New Kitty Questions !

[Gator9712]

Kitten
Any advice would be great! Here are a few things about her !

Her name is Luna she is a 6 month old tortie colored adoption cat, she was at the adoption clinic for 3 days before we got her. She’s had all of her shots ,been fixed, microchipped. She was a stray when they found her. Her first night was last night with us! We live in a 2 bedroom apartment she’s the only animal with us. She ate last night/drank plenty of water and used the litter box just fine without any issues! Also She never got into anything during the night which we cat proofed everything we could.

Few questions
1. She stayed up most of the night meowing and wandering around I know it’s a new house and new owners is this normal for a new cat? How long does it usually last ?

2. Should we feed her once in the morning and once at night before bed ?

3. We are taking her to the vet for a wellness check very soon, anything we should ask about her to the vet ?

4. Should we let her free roam around while we are sleeping/at work? Or keep her in a room while we are gone?

5. How long does it normally take for a new cat to get adjusted and out of their shyness shell?

Any advice on a newly adopted kitty would be great ! Thank you very much!

 

[ArtNJ]

1. Its traditional to keep a new kitty in a single room for a few days to help them adjust to you and the new place (a "safe room") but this isn't such a big deal and I probably wouldn't go backwards at this point. Wandering around meowing is much better than hiding behind the stove or something like that, which is actually one of the reasons for a safe room. So your new addition is a little out of sorts, but not hiding. Not bad at all. Its hard to say how long your kitten will take to adjust. Just don't force her. No picking up or grabbing until she is ready. Be patient.

2. 6 months old doesn't need the frequent feedings of a younger kitten, but two feedings is still on the tight side if you are picking the food back up. Three would definitely be better, especially for a still growing kitten.

3. Nothing comes to mind, but I noticed you said she was at the adoption clinic for 3 days, but has been spayed. Recovery from the surgery takes a bit -- vets usually say 14 days with the cone on (which is a bit of overkill imho). The full sequence of kitten shots takes a bit as well. So I'm not too sure of the kitten's history.

4. Its good to have a day or two to see what kind of mischief the kitten will make. Since you are a first time owner, the kitten is showing you where you forgot to cat proof. It may not be necessary, but I'd probably confine the kitten to a room when you arent home until you have a weekend to watch her around the apartment. The stuff you learn is unlikely to be too important, but kitten proofing is hard and you could definitely learn something important by watching -- for example, you might learn that kitten is interested in the bathroom trash can so the used dental floss can't be in there (can be very dangerous if swallowed) or we need to move it into a cabinet or something.

5. No way to tell. See answer to one. Main thing is to be patient and not force her. Of course, you can spend time in her vicinity, coax with treats or toys, talk softly, all common sense stuff mainly.

 

[Gator9712]

1. Its traditional to keep a new kitty in a single room for a few days to help them adjust to you and the new place (a "safe room") but this isn't such a big deal and I probably wouldn't go backwards at this point. Wandering around meowing is much better than hiding behind the stove or something like that, which is actually one of the reasons for a safe room. So your new addition is a little out of sorts, but not hiding. Not bad at all. Its hard to say how long your kitten will take to adjust. Just don't force her. No picking up or grabbing until she is ready. Be patient.

2. 6 months old doesn't need the frequent feedings of a younger kitten, but two feedings is still on the tight side if you are picking the food back up. Three would definitely be better, especially for a still growing kitten.

3. Nothing comes to mind, but I noticed you said she was at the adoption clinic for 3 days, but has been spayed. Recovery from the surgery takes a bit -- vets usually say 14 days with the cone on (which is a bit of overkill imho). The full sequence of kitten shots takes a bit as well. So I'm not too sure of the kitten's history.

4. Its good to have a day or two to see what kind of mischief the kitten will make. Since you are a first time owner, the kitten is showing you where you forgot to cat proof. It may not be necessary, but I'd probably confine the kitten to a room when you arent home until you have a weekend to watch her around the apartment. The stuff you learn is unlikely to be too important, but kitten proofing is hard and you could definitely learn something important by watching -- for example, you might learn that kitten is interested in the bathroom trash can so the used dental floss can't be in there (can be very dangerous if swallowed) or we need to move it into a cabinet or something.

5. No way to tell. See answer to one. Main thing is to be patient and not force her. Of course, you can spend time in her vicinity, coax with treats or toys, talk softly, all common sense stuff mainly.

Thank you very much!
She was fixed about a month ago the paperwork says. And she’s already out and about while we are working today. So you’d say put her in a room while we are working and when we are home just supervise her until she gets use to everything and has more time to adjust.

 

[ArtNJ]

Thank you very much!
She was fixed about a month ago the paperwork says. And she’s already out and about while we are working today. So you’d say put her in a room while we are working and when we are home just supervise her until she gets use to everything and has more time to adjust.

Maybe confine her tomorrow, then watch her on the weekend. As a first time owner, there are just going to be things you didn't realize about cat proofing is all; stuff that isn't necessarily in the guides but that your kitten will show you. Of course, a weekend won't magically end your learning, but it might help.

A safe room for a few days is a real good idea in general, because sometimes new cats are so scared they find really bad places to hide. We just had a poster where a new cat found/made a tiny hole in the plaster and hid in the wall for over a month before she had a contractor cut a hole in the wall. A while back I read a news story about a little girl killed trying to retrieve a kitten that was hiding behind a laundry machine. A saferoom could have prevented that -- it gives them a home base, and if they get scared they will go hide somewhere there, usually under the bed. It also lets you know where to find the kitten, so you can go hang out there and quietly read on the bed or lie down on the floor to give the kitten a chance to see you aren't so bad. But your cat doesn't seem overly scared and is out and about, so maybe that ship has sailed.

 

[susanm9006]

Congrats on your new addition. Despite the meowing she is doing wonderfully.

In response to your third question: First you should bring a fresh poop sample in a baggie to the vet so they can check her for parasites. They are common and easy to treat. Second you should ask the vet to to test her for several communicable diseases a cat may pick up. More than likely she has been microchipped but if not you definitely want that done. And you want to make sure the vet checks her for fleas and ear mites. Again, both are easily treated

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi! Maybe some of these TCS articles will help (see below links)? And, by all means give us some pics!!!
Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips – Cat Articles
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment – Cat Articles
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home – Cat Articles

 

[LTS3]

Just want to add that you need change the registration on the microchip to your name and info. It's probably under the adoption clinic's contact info at the moment. The adoption clinic should have given you the paperwork on the microchip. If not, ask for it and also the name of the company the microchip is with. Contact the microchip company and update the contact info of the microchip. The company may try to sell you paid yearly subscriptions for additional services and features, none of which you likely will ever need. Just having your contact info in their system associated with the cat's microchip number is FREE.