New Kitten Mama… a bit worried!

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  • #38647
    cas510
    Participant

    Hello All.

    I am new to the site and need some encouraging advice.

    My boyfriend and I just brought home a new Himalayan kitten two days ago and he is amazing! Obsessed is an understatement… I am in love with this precious little guy.

    His name is Guinness and is about 8 weeks old. We have given him a “safe room” away from the rest of the house in our bedroom which has a joining bathroom. The room has been kitten proofed (no exposed electrical wires, no accessible garbage cans, no fragile items left on dressers or shelves, etc.). I have made him a ramp to the bed since he seems to like to sleep up there and he’s too small to jump up right now and he is in there with this water, food, litter, bed, scratching post and toys. All and all he seems quite happy.

    He got comfortable with us right away… he already purrs when we pick him up, he’ll let us touch his paws and his ears, he has been sleeping with us every night so far and kneading on us and nuzzling next to us… all in all wants to be close to us. The guy we got him from socializes his animals extremely well and it is very obvious with Guinness. We had a few people come over and see him and he loved all the attention… even with 6 people crammed into a little room fawning over him. He slept the whole car ride home and only cried when he wanted on our bed his first night. He does cry when we leave the room but it seems to stop after a few minutes.

    I was able to be home with him the first two days and now I have returned to work. We both work out of the house 8-10 hours a day with our commutes and I am worried that he is going to be so lonely. We would have gotten two kittens if it had been financially feasible, but it wasn’t.

    Is this too long for a kitten so young to be left alone? Will he be a well adjusted cat with a schedule like this?

    I just hope that we will be able to give him the happiest life ever and that he realizes that he wasn’t abandoned and will still love us!

    I know it might sound silly but I am a wreck just thinking about him being alone all day.

    #573862
    Freeway
    Participant

    8 weeks hmmmm im sure he will be fine but what happened to his mommy? maybe im just not thinking right but im thinking he should still be with her. i could be wrong is he fully eating dry food and drinking water? how young was he when he was weaned from mommy???? if he is still being hand fed which i didnt read in your post, but if he is he needs to eat every 4 hours or so

    #573863
    JB
    Participant

    One suggestion others have made is getting a stuffed animal around the size of the kitten to be a buddy while you are gone. Also leaving dirty shirts that have your smell on them can help reassure the kitten.

    #573864
    Freeway
    Participant

    first let me say sorry for posting before i did my research. it looks at though they can be away from mommy it is pretty early but still not bad. so i guess if he is totally on dry food and water then do what you got to do. give him alot of toys so he stays occupied and he will be fine i believe. but just be sure to give him extra love and kisses when you both get home from work. anyway stay tuned for better advice im new myself and learning everyday. lots and lots of very good advice on here

    #573865
    MadcatwomanintheUK
    Participant

    Hi Cas, welcome to TDK :o) Young Guinness sounds adorable, please can we have a picture? I love the name! The stuffed toy is a good suggestion, and you’re very sensible to acknowledge that 2 kittens might not be financially feasible for your circumstances. In truth, Guinness probably sleeps most of the day when you’re not there, so as long as you spend some quality time with him when you get home he should be just fine. Look forward to hearing more about him!

    #573866
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Welcome, Cas! Is that your baby in your avatar? So adorable 🙂

    We get lots of new kitty owners here asking about leaving their little ones home alone, and MCW is right, he’s probably sleeping a lot of the time when you’re not there. He’s going to be fine, and he’s so lucky to have found you.

    #573867
    pucca
    Participant

    Congrats on your little baby! I just wondered if you got a second kitten from a shelter (they are usually low cost and include free neutering and vaccinations) if that is a possibility. Guinness is so cute!

    #573868
    Siobhan
    Participant

    Sweet little baby, I can see why you’re smitten with this kitten! Your new baby boy will probably sleep most of the time you’re at work. The suggestions of a stuffed toy and shirts with your smell on them, are wise ones and really work to help a kitten think he’s not all by himself/abandoned. How wonderful he lets you play with his feet, keep doing it. It will make clipping his claws nowhere near as traumatic if he’s accustomed to you gently squishing and ‘messin’ with his feet.

    You can get nail clippers designed for kitties for around $5 at a pet store. Good investment.

    #573869
    MizzCupnCake
    Participant

    I would also suggest leaving a radio or tv on low dueing the day too, that way there are human voices and some soft background noise for him all day. I know my cats hate the silence.

    #573870
    schminken
    Participant

    Breeders usually keep their kittens with mommy for about 12 weeks because for some reason it takes kittens in a cattery longer to learn the stuff they need to know. However I’m sure your kitten will be just fine. I just found my kitten but he was 7 to 8 weeks when Ifound him and he is very healthy and social. I was also really worried abbout leaving him at first but he really will sleep most of the day. Sometimes I come home, and its like he hasn’t moved since I left but he’s all ready to play and be a pouncy fun baby. He will get used to you being gone. I think one thing to remmeber is that cats aren’t like dogs…they are solitary creatures by nature not pack animals. Also they are lightening quick. Even if something starts to fall onthem, they bolt out of there before the thing hits the floor. Some breeds do have anxiety being seperated from their owners, but I don’t think himmies are like that (correct me if I’m wrong). He is a gorgeous little puffball.

