Please help, this kitten is crazy and Poo paw problems

catquestions232

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Hello,

I just got this kitten 2 weeks ago because I wanted a pet.  I think I had way too many expectations of how I would be able to train her and I am getting really upset at the reality of the situation.  I got her her 12 weeks shots a few days ago and she stopped eating after.  Because of this, I had to go back and forth to the vet with her getting first 80 dollar benadryl, then 100 dollar antibiotics, etc etc....500 dollars later she is eating,  However, because of the antibiotics, she is having diarrhea in her litterbox, getting it on her paws and running all over my furniture which is beyond disgusting.  I'll admit, I know pets can do gross things, but being that I usually always had dogs, I never considered how a cat could literally get everywhere, and it is freaking me out that while im not home she may be getting diarrhea on her paws and walking all over everything!  

Also, I tried to give her a bath by introducing it to her slowly and with only like a centimeter of water in the tub and she completely freaks out, scratching and biting.  If i scruff her she freaks out more.  There is no way to hold her because she freaks out so much that she ends up hurting herself to get away and then you have to let her go.  I'm really at my wits end.  With other things she is good, wiping off her paws, checking her teeth, etc....

Could you guys please give me some suggestions as to what I should do?!  I can no longer return the cat for a refund because the contract said no refunds (she is a siberian kitten).   According to the contract, I'm also not supposed to sell her (im supposed to return her for no refund), but I figure it would be impossible for the breeder to find out anyway and I wouldnt want to lose all of the money i already spent (she was 1150 and the vet bills so far were 500).  If it is possible to make her at least tolerate a bath, and if you can tell me that cats get cleaner with using the litterbox? I would actually want to keep her if you these things could change.  Also, not to sound heartless, but im not really attached to her yet.  Shes not extremely friendly and does not like to be held or pet really.  She cringes away when pet and doesnt like to sit near you (Ive had her for 2 weeks).  I really dont want to stress her out by rehoming her again, but she is really upsetting us.  I just got this new apartment with my girlfriend (our first time living together) and she agreed to get the kitten even though she didnt 100 percent want it.  I don't want this kitten hurting our relationship by being so gross that my gf feels like she cant feel clean in her own house.  We also just bought all new furniture and its getting disgusting with her diarrhea paws.

If any of you could provide some advice it would be  much appreciated!!  I know this is a barrage of questions, but I am completely at my wits end =(.

PS:  Would it be cruel to keep her in the bathroom until she is off antibiotics (10 days)?  Right now she has full reign of the apartment (which has been kitten proofed).  If I put her in the bathroom though she gets upset and wont stop crying.  I will admit the bathroom is small, probably like 5 feet by 5 feet, but at least her diarrhea paws would be contained.

PPS: Also, whenever you pet her, she cringes away then goes and sucks and kneads at her bed.  She will do this most of the day.  Is this because she is not feeling well?  Is she sad?  Is there any way I can get her to open up more?  It seems like she kinda sorta likes me a little at least because she cries in the morning for me to come out of my bedroom even if shes already been fed then lets me pick her up and pet her while she purrs (not for long though, because she wants to go back and suck her bed). 

PPPS: Should I ask the breeder to refund me the vet bills?  There is nothing in the contract about it but one of my friends suggested it.

Main questions, sell, keep, or return her for no refund?  If keep, please address the diarrhea paws and her behavior.  Explain ways to get her to be able to bathe and how to contain the paw situations.  Also explain the bed sucking and relative antisocial behavior, if it can change, and how to change it.  If sell, please let me know if there is any way the breeder could find out and if i could get in trouble/sued for breach of contract.   Return for no refund is self explanatory.

Thank you!
 
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catquestions232

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Hello All,

I just got this new kitten and unfortunately she was a bit sick and had to go on antibiotics.  Because of this, she had a bit of diarrhea and tends to step in  it then walk all over my furniture.  Would it be cruel to keep her in the bathroom until she is off antibiotics, at least while i am at work?  The antibiotics are for 10 days and she tends to get upset in the bathroom. 

