Please, I need some advice on my new kitten!?

[jessica991]

So, yesterday I brought home an 8 month old cat. She was the most affectionate of creatures at the shelter, so, naturally I immediately fell in love. At our home, she spends 90% of the time hiding under beds and chairs in her "starter room" we set up in my bedroom. She has been introduced to our other dog and cat, but very briefly. (Doggy loves her, cat...not so much quite yet!) I know the hiding is normal. When I put my hand under the bed yesterday, she squeezed herself over to it and started purring super loud. I nudged her out when she came to the very edge and brought her up onto my bed with me. She cuddled with me in my lap for hours, until I put her on the side of the bed away from me so I could get some sleep without squashing her. To my disappointment, not being curled up in the crook of my leg or my lap seemed to make her jump immediately off the bed and hide for the rest of the night. I woke up at 2 am to hear her wandering around the room we set up - she did use her litterbox!!! Ate a little food, drank a few sips of water. 

My main concern was this morning. I woke up, laid myself down under the bed and said hi to her. She hissed and hid farther back! I was so sad, so I gave her a minute and then tentatively reached my hand under. She began to purr and inched closer. I decided then to give her some more space and left her be.

Is all of this normal?? I hope the hissing was just in shock to seeing my face for the first time in eight hours, and the purring right afterward meant she recognized me. Any tips/ideas? We are keeping her pretty much completely isolated from my other dog and cat for now. Introducing them VERY slowly, and getting the old cat used to new cat's scent with towels and treats.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Totally normal! She obviously feels comfortable with you but needs some time to adjust to a new space. Many cats come out at night when they're first getting adjusted as they feel more secure. Let her come to you for now and make sure her room is truly safe - don't let the other animals in at all for now and try to avoid loud noises like vacuuming.

Watch Jackson Galaxy's cat introduction videos; they are really helpful!

 

[biancavd]

Don't worry, everything that you described sounds extremely normal to me. You are doing perfect, keep on going!

Kittens/Cats have different ways of showing stress. Some purr (yes, they really do) to feel more at ease, some hiss, some hide, some growl, some don't poop for days, some even attack you when frightened. Your kitten just moved to your home, it's naturally that she is stressed. She hissed to let you know that she is uncomfortable. The same goes for the purring, she tried to feel more at ease and also came to you for some comforting. This is a very good sign. Also the fact that she used her litterbox and ate and drank some is a great signal. I think she will feel at home really soon.

As for your other cat, he/she will probably feel treatened by the new kitten as well. Keep an eye on them when putting them together to make sure they don't attack or hurt each other. Kittens get used to new environments rather quickly, but cats that are already there and are older (I'm not sure how old your cat is) usually take a little longer to accept the new kitten as the new one moves into their territory and not the other way around.

If you have any questions left, feel free to ask  

 

[jessica991]

 
Don't worry, everything that you described sounds extremely normal to me. You are doing perfect, keep on going!

Kittens/Cats have different ways of showing stress. Some purr (yes, they really do) to feel more at ease, some hiss, some hide, some growl, some don't poop for days, some even attack you when frightened. Your kitten just moved to your home, it's naturally that she is stressed. She hissed to let you know that she is uncomfortable. The same goes for the purring, she tried to feel more at ease and also came to you for some comforting. This is a very good sign. Also the fact that she used her litterbox and ate and drank some is a great signal. I think she will feel at home really soon.

As for your other cat, he/she will probably feel treatened by the new kitten as well. Keep an eye on them when putting them together to make sure they don't attack or hurt each other. Kittens get used to new environments rather quickly, but cats that are already there and are older (I'm not sure how old your cat is) usually take a little longer to accept the new kitten as the new one moves into their territory and not the other way around.

If you have any questions left, feel free to ask  

Thank you both so much!!!! I have not done this for almost 8 years. So I'm very new I feel like! We went back to the shelter today to adopt her brother. He is definitely more skittish! I got him a little covered cat bed and he has been inside there for several hours. He will purr very quietly if you pet him. But he won't come out? Is that normal? 

His sister definitely seems to have adapted better. She rolls around under the bed, plays with toys, and eats the food I put under there for her. But while last night she wanted to cuddle, today I brought her out to see her brother and she had zero interest in either him or sitting on my lap. She would have stayed, but seemed more interested in hiding back under the bed. So, my question is is it normal that she is playing and eating and rolling around but only under the bed? Do you think eventually she will want to venture out and cuddle with me and her brother?

