Hi there,
We brought our new kitten home last night. She's 12 weeks old and so cute, but I'm worried we made some mistakes.
We brought her home in the carrier and opened the door in the lounge. The carrier has a blanket from her old home and some of her favorite toys in it. She stayed huddled at the back of the carrier and then eventually left it, only to hide under a nearby bar cart. I didn't want to move her after that so have mostly just left her be, I've made sure her litterbox is close by and her food and water bowls are in her range of sight. Later in the evening she came out to use the litterbox, had a little nibble on some food and had a little sniff around the immediate area, before returning to her hiding spot. She came out once more and then wouldn't again.
She sometimes hisses at me if I peer in at her but sometimes doesn't seem to mind.
I went to bed and barely got any sleep as she mewed all night and I felt so bad. Eventually I came out and slept in the lounge which seemed to make it a little better.
This morning she hasn't ventured out from underneath the cart and I'm wondering what I should do.
Everything I've read suggests keeping her in a secure room but as our flat is relatively small and there's just the two of us, I thought it shouldn't be too overwhelming. Is it too late to move her to the spare room? Should I just wait it out?
Thanks so much for any advice or reassurance you can offer! I'm trying to be patient but I worry that I've made a mistake and she won't trust me now...
We brought our new kitten home last night. She's 12 weeks old and so cute, but I'm worried we made some mistakes.
We brought her home in the carrier and opened the door in the lounge. The carrier has a blanket from her old home and some of her favorite toys in it. She stayed huddled at the back of the carrier and then eventually left it, only to hide under a nearby bar cart. I didn't want to move her after that so have mostly just left her be, I've made sure her litterbox is close by and her food and water bowls are in her range of sight. Later in the evening she came out to use the litterbox, had a little nibble on some food and had a little sniff around the immediate area, before returning to her hiding spot. She came out once more and then wouldn't again.
She sometimes hisses at me if I peer in at her but sometimes doesn't seem to mind.
I went to bed and barely got any sleep as she mewed all night and I felt so bad. Eventually I came out and slept in the lounge which seemed to make it a little better.
This morning she hasn't ventured out from underneath the cart and I'm wondering what I should do.
Everything I've read suggests keeping her in a secure room but as our flat is relatively small and there's just the two of us, I thought it shouldn't be too overwhelming. Is it too late to move her to the spare room? Should I just wait it out?
Thanks so much for any advice or reassurance you can offer! I'm trying to be patient but I worry that I've made a mistake and she won't trust me now...