Thankyou!
 

profdanglais

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Try adding probiotics or plain canned pumpkin to her food, that will help firm her stool. Poor baby is in a new place with new people and isn't feeling well, please have some patience with her. You could try putting a damp fluffy bathmat down in front of her litter box, if she walks over that it should get most of the diarrhoea off her paws. Maybe consider putting some plastic over any furniture that is particularly precious to you. Remember that this is temporary; once the diarrhoea clears up she will be clean and you can feel more comfortable with her on your furniture, and hopefully you can bond with her. Also, it's still really early days, she'll need time to trust you and to bond with you. Two weeks is hardly any time at all. Give it another month or so, try to get the diarrhoea under control, and if things still aren't working out try to rehome her.

My Hugo had diarrhoea on and off for the first six weeks or so that we had him, it smelled awful and he would get it on his paws and we'd have to catch him and wipe him off, which he hated. It took a while to figure out what was wrong and get him sorted, but once we did he has been fine ever since, and is a sweet and loving cat. Just be patient and remember that it's not your baby's fault. Good luck.  
 

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It's not uncommon to confine new pets while they adjust to a new home.  How old is the kitten?  How large is the bathroom?  Can you set up a comfy bed (maybe covered with a towel you can wash easily) as well as her food and water?  Her food and water would need to be away from the litter box.  Of course some toys too.  One of my cats used to love to take her toys into the tub to chase around.  
 
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catquestions232

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She is 12 weeks, we have had her since 10 weeks.  The bathroom is probably 5 feet by 4 feet so quite small.  We can set up a bed with a towel and have her food and water.  The food and water would be about 3 feet from the litterbox.  We could put toys in as well.  She hates the tub because I tried to give her a bath.  

Also, she hates being in the bathroom alone.  She whines really loud, especially if we are home.  I hate the idea of her doing that all day with us not home.  Would she become neurotic?  I know my old dog was actually claustrophobic.  I dont want the stress to hurt her personality.
 

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My two foster kittens spend a lot of time in the bathroom. They have a ball in there. As much as you can, put kitty stuff in there so the kitty has exercise and stimulation. At least a toy or two. And maybe most important, keep your stuff out of reach. Bored kitties will get into things.




 

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I will echo what profdanglais said above; this is temporary.  She isn't feeling good and shes in a new environment.  it's completely normal for cats to need time to settle into their new homes.  This is especially true since she is a baby.  

I do think you can confine her at least when you are not at home. But you would need to provide for her needs and comfort in that space.  I have confined my girls when they were kittens; but we were not able to kitten proof our last house (they could get UNDER the doors!).  And they were together.  Covering the furniture might be a better option so she doesn't feel so alone.  Do you have an extra bedroom she could go in?  

Here is an article on bathing cats:
[article="29672"]How To Safely Bathe A Cat The Complete Guide  [/article]
MOD NOTE: Threads merged for clarity. 
 
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catquestions232

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Awesome reply  Mooch.  I think what Im really struggling with is reconciling the reality with the expectation.  I read up so much on how to train her, how to properly introduce her to things, etc etc...and I think the reality is setting in with how much harder to train cats are than dogs and how different they really are.  I was quite good at training my dog but this kitten is a wholly different beast.  I just keep worrying if I am trying too hard and stressing her out, or not trying enough, or whatever.

Also, she cannot fit under doors, too big for that now.  She is a siberian so she will be huge (up to 17 lbs for female).  For how many hours would you confine ( I work 8 hour days at work 3 days a week), and up to what age would you confine?  I should definitely let her out to roam when I am home correct?  Or should I just hang out in the bathroom with her?  Ive read in some places kittens get overwhelmed in large new spaces and Ive noticed she sucks at her bed a lot and it seems to me like a reaction to stress.  Did I break her by letting her have free roam too early :(  ?  Lately, she seems to be getting a bit better though which is good.   I will say that if I came home and she was in the bathroom and I didnt let her out quick enough, she got PISSED and wouldnt stop yelling.  

