Hints For Adopting A New Under-socialized Kitten!

[kristenann]

Tiberius is getting a brother! We are SO EXCITED. It has been a long road to get him stable (he has finicky IBD) and we bought a home so we are in a position to open our hearts to a new little love.

But, for every bit as excited as I am I am terrified! Tiberius is my first cat, and he came to us as an adult, so every part of having a kitten and cat introduction is new to me. So I would love advice.

Our new baby will be 7 weeks old when we bring him home, which I know is too young but they are keeping him locked in a basement without socialization and adopting out all his siblings. So I worry that leaving him there does more harm then good? So things I specifically need help with:

-Tiberius is 7 - 8 yrs old and must eat prescription food, so ways I can keep him out of baby food? I was thinking cutting a small hole into a storage container that he can't get into (Tiberius is quite large)

-Tips for the introduction of the new baby and the resident captain. I am aware they will need to remain separate as part of the introduction process and until babies health can be assured as Tiberius has a very sensitive immune system

-How to socialize a 7 week old kitten?

-What do I do if the kitten bites us? Yelp and freeze like a puppy?

-I plan to feed primarily wet food - I'm thinking Royal Canin Babycat?

-Anything else I am probably missing....

Thank you! Oh and these little marshmallow pudge muffin is our new baby!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Tiberius is getting a brother! We are SO EXCITED. It has been a long road to get him stable (he has finicky IBD) and we bought a home so we are in a position to open our hearts to a new little love.

But, for every bit as excited as I am I am terrified! Tiberius is my first cat, and he came to us as an adult, so every part of having a kitten and cat introduction is new to me. So I would love advice.

Our new baby will be 7 weeks old when we bring him home, which I know is too young but they are keeping him locked in a basement without socialization and adopting out all his siblings. So I worry that leaving him there does more harm then good? So things I specifically need help with:

-Tiberius is 7 - 8 yrs old and must eat prescription food, so ways I can keep him out of baby food? I was thinking cutting a small hole into a storage container that he can't get into (Tiberius is quite large)

-Tips for the introduction of the new baby and the resident captain. I am aware they will need to remain separate as part of the introduction process and until babies health can be assured as Tiberius has a very sensitive immune system

-How to socialize a 7 week old kitten?

-What do I do if the kitten bites us? Yelp and freeze like a puppy?

-I plan to feed primarily wet food - I'm thinking Royal Canin Babycat?

-Anything else I am probably missing....

Thank you! Oh and these little marshmallow pudge muffin is our new baby!

OMC what an ADORABLE kitten!!! ConCATulations and thank you for putting your caring into action and opening your home and heart to him.
There are so many things to say about this situation that are said so eloquently by cat behaviorists. One of my favorites is Jackson Galaxy, host of Animal Planet TV channel's "MY CAT FROM HELL", author of several books, and designer of a whole line of amazing products for cats, among other talents. He also posts many videos on YouTube pertaining to cat behavior. You may want to look him up and you may find many, if not all, of your answers from him. Pam Johnson-Bennett is another amazing cat behaviorist/author/presenter.

Experts agree, and I concur, that the new cat should be brought into his own room with all of the things he will need--food, water, toys, scratching surfaces, climbing furniture if possible, litterbox, brush, and frequent visits from YOU to familiarize him with his caregivers and increase his security and trust. Play with him gently, stroking him, but do not play rough with him, and do not use your hands as toys -- use wand-type toys, laser pointers, and other preferably soft, cat-specific toys to play with him. This will minimize his chances of biting you. Take a tshirt or soft cloth and rub it on him, then rub it on your resident cat, and back on him, to comingle their scents. In time, let the door to his room be open a crack and let the cats sniff noses. There may be growling, but this is normal at first. Do not let them have access to one another. Increase the "meet and greet" sessions daily, until close to 2 weeks when you can let them meet one another with complete supervision. Keep the sessions short, increasing the time until they interact in a friendly manner. The kitten can then have the run of the house. Make sure you give your resident cat a lot of attention; do not ignore him or give him less than you give the kitten, or he will feel left out and sad. There may be setbacks, but as long as no one is hurt, these are also normal as they get to know one another. If they get too intense, the kitten may need to have some time in his room away from your resident cat, and begin again. Do not ever give up. Be patient, loving, and gentle with both cats. These things take time, just like with people who are getting to know one another.

