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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / July 2006Scared kitten
I adopted a new kitten 2 weeks ago. He is now 14 weeks old. Ever since I have got him home he hides under the bed and runs away if I go anywhere near him. The only time I can get anywhere near him is when my other cat is around. Fortunately they got on from day 1, my older male cat tolerates him well, even though at times he gets annoyed with the kitten. When I do get a chance to touch him he loves it and he will sit on my lap and be really cuddly, but these episodes are few and far between. What can I do to make him tolerate me being near him without him running away scared? It seems to be getting worse not better! Just let him take things at his own pace. The best thing you can do is ignore him, it indicates calm acceptance. Never look him in the eye and, if you do, blink. Do you know anything about the kitten's background? Was he born to a feral mother? Take a look at case history 2 here: http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour_kitten.html Here's another link: http://www.catactiontrust.org.uk/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_p age&PAGE_id=2&MMN_position=2:2 >I adopted a new kitten 2 weeks ago. He is now 14 weeks old. Ever since I >have got him home he hides under the bed and runs away if I go anywhere near [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >What can I do to make him tolerate me being near him without him running >away scared? It seems to be getting worse not better! > I adopted a new kitten 2 weeks ago. He is now 14 weeks old. Ever since I > have got him home he hides under the bed and runs away if I go anywhere near [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > What can I do to make him tolerate me being near him without him running > away scared? It seems to be getting worse not better! A friend of mine who fosters keeps kittens like this in her bathroom. She says it works like a charm to get them used to her and to people in general, because there is no place to hide, and they get used to her, errr, smells and sounds. She does not approach the kittens, just talks softly to them and lets them approach her. I cannot imagine this would be a bad thing to do for a day or two. With ferals she does it much longer. > A friend of mine who fosters keeps kittens like this in her bathroom. > She says it works like a charm to get them used to her and to people [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > be a bad thing to do for a day or two. With ferals she does it much > longer. I must admit it has been a lot worse since he has had free run of the house........and many places to hide. I kept him in a bedroom for the first few days, and even though he hid under the bed I could coax him out if I sat there long enough.........sounds like I need to confine him back to the bedroom and start again until he's 100% more confident with me. > > A friend of mine who fosters keeps kittens like this in her bathroom. > > She says it works like a charm to get them used to her and to people [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > there long enough.........sounds like I need to confine him back to the > bedroom and start again until he's 100% more confident with me. When my friend told me she had kept a feral kitten in the bathroom for something like three weeks I gasped! She said, "Why do people think that is so cruel? It works, just look at her now." And the cat, by then grown up, adored her and was great with the volunteers and other cats too. They are major creatures of habit, so you can train them to a certain extent. And don't forget, they are little Drama Queens too. :) Maybe it is just instinct and a small forebrain that makes them tend to overreact at times, but they do. Examples: hiding from you as though you are going to kill them just because you make them nervous because you are new; and that ridiculous thing my cats have always did, where they stick their heads over the dry food dish WHILE you pour the food in, as though this is the last food they will ever see even though you FEED them EVERY day. :) Yes, that's what you need to do. Confine him to the bedroom with food, water, and litter box. Gradually let him get used to you (ie. sit quietly while he eats, etc). As he gets more comfortable, you can increase his space. Gail >> A friend of mine who fosters keeps kittens like this in her bathroom. >> She says it works like a charm to get them used to her and to people [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > if I sat there long enough.........sounds like I need to confine him back > to the bedroom and start again until he's 100% more confident with me. >> A friend of mine who fosters keeps kittens like this in her bathroom. >> She says it works like a charm to get them used to her and to people in [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > back to the bedroom and start again until he's 100% more confident with > me. I brought kittens into the house (along with the semi-feral momcat) two weeks ago and it's been a re-education for me about what kittens do/don't like. They do not like being picked up over a certain distance from the floor. They do like lots of things to explore and play with ... paper balls, ping pong balls, a short climbing post to get on top of their cage (left open after 2 days), boxes and bags, and a human to drag a