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Seeking advice for newly adopted cat

Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 1
25/07/2021 9:46 pm
Topic starter

Hello,

I adopted a 10-month old kitten a couple of days ago. She is eating and drinking water well. She peed and pooped last night in the litter box. I don't know why she was meowing a lot in the middle of the night though. We couldn't help but woke up at 4AM. When we started making breakfast, she kept wanting to jump on the counter and the stove. The only way to stop her was holding her still. I tried to divert her attention with treats and toys but nothing worked. She didn't care about treats nor toys.

She kneads a lot too whenever I'm around. Not just on blankets and her bed but even when she was sitting next to me, she would even knead on the hardwood floor. She is very sweet and would rub her head on us and follow us around whenever she sees us. However, she doesn't play at all and doesn't seem to want to play either. I got her a scratcher and put catnip in it but she has no interest in it. When I put her there, she would knead it and not really scratch it. She hasn't scratched our furniture or anything so I guess that's ok for now. I let her sniff the catnip bag to see what happens but it doesn't affect her at all... She has been sleeping all day today and I'm worried that she will be awake at night and moew again. I tried to wake her up a couple of times and play with her but she still doesn't want to play. She has been eating and drinking water but hasn't peed or pooped all day. The only things she does are sitting by the window and sleeping today.

It's my first time adopting a kitten so I'm don't know if her behaviors are normal? She hasn't peed or pooped all day (I check the aparment and she is not doing it anywhere else). She doesn't play. She's not interested in treats or toys or catnip or scratcher? What can I do for her to do things during the day and sleep at night? And if she continues to meow at night again, how can I stop this?

Sorry for the long post. I would really appreciate any help and explanation. Thank you!

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Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 41
26/07/2021 6:17 am

Hello Elly

Congratulations on your new addition to the family!

Cats are territorial species, anecdotally it can take a kitten of your age about a week to several weeks to adapt/settle to a new home/environment before they feel confident to play, explore their new surroundings and adjust to a new routine. 

Moving home is stressful for humans, particularly for kitties. Unsure if she has a sanctuary room or full run of the house, I recommend starting with a dedicated room with all her resources (food/water, litter tray, cat tree, toys, etc) in her oasis for a short time.

Most important be patient during the transition period since she may be anxious, fearful and/or stressed displaying inhibited behavioral responses. Some behaviors such as eating/playing/exploration and elimination temporarily may take place night-time when it’s quiet and there are no people around which is typical for a cat in a new home.

I would also encourage you to place items with her scent in her room/house including boxes and tunnel as hideout during the adjustment period.

Take the time to learn about her individual likes/dislikes. Each kitten is unique, spend time and interact on her terms, don’t force the connection and don’t coax her, cats feel empowered when they are in control, let her initiate contact. Build the relationship slowly by reading her a book, listening to calming music and watching TV.

Monitor her eating and elimination habits on daily basis and if she stops consuming food, please consult your vet asap.

Lastly, if she was adopted from a shelter/cattery/foster carer, you might want to obtain further details regarding her temperament, favorite type toys along with treats from her carer.

For now, here's a great article concerning helping kittens settle in

Hope this helps a little. 

 

Warm regards

Melina

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