    #573871
    jchernandez
    Participant

    WOW I am going through the same thing. My sister and I rescued kittens the neighbors of a friend of ours had evidently dumped the mommy somewhere The kittens were maybe 3 weeks if even that their eyes had just opened. The kittens were left under the porch of the neighbor of our friend. The kittens cries were so loud that our friend could hear them inside her house She was like what the hell is going on.!! She went and found them abandoned by the neighbor I am guessing they figured if they dumped the mother then the kittens would eventually die. So our friend decided to take them in but she was going out of town. So she asked my sister to watch them. My sister said yes!!! I got a message from my sister saying she has 3 kittens. Well My niece talked her daddy into letting her keep the little brother. Her daddy said that my sister could keep the little sister. I fell in love with them all and I took one The other little sister. So now all three have homes But I am gone all day from 7 until 5 for school. I too am worried that she is by herself sad and feeling abandoned!!! Well I just got news that Our friend found another kitten from the same litter evidently it was over looked or wondered off somewhere or was hidden when its litter mates were found and it also needs a home so I am adopting that one too!!!! So problem solved lol. I believe the kittens are about 4-5 weeks now. Still too young to be away from their mother but they were orphaned its not like we took them from the mother. But I leave enough food out for her during the day I have read that kitten food softened in kitten formula and or water will work. Anyway I do feel your pain. I think about my little one the whole time I am away from her. But she is very happy go lucky. I think she knows that she is not going to be abandoned!! In fact may enjoy the peace and quiet from my two year old son!!!! So I may actually be doing her a favor since at this early age the kitten can be over stimulated and stressed out!!!

    #573872
    Addie
    Participant

    I would lie to recommend Pucca’s advice. Go to the shelter and get a companion.

    I recently kept two kittens from a stray’s litter and their NEED for one another is so touching. Don’t let your cat be lonely.

    #573873
    schminken
    Participant

    I have to say, I keep seeing the “get another kitten” advice over and over. While that may be the ideal, do people not understand that not everyone lives in a big house or can afford a second kitten or has the space for one? My apartment complex charges 800 dollar “pet fee” for ONE pet no matter the size and on top of that fee raises the monthly rent and charges an aditional 200 dollar deposit.

    This person already said 2 kittens weren’t finacially feasible in the long run. Also, getting one pet is a major deal and time commitment for many people….sometimes getting two just isn’t an option. Should we all feel guilt because we can’t get a second kitten and feel like we are bad kitty momies because we are “letting our kitten be lonely”?!

    #573874
    ladysky61
    Participant

    Yeah, getting two kittens means twice the food, litter, and probably vet bills. If you can’t afford it, than it’s better to no get one then to have to give up one or two of the cats later. You can always get a second kitten or cat at a later date. (although they likely won’t get along as well).

    I think as long as you play with them in the morning, and make sure the room is safe and has play things (crumbled up paper and boxes are hit), the kitten will be fine. They mostly sleep from ~9am-dusk anyway. Have you ever seen lions on Animal Planet or the at the zoo? You know how you always see them sleeping? Same deal with our cats. I think its because in the wild, it would be hot in the middle of the day and they want to conserve energy. Cats, wild and domestic, usually hunt in the early morning and at night.

    #848071
    Tum Tum
    Participant

    Hi I seem to have the same issue. Me and my husband got him yesterday. His name is Tum Tum and he is only 4 weeks old. He got very much attached to us. Jumps out of his little bed and comes up to our bed so we let him sleep on our pillow all night. But in the morning when we were leaving he just kept crying. Both of us work and we had to leave and Im worried if he will be okay. He is only one month and he just follows us around. :/

    #848074
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    One month (4 weeks) is way too young to be away from mother, or if he was hand reared he still needs his bottles. I’ll post some links for you so you can read what to expect in a kitten this age. May be that he is older, since most kittens haven’t even learned how to eat solid food or use the litter box at one month.
    http://www.safehavenforcats.com/newborn.htm
    http://messybeast.com/handrear.htm

    #848079
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi TumTum,

    Welcome to TDKland.

    KZ gave you some excellent advice. Please read the links.

    This is my advice: Your wee tyke is lonely. He comes from a family with mama and possibly sibs, now he’s by himself. This is why he’s extra “clingy” to be with you. Here are 2 options: 1) spend a lot more time with him or 2) get him a playmate. Two kittens aren’t any more difficult than one. IMHO, two kits are the best options. I have 3 kits. 😉

    PG

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