3

I'm a new kitten/cat owner, and I'm somewhat worried here. I've only had the kitten for one week yet, so this might just be a "phase" it's going through.

For the first few days after I got her, she would constantly search my vicinity. Whenever I would sit down, she would come and cuddle/sleep next to me or on my lap, which I absolutely love. She would also cuddle up to me when I went to sleep.

That being said, she actually barely explored the house at that point. I put her carrier in a room and sit in front of it. She pretty quickly got out of the carrier, but again, she didn't really explore at all. She instantly came to me and didn't really move too much. This was confusing for me a bit, as I thought she would be more wary around me.

Anyway, the next day I gave her a bath, which she absolutely hated and was very frightened I think. I know, not optimal, especially assuming she already was stressed from the travel, new environment, etc. But it had to be done. I don't know why, but she was really smelly.

Two days after, I brought her to the vet to check if she is alright. Her right eye was quite "watery" and she was sneezing every now and then. The vet gave me eye drops, which I have to administer her 3-4 times a day. All in all, I think I put her through a lot of stress.

The following day, I didn't change any change in personality at all. But, for the last 2 days, she has been ignoring. She sleeps on her cat tree all day. Occasionally she gets up and wants some play time, but that's about it. After maybe 5-10 minutes, she's just back to sleeping on her cat tree for a few hours. Also, unlike the first few days, she is not searching my vicinity at all anymore. In fact, as of writing this, I've been in a different room for almost 4 hours now (although I went and pet her once in this time). She didn't come check at all.

Is this just her feeling more comfortable now? Did I do something wrong? I'm a bit worried here.

TL;DR:

New kitten, 3 months old. First few days, very clingy and cuddly. Now (after 1 week of having her), she's ignoring me the whole day, except for the occasional play session. During this week, she had a bath, a vet visit, and needs eye drops 3-4 times a day. Am I stressing her out too much? Is she wary of me?

Thanks everyone.

0

3 Answers 3

4

A new home is scary to any cat, much less a kitten. Every strange sight, sound or smell could be a sign of something waiting to kill her. It takes time for her to explore her new environment and determine that it is safe. This is why cats in a new home will generally hide under/in something where they can’t be attacked, only coming out at night to eat and use the box when noise and activity is at a minimum.

Your new kitten decided very early on that you were safe, which is great news; that can sometimes take weeks if a kitten wasn’t properly socialized. So, she naturally wanted to be around you because she believed you’d protect her from all the other scary stuff in your house.

Since then, two things happened. One is that she has had time to explore and learn that all those scary things are not actually threats, so she doesn’t need you as a safety blanket. This is a good thing.

The other is that you bathed her, took her to the vet, and keep putting stuff in her eyes. Cats don’t like any of those things, so she is probably a bit less fond of you right now. She’ll get over it.

The extreme sleeping is pretty normal for kittens. Adult cats sleep most of the day; kittens sleep even more, and during a growth spurt, they will sleep almost nonstop because literally all their energy goes into growing. It sounds like one of these also hit at the same time as the other two factors; if so, she should be more active and playful—and noticeably larger—in a few days.

2

When it comes to cats, there is never one reason but a range of things that might have affected her.

She might be sick

It is unusual for 3 month old kitten to die when they are under constant care, i.e., the random infant mortality events no longer affects a 3 month old kitten, so I would suggest you to regularly check if she has a fever. If she doesn't have any fever, I don't think you need an early visit to a vet.

Cats normally sleep 12-16 hrs a day and kittens sleep longer than cats. When the cats are sick, their sleep period is increased even further. As long as she wants some play time, it means she is not very sick, but I find that 5-10 min for a kitten of that age quite low.

She might be hating of you

Since you forced her to take a bath and took her to a vet, she might think that you bring her all the misfortune. Unfortunately, we cannot tell our cats why we do things so it is not your fault. The fact that she was very trusting at the beginning but very wary of you now supports this.

Don't worry, cats don't hold grudges and they go through a lot of personality change as they grow, so it is not permanent. Just don't force her to do things she doesn't want to.

She might be comfortable enough with your surroundings

Spooked cats are more prone to finding a human to cuddle with. Now, she might be more comfortable with the new house so she might not need your protection just as much.

She is a cat

Some actions of cats are just meaningless, so she might be acting this way because of everything listed above and more. Mood swings are common in cats, especially adolescent cats. I would suggest you to follow the instructions of your vet and leave your cats some space.

1

If she is not actively avoiding you, I think it's actually good sign. When brought to new environment, cats tend to find a place they feel safe and hide there, until they feel brave enough to explore. You observed this with when she was reluctant to explore and stuck to you. This is actually a good sign: she has decided that you are safe, that you are someone she can go to when she feels unwell or scared. It means she has already bonded with you. Although bath and others might be stressing, she might also associate you with healing and feeling better.

In 3 months, it is likely that she has found courage to explore and find the best napping places. She has grown to be a... well, a cat. Cats are notoriously independent, so by description she feels safe in your home to lounge in what used to be "non-safe" locations. And don't worry about cats sleeping, it is likely your cat has more nocturnal cycle (as most cats do have). Cats can sleep up to 15 hours a day.

Your main concern should be observing that she visits litterbox without trouble and eats her share. Basically, just look out for signs that she is not feeling well.

TL;DR

Your cat bonded with you quickly, but has since learned that rest of the house is not that scary and feels more comfortable lounging around. Unless she shows signs of distress, she is just acting like your usual cat that finds your home comfortable and safe.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.