Am I wrong for letting her roam the apt? It is 800 sq feet and I gave her open roam of the bathroom and living room/kitchen area.  I do not have an extra bedroom to keep her in unfortunately as the apartment is relatively small.  I also dont want to let her stay in my office as i have a lot of expensive electronics in there.  

I could cover the furniture with blankets.  I think that is a good idea.  And a note to all, I believe I am keeping her...I feel if I rehome her i will subject her to more stress and will be failing her.  I chose this responsibility, now im going to live with this kitten stage and  gain a lifelong friend.  My girlfriend has agreed and I guess I just have some OCD I have to get over.

So, should i keep her in the bathroom at all times, and visit with her in there throughout the day?  Should I keep her in the bathroom only while I am at work then let her out when I am home? Or should I cover the furniture and let her have free roam throughout all of the day?  If your answer is to keep her in the bathroom, until what age should I do so (she is 12 weeks now).
 
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catquestions232

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Also mooch, as far as the bath, she REALLY freaks out, to the point that trying to hold her results in her hurting herself (not seriously but shell give a little squeek).  I really want her to get used to baths but all of these pages say "now put the kitten and and be calm and try to bathe her."  What all the pages I found neglect is a kitten that goes COMPLETELY wild when you try this, even if so much as her paw touches.

Is it better to use the sprayer and jug or fill the tub with an inch or two of water and just use my hands to cup water onto her?  Is there any way I can try to calm her down as no site really mentions an effective way?  The issue is trying to hold her as she can reach and claw my hand from any angle.  Also, scruffing just makes her more mad and frantic.  Im thinking of buying some rubber kitchen gloves to try it with so that she at least cant scratch or bite me.  I know shes not being mean and that shes just scared but its hard to be patient as im bleeding from 6 different scratches made from a poo filled paw (OCD kicking in  in 3...2....1...).  Is the tub too big and making her nervous?  I tried the bathroom sink and she freaked out just as much, if not more (i didnt use a towel on the bottom and it is a round shape so maybe she didnt like that either?)  Should i try the kitchen sink since it is flat and smaller? Or will this not make a difference from the tub and shell still hate it?
 
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catquestions232

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3 Other things:

1.) Is bed sucking a sign of stress?  I had to move her bed  to wash it (As she had sucked a brown spot into it) and she seemed stressed looking for it, but following the stressful minutes, she began to seem braver and didnt need to suck on anything.  Should I get a new bed that she doesnt have such an attachment to and will this foster bravery or make her more stressed? I got it when she was on her way home with me and maybe it smelled like her mom?  It also is a soft  blankety material  and she sucks on it which makes me nervous she could be eating some of it as well? I'll link pictures of it and the suck spot at the bottom of this post.

PS:  Definentely need a new bed, the spot wont come out.  Does it look like she could have eaten any of it, and would it be dangerous/be why she hasnt been eating?  The not eating started after her 12 week shot.

2.) Should I ask the breeder to reimburse me for the vet bills in the last 2 weeks?  I spent 500 total back and forth to the vet dealing with this kitten and Ive only had her 2 weeks.  The first 200 was routine for  the shot and bloodwork to make sure shes healthy.  The extra 300 is what I would like back if you think its a valid thing to ask for.  I dont believe there was any guarantee for it in the contract though.

3.) How long does it take a kitten to become more comfortable with you and enjoy petting and your company.  Weve had her 2 weeks and she still seems a bit skittish.  Not nearly as much as in the first week, but still not super friendly.  I know with puppies it is very fast, so i just want to  make sure my expectations are not too high.  Did I let her out of the bathroom too early and maybe shes overwhelmed?  When she was just in the bathroom she would purr like crazy and like being pet and picked up.  I let her out though because I felt badly that she seemed stressed and upset in there and I know with my first dog she was quite claustrophobic and got really stressed in small rooms.  Am I going about this wrong?