string for them to chase. For about a week, I didn't stay long in their room; then, I went in, sat down on the floor and let them approach me. On Friday, I cat-proofed another room and let them into it. They were wary at first and do still return to their room to eat/sleep, but they're ok with me in the new room too. There is some new stuff in that room for them to climb on, explore, and play with. I agree with your decision to take a step back. Establish whatever room you want to be "home" to him and provide him with some "toys", a place to sleep, and the "necessities" ... a litter box and water and feeding station. Sit down on the floor and play with him at a distance that's comfortable to him; he will soon come to you. And of course, some extra attention for your other cat too. Sounds like he's being better about this than a lot of cats would be. > I brought kittens into the house (along with the semi-feral momcat) two > weeks ago and it's been a re-education for me about what kittens do/don't [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > And of course, some extra attention for your other cat too. Sounds like > he's being better about this than a lot of cats would be. Although he is on dried food I took a little tinned tuna in with me to the bedroom..........it took him a good 30 minutes to be persuaded out but he went crazy when he tasted it and sat on my lap licking my fingers for 20 minutes more. We also had some play time. Clearly tuna is great stuff! I guess the secret is not to rush him. As my other cat is fine with him and the kitten adores him I think I will let them play in the bedroom for short periods......but I don't want him bonded to my big boy and ignore me. I am amazed at my older cat, he is a Bengal and very territorial.....always fighting outside, so for him to take to the kitten has been a godsend..........the kitten is the most washed kitten ever born!! > Although he is on dried food I took a little tinned tuna in with me to the > bedroom..........it took him a good 30 minutes to be persuaded out but he > went crazy when he tasted it and sat on my lap licking my fingers for 20 > minutes more. That's a great sign! Now is a great time, when he is in a mood like that, to gently handle his feet--all of them. This is so that he will get used to them being handled, so that later you can trim his claws. Not just for your furniture etc., but to keep them from tripping him up, snagging them. I would handle his tail too, so he will not turn into the kind of cat that goes for you if you touch his tail! > "Ann" wrote <...> > Although he is on dried food I took a little tinned tuna in with me to the > bedroom..........it took him a good 30 minutes to be persuaded out but he [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > let them play in the bedroom for short periods......but I don't want him > bonded to my big boy and ignore me. Know what you mean. But having two (or more) cats that get along is a "good thing" when their human is busy/tired. Even when they aren't particularly friendly, they pass the time keeping an eye on each other. <g> > I am amazed at my older cat, he is a Bengal and very > territorial.....always fighting outside, so for him to take to the > kitten has been a godsend..........the kitten is the most washed kitten > ever born!! >> I adopted a new kitten 2 weeks ago. He is now 14 weeks old. Ever since I >> have got him home he hides under the bed and runs away if I go anywhere [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >be a bad thing to do for a day or two. With ferals she does it much >longer. It's probably a good idea, but I'm thinking of my "bathroom cat." Boy was he glad when he finally got out of my bathroom. It was a banner day for me too. I saw him not too long ago... he glared at me from the side of a road. Charlie > It's probably a good idea, but I'm thinking of my "bathroom cat." Boy > was he glad when he finally got out of my bathroom. It was a banner > day for me too. > > I saw him not too long ago... he glared at me from the side of a road. lol! a kitty with the memory of an elephant! I had forgotten all about that, Charlie. Didn't you think he was pregnant? :) >> It's probably a good idea, but I'm thinking of my "bathroom cat." Boy >> was he glad when he finally got out of my bathroom. It was a banner [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >lol! a kitty with the memory of an elephant! I had forgotten >all about that, Charlie. Didn't you think he was pregnant? :) Yeah, there was a pregnant feral who looked a lot like him on the CCTV I set up under my trailer. But I trapped the wrong cat and couldn't get a good look at him because he was so feral and vicious. He was pretty big, too. After a couple of weeks I realized something had to give, so I re-trapped him from within the bathroom, took him to the vet, had him neutered, and released him a day or so later. It was a nightmare for him, merely a bad dream for me. Charlie I went thru the same thing when I first brought my two cats home. It just takes time. My suggestions would be to hold out your hand when you get close - let him smell you. Use your hand with food if you use dry food - let him see it's you that's putting it in the dish. Eventually he'll come around sometimes it just takes a lot of time and special attention. Now I have a cat that loves to snuggle and cuddle whenever he can. |
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