Bonding With Two Cats

[ch-leesha]

Good morning,

I adopted a pair of littermates on Sunday! They are so sweet and lovely. My whole adult life, I've only had a senior cat. The last time I had a kitten, I was about 10 years old. So, general kitten behavior is somewhat of a mystery to me...and the behavior of two kittens is completely foreign!!!

I think part of my problem is that, my friend adopted a kitten about a week before I did and her kitty was instantly cuddly, sleeping in her bed, everything! My two hid for a day and are just now becoming comfortable to come out and play and run (!!!) BUT...they still want nothing to do with me

I'm wondering when I can expect them to come around? I know it's only been two days. I guess I need reassurance that someday they'll let me pet and cuddle them they get along fantastically together!

Also, I'm taking them to the vet for the first time tomorrow. Can I expect some sort of regression when we return home? (ie...back to hiding)

I have been playing with them with the feather wand. thanks for any advice! Their names are Ari (white) and Mika.

 

[Columbine]

First of all, Ari and Mika are just GORGEOUS

Hiding when they first come home is absolutely normal. Some kittens are naturally shyer than others, and it can take them a little while to get comfortable and confident in their new home and with you. You probably won't see their full personalities for a week or more - they just need a little longer than some to adjust. In fact, your friend's kitten is unusual in how quickly he was confident with her - he must be a very bold natured boy!

Some cats are more affectionate/cuddly than others, but it really is too early to tell with your guys. I just brought two kittens home myself yesterday. They're very bold in exploring, but are too busy playing and investigating to be very cuddly yet (though they will cuddle for a short time if I pick them up ). Basically, don't be too quick to judge - they're still very new in the world, and have a lot to learn

As for the vet visit - they may be more subdued after, or they may just be so glad to be home that they don't bother hiding! There's no way to tell at this stage, and either would be a normal response. Spraying the inside of the carrier and your car with Feliway just before may help lessen their stress a little, so that's definitely worth a try. Feliway plug ins may help them settle with you more quickly too, so that's worth investigating if you can afford to (the plug ins are NOT cheap ).

Just relax and have fun with them. They'll warm up to you in time, and they're certainly lucky to have such a good mom

 

[tabbytom]

Hello ch-leesha , thank you for adopting Ari and Mika They are very cute!

Not all cats are lap cats nor cuddly. Some warm up pretty fast and some takes time. Some will hide like what you have now but soon they'll warm up to you. Have more playtime with them, talk to them invite them to get up on your bed and let them make the first move.

Anyway, you only had them for two days, just be patience and shower them with love. As long as they associate you with food, play and having you around them always, it'll be faster for them to own you.

They could get back to hiding after the visit to the vet but after a few days, they'll be back to normal. It's not only you that needs reassurance, they need it too. So don't worry, love, patience and routine rules the day

 

[ch-leesha]

Thanks for the replies guys! I will definitely continue on.

 

[sarah430]

I adopted my two litter sibling kitties from a rescue at 6 months old and they're now 10 months old. They definitely had socialization issues before I got them and were extremely timid and skittish. They aren't lap cats (yet) but are way more affectionate and focused on me (and the rest of the family) than they were 4 months ago. I definitely think that because they had each other to focus on it took them longer to attach to us people. But as others above have mentioned, just keep talking and playing with them and they'll come around eventually.

Now they are very bonded to me. They follow me all over the house and like affection in their own ways. Navi likes to come to me when I'm sitting on the couch, head bump by hand and then get head and neck rubs and scratches. She seems to want to sit on my lap but hasn't quite done it yet. Link runs up and flops down in front of me and isn't happy until I start petting his back and rubbing his tummy as he stretches out.

You'll discover the unique personalities of your two kitties in no time!

 

[ch-leesha]

Good morning TCS! I have had Ari and Mika for a week now and I thought I would drop in to share some pics (and ask a few questions!)

Ari is a real sweetie pie. She's my Manx girl (well, they both came from the same litter but Ari is the one who exhibits the Manx characteristics) I worried myself nearly sick the other night thinking of all the future medical complications that she may struggle with (both babies had watery stools up until just recently, my vet attributed it to the stress of change...more on that in a sec). Ari has gone a full day and a half now without needing extra assistance in cleaning herself after using the litter box (ie usually a bath in warm water for her rear end) so, I think that's good no matter...I am dedicated to my rabbit child! Any of you out there with stories of your Manx babies? Any advice? She has warmed up to us fully!

Mika continues to be very shy but is out nearly 80% of the day! She loves playing with her sis and EATING! She still doesn't want much to do with us She even seemed to get a bit mad with Ari when she was cuddling with my last night...arching her back at her once Ari went over to see her Remaining patient with this one! Daily sessions of play with the feather wand continue. I also sit near them on the floor while they eat and Mika doesn't mind at all.

OK...their diet!!! They seemed to be having some difficulty eating the food they came with (Purina Naturals?) like maybe the pieces were too big or something?! Our vet suggested switching them to a kitten food so they are now on Science Diet kitten, both dry and wet. They seem to love it! Since these babes came to me, they had watery stools (as stated before, vet wasn't overly concerned but gave me a container for a stool sample I plan to bring in later) Within the last day, it seems that their stools have been much firmer; I did mix in some canned pumpkin in their food last night and this morning (I used the tummy yums brand(?) its marketed special for cats and dogs)

Phew...that was a lot! Thanks for reading my book any words of wisdom are much appreciated. Here are the pics!!!

 

[bluebirdy]

What adorable kittens!

I adopted my kittens after fostering their litter for the local humane society. They, and our local vet who is awesome, gave me some great advice for preparing cats for vets visits. I used them and my cats have no problem going to the vet (they are nervous as they can smell dogs when there, but nothing I can do about that).

- the humane society woman showed me how to get them used to their carrier so they wouldn't associate it only with trips to the doctor. I left it open in the house so they could explore in and out of it as they pleased. I also taught them to climb into the carrier as part of their clicker training. Basically I would open the door and when they went in I would click and give the a treat from the top (my crate opens from the top and bottom).
-I brought them with me for short trips to pick up my son from a friends etc., so they became comfortable with being in the car
-I did mock vet exams at home so the cat got used to being handled like the vet would need. I would handle my cat's paws, inspect their ears, clip their names and pull up their lips so I could look at their teeth. I also comb and brush their coat regularly (one is a medium and needs it daily so she doesn't get hair balls anyway). They still don't like certain things (eg: getting nails clipped) but they'll tolerate them well.

 

[ch-leesha]

What great advice! Thank you for responding. I think clicker training would be very beneficial. My girls aren't too interested in treats. I don't know if loves would be enough reinforcement, especially since Mika won't have any of that yet!