Any high-quality kitten food along with fresh water will be good. You may want to give him several different foods, as kittens and cats love variety. Most experts say wet food is the best, and I agree. I do have high-quality dry food out for my adult cats, free choice, but it is not necessary and a lot of people say it isn't something they would do. Some people advocate for raw diets. I don't. You may want to read up on all of the different food types, but many experts say a good quality wet food is the best.

Good luck! And thank you again!

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

.
This is not a little marshmallow pudge muffin - this is a baby Snowshoe. Since you already have one Snowshoe, here are a few questions that Kieka would doubtless ask you:

Is your Life Insurance paid up?

Is your Homeowner's Insurance paid up?

Have you considered a bull elephant instead of a second Snowshoe?



You've already been on the Snowshoe Roller Coaster with your gorgeous boy Tiberius, so no one has to tell you that their intelligence and problem-solving ability is among the highest of all animals.

I'd agree with you as to taking the NewShoe as soon as is feasible, given the circumstances. Hopefully Kat will weight in here, since she actually has two Snowshoes, and might have some insight beyond cynical laughter. Mine came to me as a young adolescent, so she was already unlocking doors, flipping light switches, and fooling with the TV remotes.

Given that they're of similar temperament, I'd guess that the transition should be fairly smooth unless you fail to hide your telephone and credit cards. Kat's Link and Rocket seem to get on together smashingly, though that might be a poor word choice.

I'd certainly not be terrified, though honestly, are you absolutely certain that the bull elephant's truly a bad idea?
.

 

[Blakeney Green]

-How to socialize a 7 week old kitten?

-What do I do if the kitten bites us? Yelp and freeze like a puppy?

Kittens that age are really easy to socialize. If you play with him, pet him, and interact with him, he should come around naturally very quickly. Just make sure to take it slow at first and let the kitten set the pace so you don't overwhelm him.

When I was teaching Kitten!Zephyr not to bite, I tried to consistently redirect him to a toy instead of my hand when we were playing. Any time he bit me I would say a firm "No!", take my hand away and not look at him for about 15 seconds, then we would resume playing. He learned pretty quickly that if he wanted to keep playing with me he needed to not bite, because biting brought a halt to things.

 

[tarasgirl06]

.
This is not a little marshmallow pudge muffin - this is a baby Snowshoe. Since you already have one Snowshoe, here are a few questions that Kieka would doubtless ask you:

Is your Life Insurance paid up?

Is your Homeowner's Insurance paid up?

Have you considered a bull elephant instead of a second Snowshoe?



You've already been on the Snowshoe Roller Coaster with your gorgeous boy Tiberius, so no one has to tell you that their intelligence and problem-solving ability is among the highest of all animals.

I'd agree with you as to taking the NewShoe as soon as is feasible, given the circumstances. Hopefully Kat will weight in here, since she actually has two Snowshoes, and might have some insight beyond cynical laughter. Mine came to me as a young adolescent, so she was already unlocking doors, flipping light switches, and fooling with the TV remotes.

Given that they're of similar temperament, I'd guess that the transition should be fairly smooth unless you fail to hide your telephone and credit cards. Kat's Link and Rocket seem to get on together smashingly, though that might be a poor word choice.

I'd certainly not be terrified, though honestly, are you absolutely certain that the bull elephant's truly a bad idea?
.

My beloved Snowshoe, Tashi angel, was no slouch. My ex called her "Mae West" because of her sashaying, sexy walk and the way she'd turn her huge azure eyes on him to flirt. Me? The one who fed her, brushed her, and spent most time with her? Yeah, she loved me, until it came time to clip her claws, at which time she'd almost disembowel my hands. All in a day's work, I guess. I miss her so much.

 

[Kieka]

Another crazy person with two! Welcome to the club. I would highly suggest investing in a cat toy company.

