# Adopted 3 month old "Princess" from local shelter. She is scared. HELP!



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

We were hesitant to adopt her at first because the vet said her abdominal area had a bump or buldge which the vet later said after testing for feline leukemia that she came back negative, thank god. She said that Princess was basically "full of poop" and gave her an enema and put her back in her cage for a couple minutes where she released her bowels and immediately seemed like she felt better and started playing. The main problem now is at home since we have a long shoestring, we use that to have her play with and she loves chasing it...BUT when I or my mother or anyone in my family goes to touch her while she is playing with the string she BOLTS away and hides behind the laundry machine. She's very very scared of any human interaction, but loves her string. I feel so bad for her what can I do so she is not scared so much of us? I would hate to give her back to the pet rescue shelter, I've never encountered this maybe because this is my first time adopting from a shelter? Also since she is 3 months old is it ok to feed her EVO dry kitten/cat food? How about wet food? Last concern I have is regarding her litterbox. How do I get her to trust me? Shes so gorgeous I really don't want to give her back  thanks so much any and all input is greatly appreciated!


----------



## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

The poor baby is just scared. It is good that she like playing. Try one of those kitten fishing poles like Da Bird too. Most cats just love it. I think the more she plays with you the more relaxed around you she will get. Try offering her treats from your hand and not free feed. Serve her her meals so she associates you with a good thing like food. Some kittens and cats are just more shy than others. I think she needs some time to come out of her shell. She is still a baby. Yes, feed her kitten food until she is about nine months. Canned food is better than dry. I usually feed mine mostly canned with a little bit of dry during the day. Is she using the litterbox or is she still having some constipation?


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

My mom tricked her with the shoelace and picked her up and gently started petting her, she somewhat enjoyed being petted under the chin and by her ears but she is definitely still freighteined and does not like to be held. Looking forward to your suggestions and input! Thanks again


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

Jetlaya67 said:


> The poor baby is just scared. It is good that she like playing. Try one of those kitten fishing poles like Da Bird too. Most cats just love it. I think the more she plays with you the more relaxed around you she will get. Try offering her treats from your hand and not free feed. Serve her her meals so she associates you with a good thing like food. Some kittens and cats are just more shy than others. I think she needs some time to come out of her shell. She is still a baby. Yes, feed her kitten food until she is about nine months. Canned food is better than dry. I usually feed mine mostly canned with a little bit of dry during the day. Is she using the litterbox or is she still having some constipation?


When they gave her the enema at the shelter she relieved herself a lot and ever since she came home which has been 3 hours ago we put food, water, and her litterbox out and she has not went to the bathroom AND she has not ate. We tried offering treats via our hands and she just runs away but when the treat is on the floor, she ate is. Is this normal if she is scared/nervous? Should we be picking her up and petting her gently if she doesn't resist?


----------



## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

She may not feel too good at the moment after her trip to the vet. Hopefully she will start feeling better and start eating and drinking. To entice her to eat you may want to open a can of tuna (the one in water not oil) and mix some of the tuna water (and a little tuna, not much) in her regular food. Provide access to food and water so it is there when she wants to eat. If by tomorrow she is still not eating call your vet and see what he recommends. Please post pictures of your kitten when you get a chance I would love to see her.


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

OMG this is so weird.. We left wet food and dry food along with water out for her and we left her alone in the room for 20 minutes, went back in the room after, and she actually ate! Why would she be avoiding eating in front of me? I'm just worried that something might be wrong or is this normal for a kitten coming from a shelter? And yes she was in the top cages there. Thanks so much


----------



## sheiladoreen (Jul 11, 2014)

Our little guy did that too. He was just too scared to eat with us around. If you can, keep her in her own room so she can get used to the smaller space first. Visit lots and bring the food and water in, talk to her calmly and sit quietly in the room. She will come around!


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

Sorry for being annoying Im so worried about her but not as much anymore. My mom is sneaking on her and she is eating and drinking. Oh and she used her litterbox!! Yay!!! Now our only worry is that if she notices we are watching or even anywhere near her, she runs away in fear. So I am guessing she is just scared since she was in a loud shelter and now in a total different environment with different people? Also regarding the litter box, she hasn't had a bowel movement ever since that enema at the shelter (5-6 hours ago). She just ate more of the wet food a couple minutes ago. I thought she had a bowel movement because it smelled so bad in the room where she hides (where her litter box is) but I guess she is just passing gas, can this be from the enema? How long should I wait to be concerned if she doesn't have a bowel movement? Poor girl is scared as soon as anyone walks in her room  only if she knew I want to help her !


----------



## Dumine (Jun 30, 2014)

Just go slow... everything is still new and scary. Don't worry too much if she wont eat in front of you. You can sit quietly with her when she eats like sheiladoreen suggests, but it could take a few days or even a week before she feels comfortable to eat with you in the room. It sounds like she's making good progress though, so she should improve faster once the trust is there.


----------



## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

It is normal for her not to have a bowel movement after an enema. She should go once her tummy starts filling up. You are not bothering anyone here. I am glad you are asking and concerned about your kittens welfare. Princess is in good hands.


