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- Feb 21, 2018
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About a week ago, I brought home two adorable littermates Siamese kittens, a boy, and a girl. I'm struggling to understand if their behavior is normal, and hoping someone can help me.
It's only been a week, but the kittens are still relatively skittish. Granted, I'm not home all day (I work several jobs) but I come home early every evening and try to spend 2-3 hours engaging and playing with them. They are in my bedroom right now and spent their first few days there hiding in my box spring. After that, they started coming out more frequently, but they still run away when I enter the room. Sometimes they will stop and stare for a period, then run, but any time I try to touch them, they move back and/or run away.
I know this is not what happens the rest of the time when they are on their own; my dad, who is retired and is at home all day (in a different room, obviously) hears them frolicking and I know from things being moved/thrown on the floor that they are playing and being quite social with each other when I'm away, but right now they are still not engaging with me too much.
There have been some good signs though: the past few days, I have been laying on the floor next to the bed (which they are often hiding underneath) and speaking softly to them. Sometimes I provide treats and the boy cat (who is much more outgoing), will, after about five minutes of staring, cautiously eat them from my hand. I also let him lick the spoon from the wet food, which he did, again, after staring for five minutes. I was able to touch the boy cat lightly on the chin and on the paw for a few seconds, then yesterday, I was able to finally pick him up (he was tough to catch) and pet him for about 10 seconds before he escaped. And a night or two ago, I was convinced that I woke up to the boy cat laying on my chest (he sprang up and left as soon as I woke up).
The girl cat is extremely shy, and I've had a tough time even touching her at all; she is even more skittish. However, they do "smell" my slippers and shoes, (even capturing them and dragging them under the bed) and sometimes will brush lightly against my feet and ankles if I'm sitting really still.
I do play with them as well, using a feather toy, a dangly "toy on a stick", and even ribbon for them to chase. They respond well to that.
My question is, is this normal behavior for nearly four-month-old kittens? I read all this literature on how Siamese cats are vocal, friendly, almost "dog-like" in their behavior, but I'm not seeing this at all. I'm just worried that this is more than just a temporary state. I realize that leaving their parents (I purchased them from a breeder) was no doubt traumatizing, plus we had to drive three hours to get them home in the dark, through twisting roads. I'm sure I would have been scared too.
I'm a bit worried because I will have to spay/neuter them in a little over a week and can't do that if I cannot even catch them to put them in the carrier. I've had cats before, but never kittens, so I'm not really sure what to expect either. Any advice would be appreciated!
It's only been a week, but the kittens are still relatively skittish. Granted, I'm not home all day (I work several jobs) but I come home early every evening and try to spend 2-3 hours engaging and playing with them. They are in my bedroom right now and spent their first few days there hiding in my box spring. After that, they started coming out more frequently, but they still run away when I enter the room. Sometimes they will stop and stare for a period, then run, but any time I try to touch them, they move back and/or run away.
I know this is not what happens the rest of the time when they are on their own; my dad, who is retired and is at home all day (in a different room, obviously) hears them frolicking and I know from things being moved/thrown on the floor that they are playing and being quite social with each other when I'm away, but right now they are still not engaging with me too much.
There have been some good signs though: the past few days, I have been laying on the floor next to the bed (which they are often hiding underneath) and speaking softly to them. Sometimes I provide treats and the boy cat (who is much more outgoing), will, after about five minutes of staring, cautiously eat them from my hand. I also let him lick the spoon from the wet food, which he did, again, after staring for five minutes. I was able to touch the boy cat lightly on the chin and on the paw for a few seconds, then yesterday, I was able to finally pick him up (he was tough to catch) and pet him for about 10 seconds before he escaped. And a night or two ago, I was convinced that I woke up to the boy cat laying on my chest (he sprang up and left as soon as I woke up).
The girl cat is extremely shy, and I've had a tough time even touching her at all; she is even more skittish. However, they do "smell" my slippers and shoes, (even capturing them and dragging them under the bed) and sometimes will brush lightly against my feet and ankles if I'm sitting really still.
I do play with them as well, using a feather toy, a dangly "toy on a stick", and even ribbon for them to chase. They respond well to that.
My question is, is this normal behavior for nearly four-month-old kittens? I read all this literature on how Siamese cats are vocal, friendly, almost "dog-like" in their behavior, but I'm not seeing this at all. I'm just worried that this is more than just a temporary state. I realize that leaving their parents (I purchased them from a breeder) was no doubt traumatizing, plus we had to drive three hours to get them home in the dark, through twisting roads. I'm sure I would have been scared too.
I'm a bit worried because I will have to spay/neuter them in a little over a week and can't do that if I cannot even catch them to put them in the carrier. I've had cats before, but never kittens, so I'm not really sure what to expect either. Any advice would be appreciated!
--what can the OP do to get them to the vet?
