Very timid kitten, im worried, help!

Hi, i bought two bengal cats earlier today. One is a snow leopard bengal, which is 11 months old. The other is a 4 1/2 month old brown marbled bengal. They are both females. So far the snow leopard has adjusted very well and is fun to play with. I have yet to see her eat, drink, or use her litterbox, im sure shell be doing them soon. However the other brown mrbled bengal is worrieing me She is extremely timid, she sits her the cat carrier and wont moe around. She seems to want to be under covers at all times. I have taken her out and wraped her in a towel and layed her on my chest while i lie down, she is fine with that as long as the towel is covering her, if not the backs up as far as possible trying to get under cover. When i mover her she is very afraid and sometimes claws you. She has just been sitting in her carrier the past hour or so, she wont eat, drink, or use her litterbox. Im sure she will get better but im worried. I was hoping anyone out there can give me some tips on how to calm her or get her to eat or drink. Please reply asap with any feedback. Thanks alot

Wow. She's had a rough day, hasn't she?

I mean, this morning, she was at one home, happy and content. And now, she's at a whole new home, different smells, different sounds, different food, different everything. She's just adjusting. She wants to be under the covers because that's her hiding space. She's protected there, she thinks, and that's a comfort.

Here are some things I've learned over time.
~Leave her be. She will come out in her time, and it will be sooner rather than later...but only when you leave her be.
~She'll eat and drink when she's private, I'd bet. Put some food and water near her, and let her go to it on her own.
~Put her into a quiet, semi-dark room, and let her explore without anyone near her.

As hard as it is, don't pick her up any more tonight. I know, you want to cuddle with her. But for tonight, leave her to get adjusted to her new home. There will be many years of love and cuddles coming.

She's just being scared...and she'll be just fine. I bet that in the next few days, you'll be posting "man, this kitten has sooooooo much energy. I can't keep up!" :smile:

And congratulations on your new family members.

Best-
Michele

Thanks alot, It certainly has been a rough day for the both of them. I guess the thing that made me so worried was that the other adjusted sow ell while the others introduction has been quite the opposite. I have four other cats, i will be spending the rest of tonight trying to introduce asia( the 11 month old snow spotted bengal) to the crew. I will try the things you said which i havent yet already done for the little one. She also hasnt had any shots from my understanding, which i thought was odd, i will be calling to vet in the morning to arrange that. Im glad i have asia to get my mind off of the little one.

Know what I've discovered? There are no two alike cats, just as there are no two alike children.

They will all react in their own way, and behave in their own way. We recently had some severe thunderstorms. Simon wanted to get inside me, while Esse just laid there on the floor. Same exact circumstances, completely different reactions.

Give her some time. She'll come around. I'd get her vetted ASAP, but other than that, unless there are some unusual physical symptoms, I bet she's just fine.

Best-
Michele

Sorry but I disagree- I would get her to the vet if you haven't already- all signs she is showing you could mean she is ill- not scared-

I was thinking the same. She is fine except for the extremem timidness, i doubt thats a symptom of anything. Even when we first picked her up at the breeders home she was very timid, but we simply couldnt take one without the other.... i assured my parents she would come around. Im sure she will come around, its just very hard for me not to worry about her. Thanks again Michelle

I am definitly gonna get her to a vet as soon as possible, she has no other symptoms though

Hissy knows far more than I do about cats. Yes, please take her in to be vetted.

Best-
Michele

Kitten is still in her carrier, it doesnt look like she has moved at all. When i went to check on her an hour or so ago she was backed up in the corner and at an angle, clearly uncomfortable. Im trying to limit my entrances into the room, and i would like to keep the door shut but i think i should keep it open so asia can get in to do her business and drink or eat.....she has adapted rather well except for the fact that i have yet to see her eat or drink or use the litter box. She has been wondering around the house and studying the other cats. I just cant keep my mind off the little kitten

It sounds like this baby is very stressed. As Hissy said, this may be a sign of illness. I know it is a holiday, but if she hasn't eaten or drank anything by morning, I would take her to the emergency vet. She may have had an underlying infection that was showing up by her timidity at home, and now with all the stress it is getting worse. I would make her a rice sock. You half fill a long sock with rice or other grain, tie the end and microwave it in 30 second intervals until it is comfortably warm and put that in her carrier with her, put some food and water near the opening of the carrier and a shallow litter box nearby and then leave her alone. And don't let any of your cats near her since you don't know what she has. Becky

Thanks for your thoughts and ideas, its good to hear from several different people, if it was 100 % up to me i wouldve taken them to the emergency vet as soon as i found one that is open (tonight). Our vet usually comes to our house and we have to schedule ahead but this is a urgent situation and ill have to talk to my parents in the morning about taking her in. thanks again

I forgot to add that she is in a little towel hut thing inside a carrier, on a fleece, which is loacted in the bathroom, she has a little night light so its lit but fairly dim. She is covered by the towel with a little hole for a vent, when i uncover her she backs up to get back under it. She is definitly keeping warm, but not hot, there is a food and water bowl outside of the carrier, as well as a litter box.

