New Kitten! Help!

[Belleadawna]

I recently moved out of my families house and into a non-pet friendly apartment with my boyfriend. I have always had (a) cat(s) my entire life. When i moved out there were 6 in the house (and still is). I have major depressive disorder and always looked to my animals when i was sad. So last week i decided to do the steps i needed to get an “emotional support animal” that was allowed in my apartment.
I found and ad for a bunch of barn kittens that were fuzzy an adorable! At the time i didnt know better.. but they are only 6-7 weeks, which i later found out they should be with their mom till like 12 weeks :/ (so i feel pretty bad about that) but she was either gonna go to me or someone else, so there was nothing i could do about that. But I brought my kitten (Princess) home yesterday and my life has been hell since... she cries for her mom/siblings constantly, when shes eatting, when i hold her, when i try to play with her... i feel soooo bad for her. I wanted to go get one of her siblings but im only allowed one emotional support animal :/
She trusts me and will come to me and let me hold her and what not (shes still kind of cautious around my boyfriend tho, but hes a gentle giant and i know eventually she will love him). But whenever i hold her and cuddle her she tries or does jump out of my arms and then goes and wanders around and cries even louder than the last time.. i set her up a little space in our closet in our bathroom (its pretty big for a closet) and she has 2 blankets and food and water in there and then her cat box (which she uses) right outside the door. We leave all the doors open so shes not stuck in their or anything but she still cries constantly unless shes asleep. Im at a point where i can only sleep if she sleeps. Right now shes under the couch crying her little head off i dont know what to do. Is it best to just leave her alone and let her wander and cry until she realizes that her siblings and mom are not here? Or should i try to comfort her when she cries (usually she just wanders away when i sit with her)? I just got 4 kittens last year but they all had eachother so they never did this... i didnt even know kittens did this.. but yes i get her world is flipped and shes stressed and what not, but i just want to know how do i make her more comfortable faster so i dont have to listen to her cry for 6 hours a day for the next month :/ ?

 

[tnbsp]

I don't know much about kittens this young, and/or if this is a normal reaction or not.. but have you tried playing with her? Playing should help her build confidence.

I would also be worried that her crying could be something else, like illness or pain, especially because it sounds like she hasn't stopped at all, based on what you wrote.

Have you taken her to the vet? Are you sure she is crying because she misses everyone and it's not something else? I would get her checked by the vet asap if you haven't yet, and I would try doing some play with her... have her chase a string or feather toy, just make sure to put it away when you aren't with her so that she doesn't eat it. Get her running around, and show her she can fun in her new environment. I like that you made her a nice space for herself, that sounds good.

Also, remember that you only just got her. It might take her more time to adjust to the new changes.

 

[Belleadawna]

Yeah i have wondered if something is wrong with her cause she is pretty skinny. Most kittens iv ever petted are pretty chuncky at this size. I will probably make an appointment today.
And i went to the pet store and bought her toys and she wants nothing to do with them. She runs into her safe room when i bring them out. One is a sting with a fish attachted to the end and doesnt make any noise and then i got her a couple balls with bells in them. When i shake them she looks at them but wont go near them. She runs from the string.

 

[tnbsp]

Oh no, she sounds so frightened. I'm glad you made an appointment, that will rule out any medical problems at least. keep us posted.

it's strange about the toys... at least she looks at them when you shake them. Do you try getting her to chase them at all? Like shake and throw away from her? not towards her, but like a mouse running away?

Maybe you can you leave some of the safer ones with her in the safe room. That might help her get used to them, make the toys smell a little bit like her, etc. You could also put the toys near the food, as long as it doesn't stop her from eating her food. When I tried to get my boys used to their collars, I kept their collars near their food bowl at first, then put them on before feeding time, so that they would associate their collars with something good, food.

You said she was a barn cat, that could mean she doesn't even know what a toy is and the objects are scaring her. Maybe her only form of play before was just with her siblings. Don't give up and move slowly, at her pace.

 

[Hellenww]

The first order of business is to get her to the vet if you haven't already.

You're doing all the right things. What is she eating? As young as she is offer her some KMR as well as kitten food.

Try to relax and keep talking softly to her. Use a soft blanket when holding her so it feels as close to a mama or sibling as possible. She probably will cry until she gets used to the idea another cat is not going to answer or try meowing to her. She will accept you as The Mama it may take a short time.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. And congrats on the adoption of your new kitten.

I agree with the other posters that a vet visit is a good idea. She probably needs to be dewormed at the very least.

Because she was a "barn kitten" getting her young is probably a good thing in her case. Even at 6 or 7 weeks, feral kittens start to be scared of humans. So that could explain some of her behaviour.

Here are a few TCS articles on new kittens, which may be helpful. Good luck.

Keep us posted on her progress. And do post pictures of her when you can.
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post

9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment
Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips

And since she was taken from her mom and siblings so early, you will now have the job of teaching her kitty manners. Here's an article with more info:
Teach Your Kitten How to Play Nice : The Humane Society of the United States

 

[Belleadawna]

Oh no, she sounds so frightened. I'm glad you made an appointment, that will rule out any medical problems at least. keep us posted.

it's strange about the toys... at least she looks at them when you shake them. Do you try getting her to chase them at all? Like shake and throw away from her? not towards her, but like a mouse running away?

