How Long Did It Take For Your Cat To Be Comfortable With You?

[CatLoverOnWheels]

I have adopted a 11 week kitten when she was 9 weeks from a family friend who previously got her at 7 weeks old. I don't know why she was taken that early but at least, she'll be with me indefinitely. I have had her for 2 and a half weeks.

She's gotten used to the house and loves playing and hunting. She was close to me at first, following me and my mum around everywhere - still does to some extent but not with me. I had to give her some liquid worming medicine but I think she had a bit of a scare with that since I had to pin her down and it really didn't taste or smell nice! Bless.

I just miss the fact that she was so close. Now she avoids me and doesn't like to be petted so much unless she's sleepy. She doesn't really come to me as much except during the night when she sleeps at the end of the bed or in the blanket next to me. She wants to be independent but how do I get her to not be so aloof? I feel the medicine experience has made her less trusting.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Welcome!
Maybe some things in this will help;
14 Cat Experts Reveal: How To Get A Cat To Like Me

 

[Margret]

She'll get over it; cats are very forgiving people. Try playing with her, say a Cat Dancer (Cat Dancer Original Cat Toy) or a wand toy. These are both a little better than a laser pointer, because the link between the toy and you is more obvious than the link between a red dot on the other side of the room and you.

Don't give her catnip toys; she's still too young to respond to catnip.

And by the way, welcome to The Cat Site! You've found the best community of cat lovers on the internet. We hope you and your kitten will be part of our community for a very long time to come.

Margret

 

[mjhenn]

Hey there!

So we adopted our cat Marcy 4 months ago, she was 8 months old when we got her. I know she is alot older than you kitty but I just wanted to share our experience.

When we brought Marcy home she was terrified. She was so stressed out she refused to eat. My wife and I have to syringe feed her twice a day for the first week plus syringe feed her antibiotics because we though she had an upper respiratory infection and we had to force feed her appetite stimulants. It was rough on my wife and I as her and our other cat Finn are the first cats we have owned (we adopted them at the same time). She did finally start to eat (the night before we were going to bring her back to the shelter [we were both starting work and wouldn't have time to force feed her and didn't want a cat dying in our care]). After that she was super skiddish. Any time we walked by she darted to one of her safe spaces. She did love being petted but we had to seek her out and she never ever came up to us. It was like this for a while.

After about 3 months of us slowly introducing more of our apartment and being gentle with her and allowing her to go to her hidey holes when she needed to feel safe, she came around. Now she doesn't leave us alone and its awesome. She usually sleeps in-between my wife and I hogging as much of the bed as she can. She jumps on our laps for pets, she head butts us super hard during the night when she wants pets, and she loves rubbing up on our legs when we are up and around. Essentially she has become a completely different cat. So there is hope my friend, it may just take some time. They are forgiving animals because it was absolute torture to have to hold her down and pry her mouth open and feed her syringe after syringe twice a day, but she has never held it against us. We never though we were going to have a lap cat and now we do! She is still a timid cat though, she doesn't like changes to her environment (we had to board her while we took trip recently and it took a day or two for her to start eating at the boarding place).

So have faith my friend. I'm sure your kitty will come around too. Cats are fickle creatures but they are so loving, especially to those that take care of them!

 

[tangers40]

How long did it take my cat to get comfortable with me?

Oh, about 5 seconds at least. She marched right up to the front of her cage the very first time I visited with her and demanded pets. I put a hold on her, then went back bright and early the next day to adopt her

She's a very confident, adventurous cat, so it took her no time at all to adjust to my apartment when she got home. I left her in the "safe room" for a couple days just to be on the safe side, but it probably wasn't necessary. She jumped onto my lap several times and onto my bed to sleep the very first day.

As for your cat being aloof, that's what cats do! Sometimes they love you to death, other times they pretend they don't know you. She may be slightly miffed about the medicine thing, but as others have said, she'll get over it. You've only had her for less than 3 weeks, give it more time before you write her off as aloof and unfriendly.

 

[Kal_shadowsmom]

The history with my cat shadow and I is long. She didn't really start warming up to me until almost a month and a half after I officially adopted her. She was the stubborn one of the bunch so I think that's why it took so long.

Interaction is key. I spent as much time with her as possible. Lots of play sessions and brushing her. I also got her comfortable with my recliner so that she knew it was ok to be there when I was there.
Give it some time. Like tangers40 said, sometimes they act like you are everything, other times they don't even pretend to know you.

 

[MargoLane]

I've had my cat for almost three months, and I feel like she continues to warm up to me! She's had a lot of different homes (3 before me, just in 2018) because she was taken from one rescue to another, deemed adoptable, then got sick and went to a fosters, etc. She was very confident in the house right away and was happy enough to get pets, but real bonding takes time and happens every day. She has to learn we aren't going to give her away. She's only just started sleeping with us fairly consistently. And she bonded with me much more quickly than with my boyfriend. But she's really getting there with him too. So I wouldn't lose heart! It's my first cat, but I imagine it'll take her at least the same length of time she was moved around for her to really feel settled in.

 

[vince]

Both of mine were quite self-assured. It took all of maybe, 15 minutes. They have become more willing to cuddle, but were always comfortable with me and each other.

 

[Katie M]

I got Charlie when he was two months old. He's the most confident cat I've ever known, and he made himself at home the very first night.

I adopted Selene from a shelter when she was three months old. The first time I picked her up, she laid her head on my shoulder and purred. Just like Charlie, she made herself at home right away.

 

[danteshuman]

All the kittens in my life warmed up to me in a minute. However my punk just wanted to play & hated to cuddle. So when he was a kitten I used to sneak in a few pets mid play then play some more with him. Your kitten is like a 3 year old that just wants to run around & play with other kids. It doesn't mean your kitten loves you less. They withdraw a bit in their teens (theoretically, my cats stuck to me like glue & insisted on tons of play when they were teens.)

 

[CatLoverOnWheels]

Having a cat really is an experience! I must've stereotyped how our little Nala would be as I've never had a cat before. Now, it's week 3 and officially 12 weeks old and she has, at last, forgiven me! She's still not a fan of being held unless it's in front of an open window but working progress.

She purrs really easily especially when she's sleepy and decides to knead and nurse her blanket. That's her only time she wants to be petted but it's better than nothing.

 

[Margret]

"Always remember that you are absolutely unique, just like everybody else" applies to cats as much as it does to humans. Certainly cats have some things in common - they all sleep a lot, for instance - but their personalities are quite individual. Your Nala's personality is still developing, because of her age, but she will be totally herself and you'll have a wonderful time getting to know her.

Margret