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

You guys are awesome on this site!!! I was young when we got our cat who was 12 and died from ketoacidosis I love cats so much its like raising my own boy/best friend/companion all in one i still cry that Chucky had to leave so soon.. Process of life I guess he will never forget the memories they leave with us


----------



## erinyaap (Aug 19, 2014)

It is totally normal for her to be scared. She is a tiny little thing in a brand new place with new people, new smells, new sounds. We got our boys from a shelter when they were 2 months old and it took about 2 days for them to get less scared. At first they would hiss if we moved too fast or tried to reach towards one of them. Just keep playing and leaving food out. 
The fact that she is eating is awesome! Our boys ate very little at first. Now they are little piggies. Cats sometimes won't eat at all until they feel comfortable and safe. There may be very little litter box usage until her appetite picks up more, especially if you brought her home with empty bowels. Give her a little time and I'm sure she will come around soon.


----------



## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

Like Jetlaya said don't be afraid to ask questions we much prefer people to do that. its why we are all here, to help each other through those difficult and stressful times as well as sharing the funny and cute stuff.
Just think at 3 months old, you are the 3rd place she has lived ( unless she was born in the shelter). She was moved between lots of different people. Thats a lot at 3 months. Now she needs to get used to her new big home and all the smells and noises and she needs to get used to her new people. So as Dumins said, best way is to sit quietly, preferably on the fllor and maybe read out loud and don't try to grab her let her come to you and smell you and offer her treats. Try not to spy too much on her as that might add to her fear. Alsoo play with Da Bird as suggested and get her some soft mice as kittens love to play hunt and kill. As she starts to feel better and more confident she will come out of herself and then you'll be posting a new thread "Help, exhausted by my new kitten's energy" :0)


----------



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

yo0123yo you are analyzing this WAY too much. Give the poor baby some breathing room. Let her relax and go about her business without you guys being in her face so much. I don't know the time frame from the first post to your last, but it gave me anxiety just reading your anxiety! SHE IS A BABY!! She is going to be scared and frightened. 

Want to make friends with her? Sit on the floor with toys and that string (do NOT leave that string unattended) and gently play with her. Try to entice her on to your lap during play. If she comes, up gently try to touch her. DON'T force the issue. Let her come to you on her terms.


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

Alrighty today shes come out of her room and still kind of scared, she runs and sleeps under our couches, she doesn't willingly leave from under the couch unless we pick her up. Guessing because shes lived the majority of her life in a cage. Should we be letting her stay under the couch however long she wants? She doesn't mind being petted now as long as she is under the couch. Looks like Progress is being made


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

Jenny bf said:


> Like Jetlaya said don't be afraid to ask questions we much prefer people to do that. its why we are all here, to help each other through those difficult and stressful times as well as sharing the funny and cute stuff.
> Just think at 3 months old, you are the 3rd place she has lived ( unless she was born in the shelter). She was moved between lots of different people. Thats a lot at 3 months. Now she needs to get used to her new big home and all the smells and noises and she needs to get used to her new people. So as Dumins said, best way is to sit quietly, preferably on the fllor and maybe read out loud and don't try to grab her let her come to you and smell you and offer her treats. Try not to spy too much on her as that might add to her fear. Alsoo play with Da Bird as suggested and get her some soft mice as kittens love to play hunt and kill. As she starts to feel better and more confident she will come out of herself and then you'll be posting a new thread "Help, exhausted by my new kitten's energy" :0)


Ha! Sweet response thanks so much


----------



## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

You are trying hard and she is making progress. She is young and scared - that is normal. It isn't just because she's a rescue. All of mine are rescues - some arrive confident - others need work. She has a lot of new things to deal with but, by the sound of it, you will end up with a little gem!


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

Arianwen said:


> You are trying hard and she is making progress. She is young and scared - that is normal. It isn't just because she's a rescue. All of mine are rescues - some arrive confident - others need work. She has a lot of new things to deal with but, by the sound of it, you will end up with a little gem!


Ok sounds great!! Here is the precious Princess playing with her shoestring shes so gorgeous http://i.imgur.com/lMxv8KR.jpg


----------



## Keikuru (Sep 7, 2014)

My rescue cat was hiding in the storage room for 1 week after we got her.
Today she's a lovebug.

I know it sucks having to wait but really the best thing you can do for her is just give her some time to adjust to her new life.

It's similar to when you have the flu. You want to fix it asap but there's not much you can do. You usually just need to wait for your body to heal itself.


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

Yayyy!!! She is starting to not mind us sitting next to her and petting her when she sits on the couch. Haha!! Question regarding her litter:someone at the shelter suggested non clumping until shes about 6 months old because when she poops it will stick to her butt. Lol is that true? Do I need to switch to non clumping?


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

Dont mean to just bump the post lol but I was at my Petsmart, i saw they had that kitten milk the ones in cardboard boxes is there any age to not give it to my kitty?


----------



## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

She is so beautiful! She does not really need kitten milk anymore as long as she is eating her kitten food (wet and dry). You can give her a little kitten milk as a treat. Just make sure that it does not upset her tummy.