 
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profdanglais

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I think it's great that you're keeping her and are committed to raising her :clap:. I also have only had dogs until I adopted my kittens three months ago. It is definitely a different challenge, puppies are quite straightforward, but kittens can be inscrutable and don't respond to the classic punishment/reward conditioning. One thing I read that might help you is that you have to let your cat know what you want from them. So for example if you want her to sit on your lap, pick her up and put her there. Don't force her to stay, but this will let her know that it's okay to sit in your lap then she can decide when she's ready to do it. If there are things you don't want her to do, you need to repeatedly deter her from doing them or provide an alternative. So getting a new cat bed is probably a good idea, but also get her a little stuffed toy that she can cuddle and chew on then hopefully won't chew on the new bed. Let her know that you want to play with her by sitting on the floor and playing with her toys until she comes to see what's going on, then engage her. Say her name every time you feed her, so that she knows it's her name. She won't respond to punishment, but she will learn to associate certain things with other things. So if you feed her and pet her she will associate those nice things with you, but if you yell at her (for example) she will associate the yelling with you but she doesn't associate you yelling with her behaviour.

I have two kittens, Hester and Hugo. Hester isn't afraid of anything, but Hugo really hates the vacuum. Whenever I vacuum he hides under the bed. I want him to associate the vacuum with good things, so when I finish cleaning I give the kittens a treat. This also gets Hugo out from under the bed. Hester has now learned that vacuum=treats, so now as soon as the cleaner is put away, she runs into the kitchen to wait for her treat. Last time, Hugo was slow at coming out from under the bed, and she ran into the bedroom and meowed at him until he came out. It's like she was saying "Hurry up, I want a treat!"

Like I said, I'm not a cat expert but these are things that have worked for me. This site has got loads of great resources to help you understand your cat a bit better. I think it's important to learn how your cat demonstrates her feelings. Hugo for example will sometimes refuse to be petted. I put my hand out and he runs away. But he also sleeps next to me on the bed and rubs his face on me when he wants petting so I have learnt not to be upset when he runs because I know it's not because he doesn't love me. He just wants to set his own terms for petting, and fair enough. Hester is totally opposite, I can pet her any time and she loves to sit in my lap and purr. Learn what your cat likes and doesn't like and how she demonstrates things, and that should go a long way towards building a good relationship with her.
 
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catquestions232

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Profdanglais, great reply as well.  I will definentely try the positive reinforcement as you suggested.  And she is finally eating (A  LOT!) and she keeps screaming at me for more (though im waiting till its dinnertime lol).  She also becoming wayyy more friendly and is following me around and keeps rubbing her face against mine and purring (Super cute!).  I think taking away that bed that she associated with sucking and comfort made her come to me for comfort instead.  I will still get her a new bed but i just dont want her sucking that one.  Ill probably get one with less fabric sticking up.  
 

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That's great that things are going better! At her age, she should be allowed to eat as much as she likes. Kittens need loads of food because they're growing so fast. You can leave a bowl of dry food out all the time for her to snack on between meal times, that should stop her screaming at you :).
 

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Cats and dogs are definitely different!  Cats don't necessarily "train" like we think of with dogs.  Dogs respond to discipline (ie. Our old dog had a corner she was trained to go to while we ate dinner.) cats do not.  They respond to redirection.  And sure some will learn tricks and things; but they are different.  I

Kittens do suckle and some continue to adulthood (one of my mother's cats still does this at age 11).  She is recently weaned so I wouldn't worry too much about it.  It might be a good idea to cover the bed with a different fabric for now. Something less fluffy.  Getting her a stuffed animal not too different in size from her is a great idea!  I've had both dogs and cats find this comforting.  I do think she will be ok in the bathroom while you are gone.  I prefer to have kittens in pairs; but after the expense of a purebred and vet bills; I won't really suggest that. 
  Plus; she has been sick.  Our last house was just difficult to kitten proof.  The first night we had them we'd set up our spare bathroom as their safe room.  When we woke up in the morning DH and I heard some noise in the living room.  The girls had found our fish tank and were checking it out.  The gaps under the doors were larger than average; but I sure didn't think they could squeeze under them!  So while you are home; let her roam and interact with you. But if you chose to let her roam all the time thats ok too.  Especially if shes already used to it.

