I recently adopted my first cat, he is about 6 months old or a bit older, they are not sure. He is really cute and the shelter told me to be patient with him, however it has been over a week and he is still meowing at night and not letting me sleep. He meows loudly as the night goes on and then goes to sleep around 6am which makes things difficult for me. I have tried to pet him a couple of times and he just hisses whenever I get near to him and then runs away. Even if I get close to him by accident he'll run away. The shelter told me that he had been adopted and returned by a house that had a curious 2 year old and I think that may be why he is so scared. He is a siamese mix and I heard they were very affectionate so I am a bit confused. Is this normal? How long will it take him to adjust? Does this mean we are not a good fit for each other?
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Adopted Cat
- Thread starter kmonto
- Start Date
Welcome to TCS and thank you for giving this little one a home [emoji]10084[/emoji]️
Poor little thing has been through a lot at only 6 months old! Yes, patience is important here but there are things you can do to help him adjust to all the changes in his life.Heres a link to a TCS article about helping a cat adjust to a new home:
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-help-a-new-cat-adjust-to-your-home
It has all kinds of tips!
And since you are a first time cat owner:
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/care-of-cats-the-responsible-way
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-behavior-for-beginners
What is your little guys name?
Poor little thing has been through a lot at only 6 months old! Yes, patience is important here but there are things you can do to help him adjust to all the changes in his life.Heres a link to a TCS article about helping a cat adjust to a new home:
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-help-a-new-cat-adjust-to-your-home
It has all kinds of tips!
And since you are a first time cat owner:
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/care-of-cats-the-responsible-way
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-behavior-for-beginners
What is your little guys name?
Wecome to TCS kmonto 
Yes, thank you for adopting this kitty. Give him time to adjust to you and to the surroundings. Just as HelloMissKitty says, patience, lots of it and I say give him all your love too.
The links given are helpful to you. Please read them and do post photos of your kitty
Yes, thank you for adopting this kitty. Give him time to adjust to you and to the surroundings. Just as HelloMissKitty says, patience, lots of it and I say give him all your love too.
The links given are helpful to you. Please read them and do post photos of your kitty
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
Thank you! I was a bit nervous seeing as this is my first cat ever. I contacted the shelter and they told me that he might not be a cat that likes attention and advised me to adopt another cat! I'm not even sure if this cat likes me so I can't imagine two. They named him Divine after the church he was found in when first rescued. He only comes out at night around 10pm and will sit around then begin to meow loudly as the night goes on. Any advice on the meowing? Is that also a thing to wait out? I have invested in ear plugs just in case.
Oh, it appears that your new kitty is a Siamese? This breed is known for being very vocal! Just part of what makes the breed.
Does he have free roam of the house? We always encourage adopters to confine a new cat to a small bedroom or bathroom until kitty is comfortable in there and then slowly introduce them to more of the house. This can really help with nervous cats or those that may appear to be less social.
Getting a second cat may or may not be a good idea. First, *you* would have to want another cat. If you do, you likely want a confident and social kitty. One that is known to get along well with other cats. It very well maybe that your current cat would greatly benefit from a feline companion. But, this isn't always the case. I would try to find a rescue or shelter that allows you to foster to adopt. This way you can do kind of a trial run, but not be "stuck" if the new kitty doesn't work out.
Note that there is an introduction process that needs to be followed when bringing in a new cat. You very likely won't know right away if it will work. Will more likely take a few weeks to know for sure.
Does he have free roam of the house? We always encourage adopters to confine a new cat to a small bedroom or bathroom until kitty is comfortable in there and then slowly introduce them to more of the house. This can really help with nervous cats or those that may appear to be less social.
Getting a second cat may or may not be a good idea. First, *you* would have to want another cat. If you do, you likely want a confident and social kitty. One that is known to get along well with other cats. It very well maybe that your current cat would greatly benefit from a feline companion. But, this isn't always the case. I would try to find a rescue or shelter that allows you to foster to adopt. This way you can do kind of a trial run, but not be "stuck" if the new kitty doesn't work out.
Note that there is an introduction process that needs to be followed when bringing in a new cat. You very likely won't know right away if it will work. Will more likely take a few weeks to know for sure.
Oh Divine is SO adorable!!!
Regarding the meowing:
Try playing with him before bed. You need to tire him out! A good toy to do that with that will not require you to be too close to him (so he feels safe) is a wand toy like DaBird:
You can purchase this or other similar toys at pet stores. Once you wear Divine out with a play session, feed him a meal. His natural instinct after play and a meal will be to groom and then SLEEP [emoji]128564[/emoji]
I would also suggest getting a Feliway diffuser:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I9SI40S/?tag=&tag=thecatsite
Feliway is a synthetic version of a cats "feel good" pheromone and may help Divine feel more secure.