Hissy is normally right about these things - she just has that way about her in these matters - so, I do agree that baby should see a vet. But I am not convinced she needs an ER vet tonight. It is not at all uncommon for babies to experience a day or so of being off their food when transitioning into a new environment. It becomes a problem only if it persists for longer than a day or so. Now, if she is displaying other symptoms - sneezing, coughing, wheezing, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, obvious pain, difficulty walking, not eating or visiting the litter for more than 24 hours - then YES, absolutely take her in. But if hiding and not eating on the first day of her life in a new environment with new people are the only symptoms, you need to back off and just give it a little more time.

Put her companion in the room with her, close the door and quit going in to check on them for now ... give them some space. When you go in to check on them in the morning, don't lift the towel if she is still hiding, but absolutely do check to make sure she is OK. I just think you need to give the baby space in that room with a known, familiar companion she trusts where she can work out her new surroundings one small bit at a time.

This morning i went to go check on the baby and she wasnt there! I searched a bit and found her at the bottom of a bookcase. I picked her up and we put a little wet food in her mouth. From that point she began licking the food off my fingers, she ate a good amount. I then put her back in her carrier and covered her with the towel, she immediatly popped her head out and looked at me, i then left her alone, i tried leaving asia in the room. She continued to let out extravagant meows. I have since let her out to roam again and she is getting adjusted very well, she walks all around the house smelling and such, we fed her the same way we did the baby. We wil be calling the vet shortly. Thanks for all your thoughts and concerns.

I did not mean to imply that this was an emergency situation. Just that your baby might be ill- not that she was. It is always a good idea, unless the breeder gives you a health check certificate to get any new kitten or cat to the vet for a routine check-up. You just never know what they might have brought with them (depending again on where they came from) Although it true that cats undergoing changes will hide and not eat or use the litter pan, it is also a good idea to rule out health issues if the cat hasn't been seen by the vet. I should have explained myself better, and for that I apologize- Sounds like your kitty is doing better, but I would still urge you to have both vetted if they haven't been yet-

my extremely timid kitten was the same way when i brought her home. for the 1st day or so, she didnt eat or go potty. the vet said she was fine, just shy. she lives in my boxsprings at the moment. i guess its better than behind the fridge lol

My little girl was the same way when we brought her home in October. Some cats just take longer to adjust. Eb would hide under the bed, behind the couch, behind the toilet, in her litter box. It took her forever to be comfortable with us. And even now there are times where loud noises scare her, or guests in our home send her running. She just needs time in new situations.

I am glad to hear that a night in her new home has made her come out of her shell a little bit more. Some cats just take a while to adjust to new home. Looks like your new babies have some great parents who want to make sure they are alright. Sounds like you know what to do if your furbabies show signs of illness or not adjusting in the next few days. Enjoy them, I am sure they are both adorable!

Oh excellent! *clapping hands* Just keep on letting her get used to things at her own pace - it sounds like she will be just fine! Yay!

~gf~

Hi again, thanks for all of your replys. Kitten is still scared, but she spent almost all of the day out of her room, for a couple hours we couldnt find her! She has established a couple of places where we can find her. We searched everywhere but we had no luck. a couple hours later i was playing a video game, and out of the corner of my eye i saw some movement,( this is nothing uncommon due to the six cats we have), I didnt look at first then i thought a bout the kitten and turned my head and saw a little kitten tail going behind the tv! We have been able to feed her twice, both by a slight force feed, nothing extreme. the first tiem she began licking off of our fingers only, the second time we had to force feed her, we only feed her a couple "finger scoops" of wet food, she seems to have a more happy face while this is going on rather than the distressed look which im sure you all know what im talking about, she steers clear of people or other cats, basically anything moving, she is also very very sneaky. Its soooo cute, i cant wait till she settles in more. Asia is getting even better than she was yesterday, very playful, still studieing the other cats (from a safe distance), and eating on her own, still no use of the litter box by either. the little kitten hasnt drank any water still that i know of, but i know when the coast is clear she comes out of her carrier, so who knows. she has two sources of both food and water. She is getting better, slowly but surely. Thanks again all

What generation of Bengals are they? Are they SBT (4th generation or more)? Also were they well socialized at the breeders?
I am glad to hear kitten is doing better, keep us updated please!