Having some serious Kitten anxiety, on third panic attack since I got her Friday

[Kaydon]

I’m 17 years old and recently got an eight week kitten on Friday, I had everything ready for her and stuff and was hoping she’d be able to help me with my PTSD, depression and anxiety. For some reason I always get severely stressed when she’s just being hyper at night. I know it’s only been three days but my dog Harry (A Lhasa Apso) is petrified of her because she won’t let him near him unless she’s eating, sleeping or is curious herself. I guess i’m just looking for reassurance that this behaviour is normal and they’ll get along eventually?

Currently I have covid for a second time so my mum’s boyfriend is sleeping downstairs so he doesn’t get it but Harry usually sleeps in my room. He no longer wants too because Esper’s (The kitten) is ruling the house. She caught onto litter training quickly and to stop her from eating stray litter I have her eat treats but is there a way I can help her and Harry get along so they can be in the same room together?

I should also add i’m a full time college student and i’m from England and i’m stressing about leaving her alone too. I have two full days (9am-4pm sometimes longer if i need to revise) and a three hour lesson in the morning on Friday plus one and a half hours in between the full days.

I’m naturally a very panicky person but I have noticed improvement with sleep with Esper even if she does wake me early. Sorry for the really long post I just need reassurance and advice. She keeps hissing and spitting at Harry and he shakes, pouts and moves away from her in return. Also any tips on stopping her from attacking carpet?

 

[hybriseris]

Oh girl, I'm in the anxiety club with you and I can assure you it's going to be okay!

When I adopted my Grandmother's cat, I was absolutely not expecting to take on a pet. He isn't a kitten, but he can be a jerk, and I had crippling anxiety as to whether we'd ever get along or if I'd been saddled with a tiny demon I was obligated to care for because he was so good to my Grandmother. It took about two weeks for us to settle in to a groove, and now six months later we are completely in sync. He doesn't keep me up at night anymore, we have a routine, etc.

I've just adopted a second one which is it's own anxiety, but that's another story! Lol

I would first suggest that your kitten gets playtime and a big meal before bed - it'll help her get in to your sleep routine. Another helpful thing is an auto feeder somewhere high so your dog can't reach it. If it drops a meal around the time she gets frisky overnight that might help get her back to bed! The big thing is TONS of play. I work 12 hour days so I understand sometimes this isn't totally feasible, but as much as you can!

I don't have a dog currently, but grew up with a dog and when we adopted a cat both of them took a while to get along! Cat wanted nothing to do with the dog, dog was curious and got warned off a few times. Eventually cat was (a tiny bit) friendlier, and the dog just got used to her and now doesn't seem to notice her much.

You are so, so early in this process and what you're feeling is totally normal and will pass, especially if you're already noticing improvements in her sleep, etc. She's feeling just as discombobulated as you!

For the carpet scratching, if there's a specific part of the carpet she likes, I've had luck with the spray version of Feliway. I spray it on my ottoman which my cat loves to scratch and he stopped. If it's sort of all over, try getting a square of carpet from Home Depot and spraying/rubbing it with catnip to attract her there.

 

[LTS3]

8 week old kittens are just super active and will try your patience with their naughty behavior. They're cute and all that but are a LOT of work until they are a year old or so. An adult cat would have been better in your situation, IMO. Less training and bouncing off the walls all hours of the day. Did you adopt the kitten? Many shelters have a "try out period" and you can return the pet if it just doesn't work out.

If returning the kitten doesn't work for you for whatever reason, these TCS articles have general tips:

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How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night (Step-By-Step Plan) - TheCatSite

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How To Set Healthy Boundaries For Your Cat [A Complete Guide] - TheCatSite

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8 week old kittens need someone to play with or they can get pretty destructive and mischievous. The dog doesn't count as a playmate. You should consider getting another kitten, preferably older and more well behaved, so the 8 week old kitten has a friend to bother and play with when you are not able to.

Hungry kittens are especially naughty so be sure to feed the kitten as much food as she will eat. It's generally suggested to leave a bowl of dry food out for snacking and to give a few small canned food meals throughout the day. Kittens are so active and rapidly growing that they need all the food they can get. They can't get fat.

Don't forget to take care of yourself, too. Do you see a doctor for your anxiety and other issues or have some way of managing them? If you find that the kitten is just adding to your issues, then it may be best to return the kitten until you are in a better situation to handle a pet.

 

[Kaydon]

Thank you so much and we got her from a family friend. I don’t see any doctors about my anxiety or anything unfortunately there aren’t many therapy options available where I live (I live in a poverty area). I’m not sure if mum will be fine with getting an older cat but if I see the chance i’ll definitely jump at it. Someone recommended to keep a play pen in a separate part of the house so I think I might do that. I ended up going to sleep around 2am with her climbing around and she woke me up at 4am to play and then again at 8am today. I’m definitely gonna up her food too now knowing that I know she can’t get overweight so that’s probably part of the problem too

We’re getting her a scratch post soon so hopefully I can switch her from attacking the carpet to the post. I’m hoping she’ll soon settle into a routine, she’s adorable but so mischievous and energetic I can’t keep up with her! Thank you so much for the tips!

