Help with new kitten please?

[sammy szymaszek]

Hello,

I am Sammy (new to forum) and after losing my 6 year old cat Duncan (Tonkinese) from a severe form of Diabetes, I had finally decided to start looking for a fresh start. I adopted Luna, a beautiful 7 week 1 day old American Short hair Tuxedo two days ago. She is very healthy, has all her shots but is hiding underneath my bed and doesn't want to come out to explore.

Any advice for a (Technically first time- since Duncan was a family adopted cat only a year ago) a first time kitten owner to help her feel more comfortable, or get her out from under my bed and have fun?

Thanks,

Sammy and Luna

Luna.jpg

• sammy szymaszek
• Aug 19, 2012

 

[wolcar]

Congrats on your new kitty. Very adorable.  I've been involved with some stray kittens (I take them in, take them to the vet, then get them into the local cat rescue) and the things I've done may not be the 'right' way...just saying :-)

I think patience is key.  I would sit in the room sometimes quiet sometimes reading and just let them get used to me. I also give them their space.  I think play helps connect also.  I think the longer type toys with a stick and a string with something on the end is good - that way they aren't that close to you. I never force them to do anything.  I'll feed them and leave them alone and then I start feeding them with me sitting there.  I think it just takes some patience.  The poor thing is probably scared and lonely.  I've had a bit of success with just being patient.  I remember one kitten we called hissy bitch. She (which turned out to be a he) was so nasty. By time I got him into the cat rescue he had finally turned friendly and loved me back. I was so sad to see him go. i ALMOST took him in myself.  Sometimes the ones that require the work are the ones you develope awesome bonds with :-(  :-)

When I adopted my two boys when they were kittens I put them in a room where there really wasn't anywhere to hide. I gave them things to kind of hide in but there wasn't any furniture or anything for them to cower into.  Plus I think taking them both in together was helpful to them.  I think adopting two together was the best thing I ever did. They kind of take care of themselves.

That's all I have to offer in the way of advice.  Good luck with your new kitty, though.  I do hear a lot of folks put new kittens in a smaller room to begin with.  Luna is really pretty!

 

[sammy szymaszek]

I actually just started to feed her a little wte mixed with dry and sat and watched her eat I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly for her, and she is in my room (very small in size) to start! And thank you she was a gift from a teacher of mine

I would have taken her brother (Poncho, the owner called him, because he is a tuxedo with "half mustache") but I pay rent to my parents and only wanted one cat haha (Understandable)

And I thank you for the compliment! Luna was my first pick because of the small white birthmark on her face, much different to me than her other 3 brothers!
 

 

[sammy szymaszek]

Oh my goodness! It is like a switch flipped inside of her! She is rubbing her body against my bed, she's racing in and out of the underneath to attack my toes (her claws tickle!) And she is eating heartily now, as well as playing with string.

Thanks for the help!
 

 

[otto]

Hello and welcome to TCS! I'm so sorry for your loss of your beloved Duncan.

Congratulations on your new baby! You should be aware that 7 weeks is really much too young to have been taken from her mama and litter mates so you may be faced with some problems in Luna's early development that wouldn't have come up, otherwise. Raising two together, especially so young, is actually a good idea..maybe you could go back and get Poncho.....?

I'm glad Luna is coming out now! But let her hide when she wants to.

Don't let her attack your toes. Distract her with a toy. Always, always use toys in play, not toes, feet hands or fingers. It may seem cute now, but it will not be cute and it will not tickle, as she gets older. Give her a stuffed animal about her size, and let her grab and bite that instead.

 

[missymotus]

7 weeks is very young as already said, I'm very surprised a breeder let her go so soon - unless you meant a domestic shorthair, not a pedigree American Shorthair?

If the other one is still available and you can afford 2 kittens it is a good idea to have 2, especially when they are so underage.  Also at 7 weeks she hasn't had all her shots, they don't start until 8-10 weeks. She may have had 1, but no way has she completed the kitten series. 

 

[mrblanche]

Luna is a cutie!

When a kitten is taken from its mother (as opposed to leaving on her own), her first instinct is to make herself very small so you won't be able to find her and eat her.  Yes, that's the way nature works!  When she sees that's not the case, she'll come out and develop her own personality. 

Keeping her in a small room is good, so that she can't hide from you completely, get lost (read the stories in the SOS section about cats lost inside a house), get stepped on, or just develop into an anti-social animal.  Talking to her is good, because she gets used to the sound of your voice and associates it with pleasant things.

Of course, as a kitten, she is prone to a lot of diseases and parasites, so she should see a vet before too long to be tested for the "big nasties," like FELV and FIV.  She should also be vaccinated against the feline version of the parvovirus, among other things. 

"Free kitten?"  Not hardly!
 

 

[sammy szymaszek]

She is a domestic shorthair (Noted on the veterinary paperwork) and the old owner had her checked for FELV and FIV and is negative, has begun deworming, and so far as the vet had given me for paperwork, says everything is checking out as ok (only one sot given so far, must return in 3-4 weeks)
 

I got a stuffed toy like you said, its a kitten stuffed animal similar in size and she is rough housing with it! She has begun to purr and allow me to stroke her

I'd get the second, but sadly am on lease with my parents, renting the small apartment connected to the house and starting college soon, so I can only afford one at the time

Thanks everyone for the advice, I am still kinda new to this

 

[drbobcat]

The more things she can get her smell on, the better.  I hope she has her own bed, and get her both a vertical and horizontal scratching post.  If she's by herself for long periods of time, talk to her frequently, as someone else said, in a low calm voice. Some cats relax to music.  There are even DVD's made for cats!   One person I read even read to her cat to get it accustomed to her voice.  I don't agree with those who say that you should remove all hidey-holes.  True, you don't want her in a dangerous situation, but new cats should always have a place to escape.  Often the first few weeks and months of a new cat are the most demanding, so just keep loving her!

 

[cameron]

The more things she can get her smell on, the better.  I hope she has her own bed, and get her both a vertical and horizontal scratching post.  If she's by herself for long periods of time, talk to her frequently, as someone else said, in a low calm voice. Some cats relax to music.  There are even DVD's made for cats!   One person I read even read to her cat to get it accustomed to her voice.  I don't agree with those who say that you should remove all hidey-holes.  True, you don't want her in a dangerous situation, but new cats should always have a place to escape.  Often the first few weeks and months of a new cat are the most demanding, so just keep loving her!

First off... Welcome to TCS (I'm kind of a newbie myself), and congrats on your new little baby, she is adoreable.  I have been using some of the DVD's that DrBobCat is talking about, and let me tell you, they are fantastic.  I use a series called "Cat Sitter", although I am sure that there are others out there.  My two cats will sit infront of the TV for hours if I have the DVD's in for them... Sometimes I will leave the DVD on continuous loop if I am going to be out of the house for a while.... The cats find it very relaxing.

Have a great day and best of luck to you and your new kitten

---Cameron