Cats will also pick up our emotion. If we are stressed or anxious; they can tell!  I gave Mooch her first bath when she was about 12 weeks old and had the runs. I used the sink.  I didn't submerge her and i used a cup to wet and rinse her.  The running water might be scary.  I used a firm hand on her upper shoulders to help her keep still.  We used to bathe the girls every few months when they were young because DH is allergic.  After a while we stopped and they bother him less.  

I think her behavior sounds normal.  She's a baby who has been sick.  Every cat is different in how fast they bond. I've had a cat who was so affectionate she bonded with every human she came in contact with.  I've had cats who were "one-person cats."  As you feed, play, groom and interact with her you will build a bond.  I remember thinking when my current two were young that I looked forward to them being adult cats I was bonded to.  Kittens are cute and funny; but I enjoy the bond and I'd been without a cat for almost 2 years.  Watching them grow and learn is part of the bonding process.  

I can't answer your questions about contacting the breeder about the vet costs.  I've only ever had shelter cats or ones that came from family members.  

And yes; let her eat as much as she wants. She needs the energy to grow during her first year or so.  

It sounds like you've had a bit of a bumpy start with her; but I think your going to be fine. Your here asking questions and looking to learn.  That's what good pet owners do no matter how long they've had their pets right?  I've been a member here for 11 years and I've had cats all my life and I still have lots to learn as new things come up.  My vets office has been a great source of information too.  Sometimes things I learn here help me ask good questions when I talk to the vet.  Sometimes the vet says something and I get more understanding here.  Some things have taken more work to resolve but the support from the vet and people here has helped so much.  

Please keep us updated on how she is doing!
 
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catquestions232

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Prof,

Yeah it has taken so much stress off that she has started eating!  She actually jumps at it as Im putting it down lol.  Are you sure you should give her as much as she wants?  I've read a lot of conflicting info on that and my vet told me to only give her an 1/8 of a cup at a time (she is only 3 lbs) and feed her 3 times a day.  She said that the idea of feeding them as much as they want is perpetuated by catfood companies that want to sell more?  Thoughts?
 

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You really can't overfeed a kitten. They have tiny stomachs and can only eat a bit at a time, and they like to graze. Mine take a few bites at a time of their dry food off and on throughout the day plus their regular wet food meals. They self-regulate, so when they're in a growth spurt they eat more, then ease off. I would say that your kitten's behaviour at meal times suggests that she's really hungry, so if it were me I would feed her more.
 
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catquestions232

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Mooch,

They are absolutely different haha, as I am learning.  Ive also heard positive reinforcement works and negative reinforcement never works.  People have told me its because dogs see you as their leader and recognize if you say they did something bad, they did something bad.  Cats on the other hand dont see you as a leader but rather a companion, so if you yell at them or punish, they just get annoyed at you because they dont feel like they did anything wrong.

The stuffed animal sounds like a great idea! Im sure she would love it!  

As for roaming, at this point I think I just have to let her, mess be damned =/.  She loves looking out the window from the windowsill or back of the chair during the day and I think shed be really stressed stuck in the bathroom.  Maybe Ill just clean the litterbox every day instead of every other.  

Im actually not allergic to her at all anymroe which is great!  The bath is more because she has such long fur and tends to get nasty stuff stuck to it haha.  And i dont think you're firmly grasping how much she hates the bath.  She FREAKS out.  I think what I need to do is get rubber kitchen gloves so that I can let her bite or scratch and ignore it so that she knows shes not getting away and maybe shell calm down.  IT might be that im letter her get away too many times and its stressing her out more.  I usually have to let go when she starts digging at me with her back claws then she jumps out of the bath and I promptly put her back in.  That in and out might be the stressor? Maybe just  glove up, let her scratch and whatnot till she sees she cant get away?  Would the sink maybe stress her less since its smaller?  Ive also  read that cats dont l iek slippery surfaces from the water and to use a bathmat or towel?