It really depends on the personality of your adult for introductions. Link loves other cats and loved baby Rocket from the moment she joined our house. She was a feral so she was kept crated for a few weeks while she socalized. But once she was free from the crate Link would follow her around and was always ready to play. I've found that little ones are endlessly adaptable and older ones are more tolerant of the young. You should take introductions slow but if your resident is wanting to speed it up go for it. Just make sure shot are up to date and the kiyten gets a full testing and check from your vet first. Two weeks is a good isolation period to make sure no illness is hiding.

Biting is just one of those things. Unlike dogs you don't freeze. A loud no and physically turn away if biting, or claws, happen. Then resume as if nothing happened. Baby Snowshoes have endless energy and you will want to keep toys handy on any flat surface to grab as needed. The best way to prevent bad behavior is scheduled play time and reading the signs of a hyper kitten. Take steps to put a toy in the way if it he is getting too wound up so you don't get bit in the first place.

Socialization itself will happen just through interaction. No special tasks needed. If your kitten is skittish just sit in the room with it and read a book. Dangle a toy from your hand while you read. The kitten will get over its fear fairly quickly. Talk to it. Says its name at feeding time. You'll be fine on that front.

Food sounds decent. Kittens just need full access to food which could be an issue with the resident kitty. You may want to consider seperate feeding areas (like one in the bathroom) or a microchip feeding station so each only has access to their food. Since my Link is hyperactive and was younger he just ate kitten food with Rocket.

Best of luck and we love photos around here. Here are Link and Rocket in the middle of one of their never-ending play sessions. Tunnels and wand toys are the only things that saved me in the year with a teenage and baby Snowshoe. Well, and Nighfury deciding Rocket needed bettles for hunting lessons since she couldn't go outside on her own yet.

IMG_0241.JPG

• Kieka
• Nov 30, 2016

 

[kristenann]

Thank you guys! Tiberius is a ragdoll so he actually has more in common with a potato pancake than a snowshoe I think lol so I'm not sure I know what I'm in for! But I am a sucker for those beautiful blue eyes!

I have a couple more questions:

-I was thinking if kitties have up stay separate finance and I would each sleep with a kitty so they are not lonely. Is it safe to sleep with a kitty that small? Will he be able to get on/off the bed to the litter box?

-I have a spare room I was thinking of starting him off in, is a room too big? Should I keep him in a large dog kennel for starters instead?

- I called the vet and made an appointment but we am not able to get baby in for 2 weeks after I'll bring him home. What level of precaution do you guys normally take between cat rooms? Tiberius is on long term steroids so he is immunosuppressive.

Kieka your cats are GORGEOUS!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Thank you guys! Tiberius is a ragdoll so he actually has more in common with a potato pancake than a snowshoe I think lol so I'm not sure I know what I'm in for! But I am a sucker for those beautiful blue eyes!

I have a couple more questions:

-I was thinking if kitties have up stay separate finance and I would each sleep with a kitty so they are not lonely. Is it safe to sleep with a kitty that small? Will he be able to get on/off the bed to the litter box?

-I have a spare room I was thinking of starting him off in, is a room too big? Should I keep him in a large dog kennel for starters instead?

- I called the vet and made an appointment but we am not able to get baby in for 2 weeks after I'll bring him home. What level of precaution do you guys normally take between cat rooms? Tiberius is on long term steroids so he is immunosuppressive.

Kieka your cats are GORGEOUS!

I would think that, at 7 weeks, he would be able to jump on and off the bed; as to being safe to sleep with him, I'm not sure I would until he gets bigger, but you'll have to judge for yourself. If you sleep very soundly and move around a lot, maybe wait until he is bigger. If you are a calm sleeper, then maybe he can sleep with you right away? Another choice might be to put a cat bed in the room with you, and he sleeps there while he is so small. A room is not too big for him as long as it is safe for him to be in -- no ways to get out, no objects that he might get injured on. You should visit him several times a day while he is in his own room, so he won't be so lonely, and you should put toys and at least one tall cat furniture or other furniture he can climb on to look out of the windows. He will love to do this and should not get too bored if he has these stimuli. As to precautions, I would keep him separated from your resident cat until he has his checkup. Two weeks is the recommended time for this anyway, when introducing a new cat to the family.