 

[Kaydon]

I never even thought about getting an auto feeder actually i’ll definitely look into it and try the carpet thing. It’s gonna be tough for sure but I think the playpen would probably help a bunch so my dog doesn’t feel isolated from my room either and I always come down before going to bed for a glass of water so I can always check on her then and top her food up.

 

[Kaydon]

I’ve talked to mum and we’re going to get a cat carrier instead that she can sleep in on a night, large enough to hold her litter box and stuff!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Add toys and comfy bedding. Make her crate her "safe place," not "punishment." Also, she's going to eat A LOT! You really cannot overfeed a kitten her age, she's burning calories as fast as she is taking them in! Try playing hard with her right before bed, then feeding her a small meal, and getting her settled in for the night. That plays into their "hunt, catch, kill, eat, groom, sleep" cycle.

 

[Kaydon]

Got it thank you so much!!

 

[BoaztheAdventureCat]

I’m 17 years old and recently got an eight week kitten on Friday, I had everything ready for her and stuff and was hoping she’d be able to help me with my PTSD, depression and anxiety. For some reason I always get severely stressed when she’s just being hyper at night. I know it’s only been three days but my dog Harry (A Lhasa Apso) is petrified of her because she won’t let him near him unless she’s eating, sleeping or is curious herself. I guess i’m just looking for reassurance that this behaviour is normal and they’ll get along eventually?

Currently I have covid for a second time so my mum’s boyfriend is sleeping downstairs so he doesn’t get it but Harry usually sleeps in my room. He no longer wants too because Esper’s (The kitten) is ruling the house. She caught onto litter training quickly and to stop her from eating stray litter I have her eat treats but is there a way I can help her and Harry get along so they can be in the same room together?

I should also add i’m a full time college student and i’m from England and i’m stressing about leaving her alone too. I have two full days (9am-4pm sometimes longer if i need to revise) and a three hour lesson in the morning on Friday plus one and a half hours in between the full days.

I’m naturally a very panicky person but I have noticed improvement with sleep with Esper even if she does wake me early. Sorry for the really long post I just need reassurance and advice. She keeps hissing and spitting at Harry and he shakes, pouts and moves away from her in return. Also any tips on stopping her from attacking carpet?

I'm so sorry to hear about the stress! I, too, had serious stress issues when I first brought my kitten Boaz home 3 years ago. I had NO idea what I was getting myself into! The biggest issue was that Boaz was solitary for 2 months. When my Dad and my brother brought home their 2 kittens Asher (my brother's) and Posie (my dad's), Boaz was no longer such an energetic, trouble-seeking tiny terrorist, LOL.

I pray that Yahuah would provide you a way of being able to bring home a second kitten very quickly. Your kitten was taken from her mother and siblings WAY too early as it is. The more time that goes by without her having another kitten around to teach her proper play and social skills with other cats AND humans, the more likely the damage will be irreversible. Even 2 months alone was too long for my cat Boaz. Having Asher and Posie around helped, but to this day, he struggles with social awkwardness since even though 2 months doesn't seem that long to us, 2 months is most of a kitten's childhood.

Kittens that grow up solitary even for a brief period are much more likely to engage in rough play with the humans (i.e. using teeth and claws on the humans), which could be VERY bad if you have a baby in the house in the future. Adult humans have a higher level of tolerance than babies do, so if you get mad at the rough-playing cat because you can handle it but the baby cannot, the poor cat won't understand why you're mad. Consistency is key!

If you are able to bring home another kitten, don't forget that you can't just put the two kittens together immediately. They need a proper slow, gradual introduction for their relationship to get started on a good foundation.

 

[di and bob]

Your dog will be accepted and they WILL play together, but it will take at least a few more weeks. Kittens are nothing but go, go, go, and hyper beyond belief, so everything you say about her is normal. She hasn't learned your routine yet, that will take a while, but just like a human baby after a while, she will sleep through the night. As said above leave her out a bowl of good quality dry food, so she won't wake you up. Try to ignore her if she just wants to play at night, throw her a toy and say NO when she first wakes you up. definitely feed her as much as she wants, and often, during the first year. Get her a corrugated cardboard cat scratcher at Walmart, my cats LOVE them. Put one where she scratches. she is sO excited about having a new home, it will take a while, but most cats become couch potatoes after they grow up. Just know she WILL outgrow all this. you earn a cat's love but it is one of this world's greatest treasures!