And i totally agree with you on the adult cat aspect.  Everyone loves baby animals so much but for me i love the bond as they get older and develop their individual personalities.  I will say i think i expected way too much too early.  Im really starting to love this little kitten, and I daresay she likes me a bit too.  Shes been sleeping  on my lap in my office while im on the computer for like an hour now and shes never done this (actually while im typing this message).  My lap is so warm haha.  I guess what ive learned from this is kittens and cats will give you a ton of love if you have the patience for them, they are not as quick to bond as puppies.  Its definentely difficult when they are doing dumb things in the beginning but giving you no affection or love back to balance it out.  With a puppy the love comes so early that you dont mind the grossness.  I guess cats just take a little more.  I also want to say i love this site and all of you and thankyou so much!  That one comment to my first post really jumpstarted me and made me feel like a jerk (which was needed!).  Shes a baby and needs love and patience and im ready to give it to her as much as needed!  Also vet bills can stress you out haha, and she wasnt a cheap kitten (siberians can be costly...screw allergies haha.

And as ive said to prof ive heard so much conflicting info about cats in general, especially when it comes to eating.  It just seems like they have such individual little personalites.  I have heard pretty  definitively though that grazing can lead to diabetes as  cats werent really designed to just graze throughout the day but rather eat in bursts.  Maybe ill let her eat as  much as she wants at each sitting, feeding her 3 times a day, then remove the food?  

And yeah it was a bit bumpy in the beginning to say the least. I  love animals but i think she was a bit of an impulse buy.  I was so stressed at work and feeling kinda out of sorts and wanted a furry little critter to love like the dog I had at my parents.  I will say its the best impulse buy ive made though!  And when it comes to animals  Im always interested to learn as much as possible.  I like to understand their body language as good as possible so that I can do my part and provide them with what they need.  For example, with my old dog if I thought she seemed a little itchy under her collar, I would go over and give her a few good scratches under it.  I cant imagine how annoying that would be to have  an itch you cant get to!  Im learning a lot about cat moods as well and trying to pay attention to tail movement, ears, etc...I will say I'm a little confused as to different meows haha...and to how athletic they are (I get nervous from when she jumps from high stuff but shes always like "eh no biggy, chillaxxxx").

Also you guys have been super supportive and I realize I havent done my part! Its tradition to provide pics right?  Ill take one now as shes on my lap and send you a few old ones as well!  Excuse the hairy legs haha.

PS: Maybe i tried to do a bath to early as well?  I read its best to get kittens used to certain things before 14 weeks, but maybe she needed to trust me more and also she may have been tense  from not feeling well?  Ill have to take things slower.  I got some nice smelling cat wipes for now (melon cucumber) and will suck it up and just use those till our trust is higher i suppose.  I have to trust my intuition more and sense her attitude rather than just following specific timelines.  People dont work by timelines and maybe cats dont either.




 
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catquestions232

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Prof,

I havent allowed her to graze, but tonight i put enough down until she didnt finish it, then put the rest in the fridge.  Seemed happy enough after.  I dont even think she could graze, she gobbles it up way too fast lol.
 

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Prof,

I havent allowed her to graze, but tonight i put enough down until she didnt finish it, then put the rest in the fridge.  Seemed happy enough after.  I dont even think she could graze, she gobbles it up way too fast lol.
She really does need to graze now. Feed meals of wet 4-5 times a day, but leave the dry food down. A growing kitten should never feel hungry. They need all they can get to grow. Health concerns from overeating happen when they are older.
 

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Joined
Oct 21, 2016
Messages
185
Purraise
52
Location
Somewhere upstate
Mooch,

They are absolutely different haha, as I am learning.  Ive also heard positive reinforcement works and negative reinforcement never works.  People have told me its because dogs see you as their leader and recognize if you say they did something bad, they did something bad.  Cats on the other hand dont see you as a leader but rather a companion, so if you yell at them or punish, they just get annoyed at you because they dont feel like they did anything wrong.

