I recently got a new kitten. Here's the story on this kitten. It was found by a friend of mine somewhere in the snow last week. She thought that it was badly abused by some people. It is like 6 weeks old as far as we know. We do not know whether it's a male or a female. Since we have had this kitten, it's been hiding anywhere that it can and will stay there. it has not gone to the bathroom in it's litter box yet. I want to know what to do about this? Also, when people are walking or begin to walk, it tries to hide.
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
New kitten assistance
- Thread starter pcdoctor2
- Start Date
Firstly, confine your kitty to one room. Put food and water on one side of the room and a litter box on the other. Do NOT try to force the kitty to come to you by grabbing it or holding it against its' will. This kitty is scared right now and needs time to adjust. Go into the room and sit on the floor (or bed) and speak quietly to the kitty, read to it, but just be calming. The kitty may hide for days or weeks but it will come out when it feels comfortable and only then.
Our Simba hid behind our headboard for 4 full weeks. My husband, daughter and I would spend time in the bedroom watching the TV or reading and just talking to him. He was totally terrified when we brought him home. It took a lot of patience but was so worth it as he turned into the most loving lap cat you could ever want.
Be calm, patient and also don't look him/her directly in the eye as this is considered by cats to be a challenge. If you do look at him/her, slowly close your eyes and open them slowly again. Cats will understand that to be a friendly look.
Our Simba hid behind our headboard for 4 full weeks. My husband, daughter and I would spend time in the bedroom watching the TV or reading and just talking to him. He was totally terrified when we brought him home. It took a lot of patience but was so worth it as he turned into the most loving lap cat you could ever want.
Be calm, patient and also don't look him/her directly in the eye as this is considered by cats to be a challenge. If you do look at him/her, slowly close your eyes and open them slowly again. Cats will understand that to be a friendly look.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
I really don't have a place to keep it locked up in right now.
When I got Elessar at 6 weeks old, he and his littermates were feral. For 2 weeks he would hide and all I ever heard was mewing from under furniture and him crunching his food. One day, I saw he was inside a little kitty condo and I scooped him out and bundled him up into a soft towel and held him on my lap. I sat there, crooning in a low soft voice, gently rubbing the top of his head and talking softly. A few times he tried to bolt but I held on to him gently. After about 1/2 hour, he started to relax and became more alert to me, watching my eyelashes blinking, like he wanted to play with them. After about an hour, I let him down gently, and after that, he became more outgoing, like I turned a switch and he became a different kitten. Almost like through all the crooning and stroking, he realized I wasn't going to hurt him.
You don't have to lock him up..but give him a room where there isn't a lot of traffic. That way he doesn't feel threatened.
Katie
Do you have a door on your bedroom? If so, just contain him/her in there.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
I would not want to put it in a bedroom as this could stink up the room when it does use the litter box and I wouldn't want that in my bedroom.
I understand about your concern regarding your bedroom. There are scented litters that mask the smell and frankly...part of cat ownership is cleaning the box on a regular basis.If you are unable to provide this kitten with a safe location....then he will continue to hide and may have accidents if he doesn't feel he can get to the litterbox. Is there a bathroom or a closet that you can turn into a "safe" room for this kitten?
Katie
I agree. He needs someplace where he can feel safe or you are going to have more problems than you really need to. Scooping a litterbox regularly doesn't take a huge amount of time and is a requirement of being owned by a kitty
Bijou's litter box is in our bedroom and Mika's is in our daughter's bedroom. Although they are both covered boxes, they are scooped a minimum of once per day and we have no odour. We use World's Best Cat Litter and find it to be better than the clay litters and not as dusty for the kitty's little lungs.
Bijou's litter box is in our bedroom and Mika's is in our daughter's bedroom. Although they are both covered boxes, they are scooped a minimum of once per day and we have no odour. We use World's Best Cat Litter and find it to be better than the clay litters and not as dusty for the kitty's little lungs.
You refer to your little baby kitty as "it"? I'm sorry, I know this sounds harsh, but try to have a little understanding for a being that has obviously been through a very difficult adjustment, is extremely frightened and in a perfect world, would still be enjoying the warmth and companionship of his mother and siblings.
If you are unwilling or unable to provide a compassionate, understanding and kind environment for this little one, including the appropriate level of care, please find your nearest local rescue or no-kill shelter and surrender her so that she may have a loving forever home.
If you are unwilling or unable to provide a compassionate, understanding and kind environment for this little one, including the appropriate level of care, please find your nearest local rescue or no-kill shelter and surrender her so that she may have a loving forever home.
PCDOCTOR,
If you really don't have enough room to confine him/her why don't get a CAGE.... where the size is reasonable to fix in litter box, water and food... Coz most kitten will scare of people you can just isolate him/her in a place where you don't usually access... But just you have to make sure the place is not too cold and too hot... Coz I am not so sure about the weather now in your country... Becoz in Malaysia is 24 x 7 days hot..... so my best place will be a side of balcony where is windy.... Good.. Luck...
If you really don't have enough room to confine him/her why don't get a CAGE.... where the size is reasonable to fix in litter box, water and food... Coz most kitten will scare of people you can just isolate him/her in a place where you don't usually access... But just you have to make sure the place is not too cold and too hot... Coz I am not so sure about the weather now in your country... Becoz in Malaysia is 24 x 7 days hot..... so my best place will be a side of balcony where is windy.... Good.. Luck...
