A few kitten questions

[tara246]

I'm not new to cats, but this is the youngest kitten I've ever had that wasn't a barn cat, so I stumbled upon this website and was hoping yall could answer a few questions!

We found Bucky when he was about 6 weeks old or so the vet thought. No mom in sight, there were two "siblings" with him but neither survived. We really aren't sure they were siblings because they were so much bigger than he was, or he was just a runt. Anyways he's been doing awesome other than being super needy, but he's a baby!

Yesterday he got his second round of shots and has been acting VERY weird since. To put things into perspective, this cat never leaves my sight. He kind of freaks out if he can't see you so he stays within sight of you 24/7. Since getting shots, he is staying as far away as possible and will not come to me when I call him. He is eating, except I had to drag him out from under the bed to show him I put out his wet food. Normally, that's not an issue. He sees that wet food can and he comes running to the bowl. He ate and promptly went right back under the bed. He isn't acting sickly or anything like that, just very solitary. Our other cats never did that after shots, so I'm not sure if this is normal or if he needs to go back to the vet.

Another question I had, which my vet didn't see anything wrong with him, is that he goes to the bathroom a lot. I mean.. a lot. I have to clean his litter box every single day or it gets unusable. He goes through a container of litter in about a week and a half. He doesn't have diarrhea, that's not the issue. He is peeing a ton each day. I don't think he drinks a ton of water though, it doesn't seem like it at least. Again, he seems completely healthy and the vet found nothing wrong with him during his checkup yesterday, so I just wondered if that was something anyone else had noticed with small kittens? It just seems strange.

 

[handsome kitty]

You may want to post this under Preg Cats and Kitten Care.

 Peeing a lot is a good sign, means he is getting enough water.   Small kittens have small bladders and he will pee a lot until about 10 months old.  My 2nd cat just turned 10 months old and is now peeing maybe twice a day.  You should be cleaning the litter box at least once a day and you may want to get a 2nd litter box if you only have one.  Some cats like to pee and poo in separate boxes.  If you only have one box, clean it a few times a day or the kitten will start peeing outside the box if it gets too dirty.

I'm sure the trip to the vet was scary and since you took him, he may be afraid of another trip.  It may take time for him to realize it doesn't happen that often.  I recommend treat bribes to get him out from under the bed.  He could also be in a little pain, some cats have reactions to the shots.  My 1st cat had no trouble, the 2nd ran a fever the day after.  So maybe keep an eye on him for now.  Did the vet mention what reactions are possible?  You can call and ask them if you are worried.

 

[tara246]

He is 12 weeks old as of today, forgot to put that in there. We found him in mid-May. He had no reactions to the first set of shots other than completely hating the car ride and sleeping afterwards. I don't see any "side effects" so to speak other than the avoidance. I'll keep an eye on him for today and if he's still acting weird tomorrow I'll take him. I just thought it was very strange because there hasn't been a single night that he hasn't slept in bed with me, except last night. He stayed under the bed.

I'm glad to hear that the peeing is fairly normal. The only other cat we've had this young is my dad's cat and that's been a long time so I couldn't remember how he was about this.

 

[handsome kitty]

Maybe he's mad at you.  Cats are complicated.

 

[tara246]

LOL That is very possible. He has emerged from the bedroom. He's been sitting on the back of the other recliner staring at me for about an hour now. Hopefully all is well with him then.

 

[mservant]

 
Maybe he's mad at you.  Cats are complicated.

I don't think 'mad' as in angry or holding something against a person or other cat is something cats feel.  It is much more likely that he has been confused by being taken back to the vet by you and having this frightening experience.  He is probably stressed and anxious in case this happens again and is in need of a little time to rebuild his trust in you.  It is still possible he has felt off colour from the shots so do keep a close eye on him in case there is any sign of this.

As for peeing a lot: if your vet thinks he is OK and you have described how much he has been using his litter and what he is getting through then this is most likely a good sign.  I understand male cats pee more than females too:  it has been quite an eye opener with my current cat - now aged 4.  He's a pee and poop monster!  I swear he produces more in his litter than both my previous females did together.   

I hope you don't get the 'evil stare' treatment for too long there, and he gives in to his need for strokes and comfort nice and soon.

 

[tara246]

Well we are definitely back to normal lol! It took him until late last night to stop giving me the evil stare and come sit with me, then it was all over... I couldn't get him off of me!

I am glad to hear that about your cat's bathroom habits haha. Most of our cats have been outdoor/barn cats except two and neither one have used the litter box as much as Bucky does.

 

[checkers]

Great to hear he's back to normal, @tara246!  I've only just read your thread. The vet told me recently that some  injections cause lasting pain (just as some of our vaccinations do)  so I think it could be possible he was hiding away while the pain lasted.  

I've had a couple of cats over the years who came to me for comfort when they were in pain, but in my experience, most hide away when they are in pain until they're feeling better.

I hope you enjoy this kitten who's just loving your company!

 

[mservant]

What a relief it is to hear he's back to normal.  I hope he's letting you get up and move about and not pinning you down on a chair the whole time. 

   

It is always good to keep an eye on anything you think might be out of the ordinary, or changes in your cat, while it can be worrying, and sometimes feel silly asking others about these things, it is what caring cat people do.  Bucky is lucky to be living with people who care and check things out for him.  Good for you.