Need advice for new kitten!

lisarobin1 · Jul 27, 2005

I just adopted an 8-10 week old kitten and brought him home with me a few days ago. I made him safe place under my bed with his box, water, toys from "foster home", and towels. When he hid for a few days I thought he was just getting used to his new environment and I tried to leave him alone for the most part, checking on him and talking to him occassionally.

Nights are UNBAREABLE! He is crying every 10 minutes. I would set him up in a different room, but I can't even go near him without him running from me and hiding. My initial strategy was to leave him alone and let him come to me when he was ready. However, the kitten will barely even come out from hiding. When I try to peek under the bed to see him occassionally, he hisses and spits.

I feel hopeless because I don't know what he wants. When I adopted my oldest cat a few years back (he lives with my mother now) he cried the first few weeks as well, but only because he wanted to be with me. This kitten cries but then runs! What am I doing wrong this time? Please help!

- Lisa

semiferal · Jul 27, 2005

What were his circumstances before you adopted him, and before he was in the foster home? It sounds like he may have been feral or undersocialized. If he runs from you, it's best to confine him to a small room (the bathroom is fine) so you can get your hands on him without having to frighten him further by chasing him around the house. Eventually he will become used to you and then you can give him free run of the house.

He really needs a buddy his own age. Kittens are very social animals and they benefit greatly from the company of other kittens. If you adopted another kitten, your little guy would be much happier and you would also save another homeless baby. Plus if you choose a kitten who is very social with humans, the shy guy will observe and learn from him.

tnr1 · Jul 27, 2005

Originally Posted by lisarobin1

I just adopted an 8-10 week old kitten and brought him home with me a few days ago. I made him safe place under my bed with his box, water, toys from "foster home", and towels. When he hid for a few days I thought he was just getting used to his new environment and I tried to leave him alone for the most part, checking on him and talking to him occassionally.

Nights are UNBAREABLE! He is crying every 10 minutes. I would set him up in a different room, but I can't even go near him without him running from me and hiding. My initial strategy was to leave him alone and let him come to me when he was ready. However, the kitten will barely even come out from hiding. When I try to peek under the bed to see him occassionally, he hisses and spits.

I feel hopeless because I don't know what he wants. When I adopted my oldest cat a few years back (he lives with my mother now) he cried the first few weeks as well, but only because he wanted to be with me. This kitten cries but then runs! What am I doing wrong this time? Please help!

- Lisa

Lisa...he probably misses his mom and his siblings. You aren't doing anything wrong...however, he is in a new place, with new smells and without the comfort of anything familiar. That in of itself is scary enough...then add the fact that there is this big person who he isn't too sure about (yet). Even socialized kittens need an adjustment time (was he in a foster home?) but it sounds like your little one may not have received the socialization that teaches kittens that we are "ok". Best thing to do is to continue to let him explore....and let him come to you. As far as the crying goes...he's just searching for mom and his siblings for comfort. Hissy would be a good one to ask about what you can do to provide extra comfort for him while he is still adjusting.

Katie

lisarobin1 · Jul 27, 2005

Thanks for the advice.

To give you a background, this kitten and his siblings were found in a backyard, scooped up probably too early, and then left at home while the foster mommy was at work all day. On top of this, he was the most shy kitten of the litter- the others would play with anyone who came in the room while this one would hide. It seemed that his brothers would dominate him and his sister at times.

I will keep you posted on his improvement. I hope it gets better soon.

- Lisa

hissy · Jul 27, 2005

Lisa, I would take him to the vet if you haven't already and also invest in a snugglekittie-

semiferal · Jul 27, 2005

Originally Posted by lisarobin1

Thanks for the advice.

To give you a background, this kitten and his siblings were found in a backyard, scooped up probably too early, and then left at home while the foster mommy was at work all day. On top of this, he was the most shy kitten of the litter- the others would play with anyone who came in the room while this one would hide. It seemed that his brothers would dominate him and his sister at times.

I will keep you posted on his improvement. I hope it gets better soon.

- Lisa

That makes sense. It sounds like he's the type of kitten who was very dependent on his siblings. Bolder kittens usually do okay if they're alone but more timid kittens tend to wait for a more assertive kitten to try something before they decide it's okay, so being alone can be really tough on them.

If you really can only have one cat for one reason or another, you might try calling the foster caregiver to explain the situation and ask if any of his siblings are still up for adoption. Explain that you think this little guy really needs a home with one of his brothers or sisters but you'd love to give a home to one of the more outgoing kittens who will have an easier time being separated from his siblings.

But with a snuggle type security item and some time and patience, this little guy will also adjust in time. It will just take a while.

lisarobin1 · Jul 29, 2005

Good news! Instead of leaving little Benny to hiss and spit, I actually tried being more adventurous and picking him up. Immediately, he stopped hissing and started purring! Isn't that strange? He now comes out regularly. While he is still shy, Benny feels more comfortable being around us and that's all I can expect from a little kitten in a new home. Thank you all for your advice.

semiferal · Jul 29, 2005

That's so cool. I guess he thinks of you as the new leader cat and he's following your example. I'm glad it's working out.

Need advice for new kitten!

lisarobin1

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