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

She has been definitely sneezing a bit, not really a lot and one of her eyes is just a little watier than normal. Good thing the clinic vet where we got her from will cover costs for the first ten days, definitely doesn't seem 100% confident yet but boy oh boy the energy this little girl showed she has is ridiculous lmao! The mouse with the stick and string is her love. She's comfortable enough to lay down to take a rest and roll over to tell me to pet her belly, she's definitely starting to trust me. She will run for the mouse and if she even thinks I'm going to grab her she will BOLT and I mean BOLT back to her room haha her energy is insane. You guys are awesome thanks for the help. The loss of my previous cat a month ago is still insanely rough on me and even typing his name or seeing a picture of him will bring me to tears. I feel like that love will never ever be replaced  looking forward to sharing our journey on this ride called life with the great people of this site. Will update after the vet which I will take her tomorrow or saturday. Heres a pic of when she first burst out of her scared shell she is so tiny and adorable! http://i.imgur.com/K5srfRc.jpg


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

Updating after our vet visit as I had promised. Took her in for sneezing/coughing and watery eyes and her ears were itching her a bit and they were definitely dirty. She ended up having an upper respiratory infection, along with ear mites. The vet cleaned out her ears and applied some Revolution between her shoulders to kill the ear mites. A lot of nasty "gunk" came out of her ears when the vet cleaned them out with the cotton swab. He prescribed Otibiotic ointment for her ears; a couple drops daily twice a day, for 10 days, along with an oral liquid antibiotic for the upper respiratory infection called Augmentin (amoxicillin) which is administered twice daily, for ten days also. Very easy to administer and she is so adorable and playful but theres still parts of the house she hasn't navigated! Anyways we have her a bath today as well because she still didn't smell all that great, shes so happy now and so adorable and tiny! She weighed 3.2 pounds at the vet. Here are some of her pics! http://i.imgur.com/Y79kuGS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/aVPws1c.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/HPlSe6J.jpg (laying on my leg)
http://i.imgur.com/OIK0rL8.jpg

Thanks so much again for every single one of your responses everything helps. I have her scheduled to be spayed November 15th. Is the recovery typically longer for a spay than it is for a neuter?


----------



## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

I believe healing for females take a bit longer but a young kitten like yours will heal in no time than an adult cat. Just make sure when Princess goes for her spaying, the vet doesn't vaccinate her on the same day. Kittens are much more delicate with their immune systems still under-developed, so things like that should be evenly spaced out.

Also, for kitty colds, many here suggest L-lysine in human supplement stores which you could add to kitty's wet food to help combat the cold if it were due to a virus infection than bacterial in nature. Human grade ones are sold in capsules which you could empty the powder into food. I also think they are generally tasteless so you don't need to worry if you have a fussy eater.


----------



## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

Ear mites is quite common as are colds when they come from shelters. Kiki our kitten ( now 8 months) had a very bad case and it took a lot to clear them. We actually thought she was deaf to start with till they were cleaned. As so much kept coming out she had them fully cleaned out when under sedation for her spay. It would have taken months to clean otherwise. l-lysine is great. I knew nothing about this till I joined here. The photos are very sweet she is cute and going to be gorgeous as she fills out


----------



## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

Princess is very pretty! Enjoy your new baby!!


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

TabbCatt said:


> I believe healing for females take a bit longer but a young kitten like yours will heal in no time than an adult cat. Just make sure when Princess goes for her spaying, the vet doesn't vaccinate her on the same day. Kittens are much more delicate with their immune systems still under-developed, so things like that should be evenly spaced out.
> 
> Also, for kitty colds, many here suggest L-lysine in human supplement stores which you could add to kitty's wet food to help combat the cold if it were due to a virus infection than bacterial in nature. Human grade ones are sold in capsules which you could empty the powder into food. I also think they are generally tasteless so you don't need to worry if you have a fussy eater.


Just bought some l-lysine 1000mg tablets that can be split in half, how much should I be giving kitty in her wet food? I have heard 250mg 2x a day? They are tablets so I have to crush em up


----------



## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

she is such a good looking kitten!


----------



## yo0123yo (Apr 2, 2013)

Can't believe how she was the day and the day after we adopted her haha! Look at this picture now. She is knocked out cold like a little baby in my lap! So adorable! http://i.imgur.com/pK7u2gN.jpg


----------



## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

yo0123yo said:


> Just bought some l-lysine 1000mg tablets that can be split in half, how much should I be giving kitty in her wet food? I have heard 250mg 2x a day? They are tablets so I have to crush em up


Sorry for the late reply! Since Princess is a kitten, you can give her 250 mg twice a day or 500 mg once a day in her wet food. Try it a few days and see if you notice a difference. If not you can bump it up to 500 mg twice a day only when you notice her flare up of kitty colds. L-lysine is water soluble and is really just an amino acid, so I don't think you can overdose--Princess will just pee it out.


Hope someone jumps in and corrects me if I'm wrong, though. I've got some of L-lysine in stock myself but I've never seen my kitties with a cold.


----------

