing from his siblings. Feliway diffusers can't hurt either ;)

Basically, treat him as though he's a feral kitten for now. Don't try and force physical contact - instead, just spend time in his room, doing something quiet, or reading softly out loud to get him used to the sound of your voice. Sit or lie on the floor to bring yourself down closer to his level. Always take food or an extra yummy treat in with you when you go to him - you need to build the association between you and all kinds of good things. Stay patient, stay calm, give him time. He WILL settle and come around in the end - it'll just take time. [article="32735"][/article][article="32804"][/article][article="0"][/article][article="30312"][/article][article="30316"][/article][article="32758"][/article][article="29655"][/article]
 
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stephim

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Hi maybe someone will see this and help me a little more. The kitten finally came out of hiding after four days but he seems to have strange behavior. He yells in the morning for his breakfast. Which he gets. He gets really nervous if we walk past his plate while he's eating. He then sorta of wants to be played with but not really. He'll play a little then get bored and jump up on the kitchen table and ignore me. He does that for awhile until afternoon when he wants to eat. Then I am ignored again. He'll stay in one room where I'm not in but close like in the next room. I go to him on his table and try to pet him and comfort him but he rolls on his side and back so I don't touch him and if I manage to get a few strokes in he starts kneading the air with his claws out. But he's purring. As soon as I touch him he licks himself on the spot where he was touched. He sleeps a good part of the day until evening. Sometimes he will play in the evening. At night he is quiet but doesnt come into the bedroom. He just lays quietly on his table. He'll come to me for a minute or two then leaves. It doesn't matter to him if I go out of the house. He doesn't even meow or try to follow me to the door. I feel so bad. I feel like he is totally unhappy or depressed. I can't give him a playmate. Is there anything I can do for him. I don't want him to suffer.
 

clmgordon

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It sounds like he is doing a little better already. He is in a new and scary place away from his family and nothing is familiar, it may just take time for him to acclimate and become more comfortable around you and in his new home. What Columbine suggested is a great idea. Give him his own room, then sit in there quietly with the kitten (and don't mind if he ignores you at first).
I was in a similar situation with my kitty. He was feral and had never had interaction with humans. He ignored me and hid from me for the first week or two. I followed the above-mentioned suggestion and let him get comfortable with me at his own pace and now he is quite social and loving.

Good luck with your new buddy!
 
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