Maybe you can you leave some of the safer ones with her in the safe room. That might help her get used to them, make the toys smell a little bit like her, etc. You could also put the toys near the food, as long as it doesn't stop her from eating her food. When I tried to get my boys used to their collars, I kept their collars near their food bowl at first, then put them on before feeding time, so that they would associate their collars with something good, food.

You said she was a barn cat, that could mean she doesn't even know what a toy is and the objects are scaring her. Maybe her only form of play before was just with her siblings. Don't give up and move slowly, at her pace.

Yeah iv played with her like i have with all my other kittens and none of them have ever acted like this. I just dont want her to be miserable and be scarred at only 7 weeks :/

 

[jen]

First of all she SHOULD NOT have full run of your home, confining her to the bathroom with the doors closed is exactly what you should do. You could play some music or something quiet for her to relax. She needs kitten wet and dry food available at all times. She also needs to see a vet for dewormer... She is surely terrified suddenly being away from mom and siblings. It will take time for her to forget them and be focused on you. Be patient. She is a baby.

 

[Belleadawna]

She only has acess to the bathroom and living room and my room when im in there (and there is no underneath my bed. Its on the floor so theres no where for her to hide except under my desk). She stays in the bathroom for the most part. I just dont want her to feel trapped. Shes either in her closet or under the couch (which we made it so she CAN NOT get IN the couch cause she did that and got stuck and we had to rip the whole bottom of our couch off just to get her out).

And i bought little crunchies that are hard on the outside and soft on the inside that she has access to at all times and water, and i give her half a can of wet food throughout the day.

 

[danteshuman]

Can you puurr? It helps, I swear. Also if she is more wild avoiding eye contact & talking to her softly helps. The slow blink can help to. Have you tried getting her to come to you using a toy? (Like a long feather boa or fake ribbon that you can drag to get her to approach you?)

I would be keeping her in my bedroom so I could spend more time with her and so she could sleep with me ... but I have been there with kittens before and do not move if there is a folded blanket next to me. So the next best thing? I would wrap a hot water bottle in a t-shirt I wore, and put it next to her bed so she could snuggle it if she wanted. (Also be sure to keep the bathroom around 80F if you can..... it isn't necessary at this age but she will probably be more comfortable.)

I would give her a litter box (small) in whatever 2 rooms she spends the most time in .... then when she is 3-4 months old I would put the two litter boxes together in one of the locations, if you want. That way she is always near a litter box.

Lastly I would buy a high quality kitten dry food or even wet food. Because once they taste the less good for them stuff it is near impossible to get them to eat better. Knowing kittens I would feed her wet food twice a day plus unlimited dry kitten food until she is 6 months old.

Take tons of pictures they grow up fast!

Kitten Care Basics | How to Care for a New Kitten | Caring for a New Kitten

 

[Belleadawna]

She doesn’t really like my room. She likes the bathroom and under the couch and thats it. I dont really feel like sleeping in the bathroom (lol) so i slept on the couch but her crying kept me up for hours at night and i have a job, so i need sleep to function at work. Like right now i just took a sleeping pill and put ear plugs in because work today was a nightmare without barely any sleep.
The bathroom stays pretty warm and we have a warm, fuzzy blanket thatshe likes to hide under and cuddle with. My bf goes and lays in the closet with her until she falls asleep when he gets home from work (we work different times of the day so shes only really alone for an hour and a half a day).

And for food i got her the wet food that my family has always used for our cats, and i got her the smallest size dry food i could find cause shes so tiny! She seems to really like both so i think we are good in food department. She eats and goes potty fine.

If i could just get her to stop crying for hours upon hours (even when im holding her or shes eatting or im trying to play with her), that would be great.

 

[jen]

It is specifically kitten food though right?

 

[danteshuman]

The wet food should be fine. The dry food, well she is growing & needs more calories. That was why I said kitten dry food. They need more calories that first 12-18 months..... the Maine Coon cat will grow for the first 2 years and may keep growing up until the fourth year. You can feed her adult food if you have to, just don't limit her amount (and expect her to eat a LOT!)

I tried feeding my babies kitten healthy wet food and they preferred the dry!

It sounds like she is scared/nervous. So she is looking for a cave to hide in. If I could I would block places like under the couch ... but I would give her lots of caves to hide in. A cave in each room. A crate with the door removed/zipped open works. Or a cardboard box on it's side with a towel draped over it. Or a sheet draped over a coffee table (and maybe a bed or towel on the floor) or draping a sheet so it hangs down to the ground over your dining room table ... so she can cave on the chairs (*just don't put anything on top of the sheets because they will try to climb anything!) In a pinch I might even use a laundry basket on it's side with a couple of towels (one folded inside & one draped over...leaning the basket against a wall for support if needed.)