Sorry for so many questions. I am keeping the old animals completely separate from the new kitties as well. You guys are the most amazing for answering my questions.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Still totally normal. Let them come out in their own time. It's great to go in and spend time with them as they sort out what's safe. You'll have happy and well-adjusted kitties in no time

 

[jessica991]

Okay, that's great! They seem to be doing super well! <3 Dolly (first girl kitten) and her brother Benny (whom I just returned to the shelter to adopt) are adjusting. Benny just came out of his covered bed a few minutes ago. He poked around the room a bit, then he sat in the corner and began to meow. Kind of like a slightly guttural, distressed meow. He's not hiding! He's sitting in the corner by the door, just meowing mournfully. I feel so bad to bother all of you. I just want to know if this is normal too. I am thinking it is a great sign he left his covered bed, climbed inside his litterbox and sniffed around the room. He is just meowing like a relative just died. 

 

[biancavd]

 
Okay, that's great! They seem to be doing super well! <3 Dolly (first girl kitten) and her brother Benny (whom I just returned to the shelter to adopt) are adjusting. Benny just came out of his covered bed a few minutes ago. He poked around the room a bit, then he sat in the corner and began to meow. Kind of like a slightly guttural, distressed meow. He's not hiding! He's sitting in the corner by the door, just meowing mournfully. I feel so bad to bother all of you. I just want to know if this is normal too. I am thinking it is a great sign he left his covered bed, climbed inside his litterbox and sniffed around the room. He is just meowing like a relative just died. 

He's probably a bit distressed and might be calling out for someone he knows to come and comfort him. I'm not familiar with cats adopted from the shelter, but when my kittens move I sometimes hear from their new owners that the kittens walk around meowing a lot. In this case they are calling for their mom to come and comfort them because they feel slightly uncomfortable and don't know the environment yet.

I'd say it should settle in a day or 2. Try playing with him a little to make him feel more comfortable and at ease faster by waving some feathers for example. I wouldn't pick him up yet, but just giving him some toys to sooth his mind might make it a little easier for him.

 

[jessica991]

 
He's probably a bit distressed and might be calling out for someone he knows to come and comfort him. I'm not familiar with cats adopted from the shelter, but when my kittens move I sometimes hear from their new owners that the kittens walk around meowing a lot. In this case they are calling for their mom to come and comfort them because they feel slightly uncomfortable and don't know the environment yet.

I'd say it should settle in a day or 2. Try playing with him a little to make him feel more comfortable and at ease faster by waving some feathers for example. I wouldn't pick him up yet, but just giving him some toys to sooth his mind might make it a little easier for him.

Wow that makes sense! But that's so sad! Poor baby. We've been giving him gentle pets and waving some toys around for him. He purrs very quietly, but doesn't respond much else. He was an extremely shy kitty at the shelter so I hope he grows out of it here.

Dolly has ventured out from under the bed and has been doing a lot of running around, playing with her toys, and scratching her scratching pad. But interestingly, she's a little afraid of us. She runs at the slightest movement and will be pet, but does not want to cuddle. What confuses me is how calm and almost sedated she was yesterday evening when she came home. She cuddled with me and was very quiet. Why would the second day make her super energetic and rather jumpy? Is that normal? 

 

[talkingpeanut]

She was probably a bit in shock yesterday and is now exploring, though still wary. I think as long as you don't have a lot of expectations and continue to move at their speed you're all going to be great.

 

[jessica991]

She was probably a bit in shock yesterday and is now exploring, though still wary. I think as long as you don't have a lot of expectations and continue to move at their speed you're all going to be great.

I hope that eventually they both like to cuddle again like they did at the animal shelter! But I try to keep my expectations reasonable I want to move as slowly as possible and make sure they're comfortable. I just hope I'm doing okay!

 

[MoochNNoodles]

It sounds like you are doing fine to me! Just let them set the pace and try to relax too. They pick up our emotions too. It can take even a few months for some kitties to settle in properly.

 

[jessica991]

Thank you to everyone for their amazing help and advice! Things seem to be going well - this morning I woke up to both cats wanting some cautious cuddles They no longer hiss when I surprise them and both are eating and eliminating. I am not yet comfortable taking them out of my bedroom, and am unwilling to introduce them to the resident pets anytime soon. My dog, a sweet Westie, followed me in this evening when I went inside my bedroom before I even realized he was behind me. Immediately, the female cat (who was under the bed) began to growl low in her throat. My dog paid zero attention to this, instead demanding pets from me as I attempted to usher him out. He strayed too close to the bed as I nudged him out (didn't want to panic and drag him out lest he associate the kittens with fear) and Dolly inched out under the bed, hissed and swatted. This caused my dog to immediately back away and start to bark frantically. Is this normal? I have been doing the total separation protocol between new/resident pets I found online. I am introducing everyone to each other's scents, associating the scents with treats, etc. I hope this isn't a total setback.

Also, I am getting a new litterbox delivered tomorrow. Dolly seems to fancy herself an archaeologist and digs like crazy in my plain litterbox. She throws the litter everywhere! I'm hoping this covered litterbox will help. But before I set up the new one I have to vacuum the ton of excess litter Dolly has kicked up around the carpet. I am planning on putting her and Benny in the bathroom while I vacuum. I don't want to terrify them! Does this sound like the best course of action?