Don't force her to do anything she's not comfortable with. You might need to put a step stool or box or something for her to jump up on to get to the higher places. Also, invest in a cat tree. It will make tons of differences in her life.
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Non-Attention Seeking... sad kitten... HELP!
- Thread starter knikoleellis
- Start Date
Definitely a cat tree. There are a million different types in any price bracket. A tree will go a long way towards enriching her life, will give her places to scratch and call her own. Cats are big into "territory" and giving her something that is hers and hers alone will fullfill her need to claim territory and feel more at home.
knikoleellis
is also found this great article on the site about integrating a new cat to your home: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-help-a-new-cat-adjust-to-your-home
Within in it there are several sub-links to more articles...several of which relate to litter boxes.
I hope you and your baby have a great weekend bonding together...I know I'm looking forward to some extra time with my girl [emoji]128571[/emoji]
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #24
I let her out to explore & needless to say she loves it!! I think she hated being in the safe room (of course she goes back in if she hears a loud noise) but she's explored the whole place. I even heard her meow for the first time!!
She loves the huge window! I'm going to get the litter today. The shelter I got her from will be at Petsmart so I'm going to ask them exactly which litter they use. So excited about her progress!
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Yay!!! Great news!! I'm so happy to hear of the progress [emoji]128522[/emoji]
Oh she is going to love looking out those windows. If you decide at some point to get her a tree of some sort, that would be a great place to put it or even a nice cozy bed. She is such a teeny tiny little thing [emoji]128571[/emoji] and so brave to have the run of your place and be perfectly fine. Its great though that she has her safe room to run to if she's scared though soon she will not need it.
I hope the change in litter helps resolve the potty problem and that the two of you really bond over the weekend. I really do think that you've gotten thru the worst of the initial period. Please keep us posted on how the two of you are getting along!
Oh she is going to love looking out those windows. If you decide at some point to get her a tree of some sort, that would be a great place to put it or even a nice cozy bed. She is such a teeny tiny little thing [emoji]128571[/emoji] and so brave to have the run of your place and be perfectly fine. Its great though that she has her safe room to run to if she's scared though soon she will not need it.
I hope the change in litter helps resolve the potty problem and that the two of you really bond over the weekend. I really do think that you've gotten thru the worst of the initial period. Please keep us posted on how the two of you are getting along!
Yay!! Another bonus is that she's a tortoiseshell (tortie) kitty! Torties are wonderful kitties, but they all seem to be their own "person" in a sense. They also tend to bond with one person over others in the family and remain loyal to them. They do things on their terms. It could be that she's not had a lot of socialization, depending on how long she was with the rescue and with a foster. Unless a kitten is born while in the care of the foster, who knows what their background is and what they've had to endure.
Your situation sounds very similar to when I brought Daisy home, only she was approximately a year old. She is also a tortie.
She did not like being confined in the safe room and tried to escape through the (closed) windows and door. She liked people, but she didn't truly trust people, so we had to work hard at earning her trust. When we allowed her in the rest of the house, she stayed mainly in the living room which we don't use much and she came into the kitchen for meals. She never lingered long, though, and returned to the living room or the safe room, which was now open. She loved laying under the bed so I put bedding under the bed for her. Over the next several months, she gradually felt confident enough and secure with us enough to start exploring the rest of the house. She started spending time with us in the den, but only hanging out close to the kitchen. Then she started coming into the den more and more. Same with the rest of the house. She loved being all up in our business and wanted to snuggle, but she was easily overstimulated and would nip. We just let her develop at her pace, provided a lot of TLC, steady food, clean litter boxes, and lots of comfy sleeping and hiding spots for her. When I would go to work, she would pout even with hubby home with her all day. When I would come home from work, she'd snub me! That hurt my feelings! Now, four years later, she has all the confidence in the world and still doesn't like it when I go to work. At least she doesn't give me the cold shoulder when I come home now!!
Your situation sounds very similar to when I brought Daisy home, only she was approximately a year old. She is also a tortie.
She did not like being confined in the safe room and tried to escape through the (closed) windows and door. She liked people, but she didn't truly trust people, so we had to work hard at earning her trust. When we allowed her in the rest of the house, she stayed mainly in the living room which we don't use much and she came into the kitchen for meals. She never lingered long, though, and returned to the living room or the safe room, which was now open. She loved laying under the bed so I put bedding under the bed for her. Over the next several months, she gradually felt confident enough and secure with us enough to start exploring the rest of the house. She started spending time with us in the den, but only hanging out close to the kitchen. Then she started coming into the den more and more. Same with the rest of the house. She loved being all up in our business and wanted to snuggle, but she was easily overstimulated and would nip. We just let her develop at her pace, provided a lot of TLC, steady food, clean litter boxes, and lots of comfy sleeping and hiding spots for her. When I would go to work, she would pout even with hubby home with her all day. When I would come home from work, she'd snub me! That hurt my feelings! Now, four years later, she has all the confidence in the world and still doesn't like it when I go to work. At least she doesn't give me the cold shoulder when I come home now!!- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #27
*UPDATE*
Guess who explored the apartment all day yesterday until bedtime? Is using her new litter box & is now curled up under me on the couch?!
You guys were right, all it took was time!
Guess who explored the apartment all day yesterday until bedtime? Is using her new litter box & is now curled up under me on the couch?!
You guys were right, all it took was time!
I have a big smile on my face as I read this. You are doing a great job in being patient with her [emoji]128077[/emoji] and that photo is the payoff!! Please keep us posted on how you two are getting along (keep those photos coming!) and if you run into any issues, please reach out!*UPDATE*
Guess who explored the apartment all day yesterday until bedtime? Is using her new litter box & is now curled up under me on the couch?!
You guys were right, all it took was time!
SO excited for you two [emoji]128516[/emoji]