I have a cave loving cat. I have my waist high dresser in one of my closets... so I hung a sheet over the hanger rod and gave him a bed behind the sheet, just so he could hide there. Plus they have there crate with a blanket on the bottom & the door removed, under a table. So they cave or climb all they want.

She should be fine and she will become braver in time. Though because she was taken from her mom (or in her mind lost her entire family) she will not be taught cat manners by her siblings & mom. So be sure to only play with her while keeping your hands far away from her, so she learns toys, not hands.

Can we see a picture of her? I just love kitten pics and it seems everyone else does to

 

[rubysmama]

Here's a couple articles on feeding kittens/cats.

The Essentials Of Kitten Nutrition
How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat?

If you can, get her kitten kibble, like Kitten Chow. Also, canned kitten food has more calories than adult canned food. Pet Smart has several different brands and flavours of kitten food.

Maybe, also, get her a small baby safe stuffed toy to keep her company.

 

[Belleadawna]

I recently moved out of my families house and into a non-pet friendly apartment with my boyfriend. I have always had (a) cat(s) my entire life. When i moved out there were 6 in the house (and still is). I have major depressive disorder and always looked to my animals when i was sad. So last week i decided to do the steps i needed to get an “emotional support animal” that was allowed in my apartment.
I found and ad for a bunch of barn kittens that were fuzzy an adorable! At the time i didnt know better.. but they are only 6-7 weeks, which i later found out they should be with their mom till like 12 weeks :/ (so i feel pretty bad about that) but she was either gonna go to me or someone else, so there was nothing i could do about that. But I brought my kitten (Princess) home yesterday and my life has been hell since... she cries for her mom/siblings constantly, when shes eatting, when i hold her, when i try to play with her... i feel soooo bad for her. I wanted to go get one of her siblings but im only allowed one emotional support animal :/
She trusts me and will come to me and let me hold her and what not (shes still kind of cautious around my boyfriend tho, but hes a gentle giant and i know eventually she will love him). But whenever i hold her and cuddle her she tries or does jump out of my arms and then goes and wanders around and cries even louder than the last time.. i set her up a little space in our closet in our bathroom (its pretty big for a closet) and she has 2 blankets and food and water in there and then her cat box (which she uses) right outside the door. We leave all the doors open so shes not stuck in their or anything but she still cries constantly unless shes asleep. Im at a point where i can only sleep if she sleeps. Right now shes under the couch crying her little head off i dont know what to do. Is it best to just leave her alone and let her wander and cry until she realizes that her siblings and mom are not here? Or should i try to comfort her when she cries (usually she just wanders away when i sit with her)? I just got 4 kittens last year but they all had eachother so they never did this... i didnt even know kittens did this.. but yes i get her world is flipped and shes stressed and what not, but i just want to know how do i make her more comfortable faster so i dont have to listen to her cry for 6 hours a day for the next month :/ ?

Update!!! Today went a LOT better than the past 2 days! She is following me and my bf around, and i actually got her to play with one of her toys today!! She isnt crying as much, and she hasnt had any potty accidents which im very happy about! I have a vet appointment wednesday (soonest i could get in to the vet my family has been using for year and years) to get her a checkup and make sure everything is all good with her ears (i saw her scratching them earlier) and make sure she doesnt have worms or the one feline cancer virus (one of my past rescue kittens had it and she died at about 2 years old last year so im very cautious of that).

I tried to get a picture but she moves and runs around so much that they are all so blurry! Ill have to get one when shes sleeping in a place i can get to and take a picture of her at! Shes calico with white socks and one tipped ears! Shes medium to long hair length too.

 

[danteshuman]

YEAH!!! I'm happy she is feeling more secure.

She probably will need a vaccine & a de-wormer. I would especially want her to get a FVRCP vaccine. Even if it means she will have to keep getting boosters until she is 4 months old. It will protect her from feline panleukopenia. Since you have a good vet, I'm sure they will tell you if she needs it. I only brought it up so you could expect the cost.

Kitten Vaccinations | Vaccination Schedule for Cats | petMD

 

[rubysmama]

She sounds like a beauty. Looking forward to seeing pics.

 

[MRG2018]

Try one of those purring toys on amazon- I have seen it being used with great results and will calm her down.

 

[Belleadawna]

Update!!! Today went a LOT better than the past 2 days! She is following me and my bf around, and i actually got her to play with one of her toys today!! She isnt crying as much, and she hasnt had any potty accidents which im very happy about! I have a vet appointment wednesday (soonest i could get in to the vet my family has been using for year and years) to get her a checkup and make sure everything is all good with her ears (i saw her scratching them earlier) and make sure she doesnt have worms or the one feline cancer virus (one of my past rescue kittens had it and she died at about 2 years old last year so im very cautious of that).

I tried to get a picture but she moves and runs around so much that they are all so blurry! Ill have to get one when shes sleeping in a place i can get to and take a picture of her at! Shes calico with white socks and one tipped ears! Shes medium to long hair length too.

I got a couple pics that arn’t horribly blurry! You can see her coloring at least haha

 

[rubysmama]

Awwww... she's adorable. Love her colouring, particularly the tips of her ears.