 

[danteshuman]

If you are worried about sleeping with him. You can go into his room and after he eats/runs around like he is high, set him on your chest while you are watching tv. That way he gets some sleepy time with you. I think I want a Snowshoe for my next cat.

 

[kristenann]

I was meaning like what do we have to do to decontaminate our bodies between kitties? Is hand washing sufficient?

I am worried if one of us doesn't sleep with him we won't be able to spend enough time with him as we have super busy work schedules. I love the idea of making a bed in the bed for him!

But now I'm worried we won't be even getting him. The people who have him have misplaced him! They are thinking he must be somewhere in the basement but he's been missing all day They found 1 of his siblings but him and his sister are MIA

I live ~3 hours away so I can't help look either. I am panicking.

 

[danteshuman]

Oh my goodness I hope they find him. If he is healthy, his parents are healthy/disease free why would you need to quarantine him? If not then yes take him to a vet and have him tested. Also if you quarantine him, yes you will need to change your clothes along with washing your hands (or whatever clothing the kitten touches.)

 

[Blakeney Green]

I think it's an extremely good idea to quarantine any new animal arrival, just to be sure.

Hand washing is sufficient in my opinion.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Oh, dear. Who are you getting this kitten from?

 

[kristenann]

Baby cat was found yesterday morning! He was found totally fine in a non working freezer :/

I picked him up this morning! He is SO CUTE! And he is doing very well, eating, drinking, and using the litter box! We're staying at my mom's tonight as she lives fairly close to his former owners and heading home tomorrow. We left Tiberius at home because it was only a quick trip.

I really have no idea of baby cats health status - his momma is an indoor/outdoor kitty and dad is unknown. So I'm sure he is a smorgasbord of worms and he needs to be tested for FIV and leukemia. I'm terrified he'll come up positive. We have a vet appointment schedule with my regular vet but it's not for 2 weeks! I may see of another vet can get us in sooner for testing and deworming.

Baby cat doesn't have a name quite yet either. He'll likely be Reylan but Nikola is also in the running! I'm open to other suggestions as well

 

[kristenann]

Already learning to fulfill his catly duties!

 

[Summercats]

Pretty cat

 

[kristenann]

Thank you! :]

We arrived home today with baby cat secluded in the library which has french doors (so both cats can see each other) and Tiberius keeping run of the house.

Tiberius seems mildly irritated we brought this fuzzy donut intruder into his domain and has hissed at baby cat a couple of times through the door. He doesn't seem overly upset though - his ears stayed perked forward, he didn't hunch up, and the hissing was minimal. He's never met another cat in our presence, but prior to his adoption I know he coexisted with a number of other foster cats.

I am sleeping and spending a lot of time with babycat so he's not lonely and fiance is staying/sleeping with Tiberius. My fiance is really concerned that Tiberius won't learn to tolerate babycat. What do you guys think?

 

[danteshuman]

I think things are going great. Who ever gives Tiberius the most attention should make sure he gets one on one time despite the new "intruder." If it is you, I would sleep with Tiberius and let the fiance sleep with the kitten. Cats can be like little kids when a new baby is brought home. They can feel jealous, pushed aside and feel neglected. It will be a little rocky but I would bet in year they will be best buds. *Also older cats with bat (without claws) at a kitten, hiss at them to teach them manners/who is the top cat. Don't worry about it.

 

[kristenann]

I would say fiance spends more time with Tiberius but we have a closer bond. I would love to sleep with Tiberius but baby cat is in a room with a futon and fiance has a bad back so we can't really switch.

Things are going about the same, I made babycat an appointment on Friday for fecal and FIV testing. Tiberius will eat his food by the door to babycat and will only occasionally look up and hiss.

So it's mostly babycat I need help with. I have no idea how to teach a kitty manners lol and he needs lots of teaching!

I play with him whenever I can to tire him out but he has SO much energy. He is really big on attacking feet/hands but is good about redirecting to a toy if offered. But I could really use more guidance.

He also loves to attack feet under the blankets. I have no idea what to do about this. It doesn't hurt yet, but i want to break the habit before it does.

 

[danteshuman]

A comforter should be thick enough. I never tried to break my guys of the habit if they used the comforter. I drag toys under the blanket by wand or string for my punk to attack. Other then redirecting I don't know.