Pets Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for pet owners, caretakers, breeders, veterinarians, and trainers. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
I just got a three month old kitten three days ago. She is very cuddly and purrs every once in a while.
The first day we brought her home she mostly slept but played a little bit. The next day she slept all day and the day after that she has not gotten up or played at all on her own.
The only time she gets up is if I get her up to go to the litter box or eat. Other then that she goes straight back to bed.
I have tried to play with her but she will run away or hide every time.
It is normal for a three month old kitten to sleep most of the time. She probably slept less in the first day because she was uneasy of a new environment.
As given in the site - How Much Sleep Is Normal For Kittens?
A newborn kitten’s daily routine is made up of sleeping 90 percent of the time — that is almost 22 hours of shuteye!
Though it may not appear so, while your new kitten has peacefully nodded off, his body is hard at work. Development of his brain and central nervous system is dependent upon these frequent catnaps. Time spent snoozing in young kittens tones and strengthens the muscles and bones that give this species its athleticism and grace. Sleep even keeps your kitten’s immune system in tip-top shape. Without enough sleep, your kitten will become irritable and even at risk for infections and illness.
So, according to this article you should let your kitten sleep peacefully and not always try to wake her up and try to play. She is running away probably because she is extremely sleepy and you are forcing her to keep awake and play.
While the number of hours kittens sleep may seem excessive to new kitten owners, oversleeping in kittens is usually not cause to worry.
The only cause of worry is probably Fading Kitten Syndrome where among various symptoms gradual increase in sleep is one. But as mentioned here it is mostly common among neonatal kittens and possibly not possible to happen in a three month old kitten.
As given in the site - What Is Fading Kitten Syndrome and Why Do So Many Foster Kittens Die From It?
Profound lethargy, low body temperature, pale gums, low respiratory rate, and failure to root and nurse or eat are nearly universal signs of the syndrome.
But as I mentioned, it is probably not possible for a three month old kitten to have Fading Kitten Syndrome
Still it is always a good practice to have your pet fully checked up by a vet after you get a new pet. So if you are worried get the kitten checked up by a vet.
Good luck.
She may just be overstimulated from the new environment.
If she’s looking like she has any discharge from her eyes or nose, isn’t eating properly or seems otherwise unwell then I would get her checked by a vet.
If she’s just sleeping a lot it’s probably just she’s overwhelmed with the new home and tired.
A cat, even an adult cat, may take a while to decide that a new environment and new people are safe. Some are braver than others when meeting new people, and moving may make them skittish until they figure out where the bounds of their new territory are.
When my most recent pair arrived, they promptly found a safe "den" under the guest room bed, and I barely saw them for the first week. I left them alone and let them explore at their own pace. After the first week, I would see Harry during the daytime, and he started watching me; toward the end of the week he started getting comfortable with me petting him briefly or trailing a string for him. The next week Harry vanished again and it was Hazel's turn to take the daytime watch-the-human shift.
After that I saw them frequently, but even so they initially preferred to sit just out of reach. The distance progressively got shorter, and I was able to okay with them with a string or get them to come over for petting. It took a month or two before they were ready to cuddle, and another two months to convince them it was ok to sit on my lap. But after a year they were as affectionate and cuddly with me as any cats I've known,
Respect the cat's need to make up its own mind about the house and about you. Think about how you'd feel if giant apes grabbed you and moved you to a new place, even if you knew that other giant apes had been friendly.