I think Divine needs time to relax and get used to his new home. A week really isn't a long time for a little that has been in the shelter system. Cats don't think change and his life has been chaotic. Time, patience and love will help him settle in [emoji]10084[/emoji]️
Also, there are TONS of TCS articles on just about every cat topic under the sun. Just go to the tab that says "Articles" and have fun reading [emoji]128522[/emoji]
Regarding the meowing:
Try playing with him before bed. You need to tire him out! A good toy to do that with that will not require you to be too close to him (so he feels safe) is a wand toy like DaBird:
You can purchase this or other similar toys at pet stores. Once you wear Divine out with a play session, feed him a meal. His natural instinct after play and a meal will be to groom and then SLEEP [emoji]128564[/emoji]
I would also suggest getting a Feliway diffuser:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I9SI40S/?tag=&tag=thecatsite
Feliway is a synthetic version of a cats "feel good" pheromone and may help Divine feel more secure.
I think Divine needs time to relax and get used to his new home. A week really isn't a long time for a little that has been in the shelter system. Cats don't think change and his life has been chaotic. Time, patience and love will help him settle in [emoji]10084[/emoji]️
Also, there are TONS of TCS articles on just about every cat topic under the sun. Just go to the tab that says "Articles" and have fun reading [emoji]128522[/emoji]
My first kitty, Benjamin, is a Siamese that I rescued when he was just a few weeks old. He is a year and half now. He was such a little handful. Any problems were solved when we adopted another kitty. It seemed to calm him instantly. He is still a talker but no longer acts like a spoiled only child. Now he is an angel..Cough..Cough..
Give Divine a chance. Siamese cats are so loaded with personality. They are also the most stubborn creature on the planet. But I would not change a thing about him. Every day he makes me laugh. So don't give up too soon.
Give Divine a chance. Siamese cats are so loaded with personality. They are also the most stubborn creature on the planet. But I would not change a thing about him. Every day he makes me laugh. So don't give up too soon.
kmonto,
It takes time for adjustments. This is your first cat and it's the first time your cat is in your house. You have to get use to him and get to know him and he got to get use to you and the house. Give time to both of you. It's just one week and he has been meowing, how can you handle two cats if both are meowing at the same time?
I don't disagree with what others said about a second cat or a third cat for that matter. But can you handle two cats? Or maybe your current cat might not like a second cat. All this are not a surefire.
Spend more time with him, play more with him. Patience and love is the key to a happy cat and owner. If he sits at the window and meows, sit with him and talk to him gently and don't just leave him alone. By doing this you are bonding with him and also gain confidence in you and maybe distract him from the window. Of course we can't be sure of what he wants but sometimes through interactions like this you can find out what they want. Of course, again all these needs time and patience and love.
I know Siamese are known to be vocal, but you said that he only comes out at 10pm and sits by the window and meows. Where is he during the day? Is he in hiding? Does he come out to eat and use the litter box in the day? The other question, is he neutered?
I hope that you'll have a great time with this cat. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. We are here to help.
It takes time for adjustments. This is your first cat and it's the first time your cat is in your house. You have to get use to him and get to know him and he got to get use to you and the house. Give time to both of you. It's just one week and he has been meowing, how can you handle two cats if both are meowing at the same time?
I don't disagree with what others said about a second cat or a third cat for that matter. But can you handle two cats? Or maybe your current cat might not like a second cat. All this are not a surefire.
Spend more time with him, play more with him. Patience and love is the key to a happy cat and owner. If he sits at the window and meows, sit with him and talk to him gently and don't just leave him alone. By doing this you are bonding with him and also gain confidence in you and maybe distract him from the window. Of course we can't be sure of what he wants but sometimes through interactions like this you can find out what they want. Of course, again all these needs time and patience and love.
I know Siamese are known to be vocal, but you said that he only comes out at 10pm and sits by the window and meows. Where is he during the day? Is he in hiding? Does he come out to eat and use the litter box in the day? The other question, is he neutered?
I hope that you'll have a great time with this cat. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. We are here to help.
K
kmonto
I found some other TCS articles that you may find helpful:
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/playing-with-your-cat-10-things-you-need-to-know
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-sounds-feline-vocal-communication
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cats-and-night-crazies
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/siamese-cats
Please be sure to keep us posted on how you and Divine are doing [emoji]10084[/emoji]️
I found some other TCS articles that you may find helpful:
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/playing-with-your-cat-10-things-you-need-to-know
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-sounds-feline-vocal-communication
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cats-and-night-crazies
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/siamese-cats
Please be sure to keep us posted on how you and Divine are doing [emoji]10084[/emoji]️