The stuffed animal sounds like a great idea! Im sure she would love it!  

As for roaming, at this point I think I just have to let her, mess be damned =/.  She loves looking out the window from the windowsill or back of the chair during the day and I think shed be really stressed stuck in the bathroom.  Maybe Ill just clean the litterbox every day instead of every other.  

Im actually not allergic to her at all anymroe which is great!  The bath is more because she has such long fur and tends to get nasty stuff stuck to it haha.  And i dont think you're firmly grasping how much she hates the bath.  She FREAKS out.  I think what I need to do is get rubber kitchen gloves so that I can let her bite or scratch and ignore it so that she knows shes not getting away and maybe shell calm down.  IT might be that im letter her get away too many times and its stressing her out more.  I usually have to let go when she starts digging at me with her back claws then she jumps out of the bath and I promptly put her back in.  That in and out might be the stressor? Maybe just  glove up, let her scratch and whatnot till she sees she cant get away?  Would the sink maybe stress her less since its smaller?  Ive also  read that cats dont l iek slippery surfaces from the water and to use a bathmat or towel?

And i totally agree with you on the adult cat aspect.  Everyone loves baby animals so much but for me i love the bond as they get older and develop their individual personalities.  I will say i think i expected way too much too early.  Im really starting to love this little kitten, and I daresay she likes me a bit too.  Shes been sleeping  on my lap in my office while im on the computer for like an hour now and shes never done this (actually while im typing this message).  My lap is so warm haha.  I guess what ive learned from this is kittens and cats will give you a ton of love if you have the patience for them, they are not as quick to bond as puppies.  Its definentely difficult when they are doing dumb things in the beginning but giving you no affection or love back to balance it out.  With a puppy the love comes so early that you dont mind the grossness.  I guess cats just take a little more.  I also want to say i love this site and all of you and thankyou so much!  That one comment to my first post really jumpstarted me and made me feel like a jerk (which was needed!).  Shes a baby and needs love and patience and im ready to give it to her as much as needed!  Also vet bills can stress you out haha, and she wasnt a cheap kitten (siberians can be costly...screw allergies haha.

And as ive said to prof ive heard so much conflicting info about cats in general, especially when it comes to eating.  It just seems like they have such individual little personalites.  I have heard pretty  definitively though that grazing can lead to diabetes as  cats werent really designed to just graze throughout the day but rather eat in bursts.  Maybe ill let her eat as  much as she wants at each sitting, feeding her 3 times a day, then remove the food?  

And yeah it was a bit bumpy in the beginning to say the least. I  love animals but i think she was a bit of an impulse buy.  I was so stressed at work and feeling kinda out of sorts and wanted a furry little critter to love like the dog I had at my parents.  I will say its the best impulse buy ive made though!  And when it comes to animals  Im always interested to learn as much as possible.  I like to understand their body language as good as possible so that I can do my part and provide them with what they need.  For example, with my old dog if I thought she seemed a little itchy under her collar, I would go over and give her a few good scratches under it.  I cant imagine how annoying that would be to have  an itch you cant get to!  Im learning a lot about cat moods as well and trying to pay attention to tail movement, ears, etc...I will say I'm a little confused as to different meows haha...and to how athletic they are (I get nervous from when she jumps from high stuff but shes always like "eh no biggy, chillaxxxx").

Also you guys have been super supportive and I realize I havent done my part! Its tradition to provide pics right?  Ill take one now as shes on my lap and send you a few old ones as well!  Excuse the hairy legs haha.

PS: Maybe i tried to do a bath to early as well?  I read its best to get kittens used to certain things before 14 weeks, but maybe she needed to trust me more and also she may have been tense  from not feeling well?  Ill have to take things slower.  I got some nice smelling cat wipes for now (melon cucumber) and will suck it up and just use those till our trust is higher i suppose.  I have to trust my intuition more and sense her attitude rather than just following specific timelines.  People dont work by timelines and maybe cats dont either.









Can I has this one? :p
 
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