# kitten is hiding and....crying?



## skan (Feb 25, 2010)

I got another kitten recently he is male and is about 4 months old.

When he was dropped off he was a bit catious but really curious. He never cried when the lady left or while she was here.
He liked to hide in a corner by my steps near the door. I would try talking to him and come to pet him(Ony if he let me of course)

I tried for hours to coax him out of hiding by playing with toys and talking to him but he wouldn't budge. So I thought maybe he just wanted to be left alone to figure this out a bit. He eventually moved from the corner of my steps to a little spot by my couch. He seemed a bit cold (when he was by door) so I picked him up and put him on the couch (I had put a blanket there for him) he looked like he was going to bolt away (becuase I picked him up) but he eventually curled up in the blanket and fell asleep.

It was getting late so I decided to go to bed aswell, I didn't know wether or not I should bring him with me or leave him on the couch. I thought he would be lonely in dark by himself so I brought him with me into my room. I put him on my bed and he slept on the end curled up by my feet. Everything was fine until about 5am he woke up and started meowing , he would look at me then take off by the door to my bedroom (which was closed) So I thought maybe he was thirsty/hungry needed the bathroom and let him out.

but all he did was meow and meow. I'm not sure if he was crying or wanted something. I went after him and turned on the lights to see what was wrong and all he kept doing was meowing and rubbing against my feet. If I knelt down beside him he would come up to my face and smell me then meow in my face. (haha...)

after about 6:30am I couldnt stand it anymore I needed sleep so I took off to my room (leaving my door open) Through the night I could hear him meowing sometmes he would stop and come back into the room but he would be off again. eventually he would curl up beside me and sleep but if I moved a bit he would get up again and start his meowing again. Now this morning I wake up and he is gone. I find out he is hiding under the bed, and when I look at him to try coax him out he starts that meowing again.
So now I have just left him under there since I don't want to force him out (plus it's a bit hard to reach him)
he's not meowing anymore but if I look at him under there and try talk to him he starts meowing.

I wonder what's wrong? He is pretty quiet and seems more independant but I wonder why the crying all of a sudden?

hmm...


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Well, I think he is missing all that is familiar to him and he is 'crying' and hoping whomever he is looking for will answer back. I would just keep talking to him, and hope that by transferring his talking to you, he will bond in that manner and it will lead to an even closer relationship after you've socialized him to you and your home.
heidi =^..^=


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## BroganMc (Feb 28, 2010)

Aww poor little kitty. How would you like to be picked up and dropped off in a totally new home with nothing but strangers when you were a toddler? He's scared and lonely for his kitty family.

He's probably under that bed answering you with "I want my mommy."

I know his cry is heartbreaking. He will adjust, you just need to keep trying to befriend him. Offer him some food, pet him softly, talk to him, play with him, let him cuddle with you when he sleeps (that's what kitten families do). Be soft and kind in your tone of voice, even if he is naughty. It's important he learns that you are a big friendly animal and not a scary hairless monster.

It's a shame you didn't adopt one of his littermates for company. That would have made his transition easier. You just need to be patient and loving.

Oh and maybe put another litter box in your bedroom or attached bathroom so you don't have to worry about him needing it in the middle of the night and getting lost. Also a water bowl.

My previous kitty lost her mom and littermates all on the same day. She cried for a couple weeks looking for them. (She was very small... 4-6 weeks old.) Everytime she cried we went to her and comforted her. Eventually (a couple weeks) she adopted us as her kitty family and settled into our home. She lived with us for 15 years. In those early weeks we just wanted to reassure her that she had a new family that cared as much for her. That's why we answered her calls and let her sleep with us.


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## skan (Feb 25, 2010)

BroganMc said:


> Aww poor little kitty. How would you like to be picked up and dropped off in a totally new home with nothing but strangers when you were a toddler? He's scared and lonely for his kitty family.
> 
> He's probably under that bed answering you with "I want my mommy."
> 
> ...


I would have taken one of his litter mates but by this time they were all gone, he was the only one left. 
plus I wouldn't be able to take more than for a few reasons:
- I have a small bird
- I live in a very small suite 
- I would have to pay an extra deposit (200 for each cat) for a student this would be out of the question.

The litter box idea sounds good maybe I will try that next time thank you for the tips ~

I hope he adjusts okay I would hate to have to bother the previous owner once again to take him back 
I wouldn't want him to suffer just becuase I was selfish and wanted a cat.

I'll have to see how this goes maybe it just isnt the right time for me to own a cat in my life right now. 
seeing as I already own a very needy bird (who is greatly upset and stressed out that the cat is here) and add to that I am in university full time. I really should have thought it out I guess.

but if does it does come to that the owner has already agreed to take him back if need be. i'd hate to do that to him though...


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## BroganMc (Feb 28, 2010)

skan said:


> I'll have to see how this goes maybe it just isnt the right time for me to own a cat in my life right now.
> seeing as I already own a very needy bird (who is greatly upset and stressed out that the cat is here) and add to that I am in university full time. I really should have thought it out I guess.
> 
> but if does it does come to that the owner has already agreed to take him back if need be. i'd hate to do that to him though...


Oh no don't give up. We only adopted our Peppermint because we mistakenly thought Animal Control would give us more time to decide whether to adopt her brother. They killed him within 2 hrs of catching him. I'm still upset about that 15 years later.

Your little one will be alright in time. Just take a little time at night and/or in the morning to play with him. Study next to him, if you can. Just plop yourself down on the floor next to the bed and read. He can be your study mate. After a while they do adjust to being in their new home. If anything, you may find he bonds with you even more since he's an only kitty.

When we adopted our Peppermint we had a very active household. All young adults coming and going at odd hours. We also had a very needy Black Lab at the time. Poor little Pep was introduced to a new household with a built-in rival 10 times her size. But after a while she felt right at home. She claimed every high, comfy surface in the house. She loved sitting on the bed or back of a comfy chair and teasing the dog. But after that and through the next 10 years of changes (people moving out, people having babies and bringing them to visit, little kids having sleepovers, family moving in and out, people getting sick and dying, the dog dying too) she was at home here.

Only thing I can see you rightly worrying over is to protect your bird from your kitty and vice versa. Read up on how to do slow introductions of the two. There's a fabulous thread here on how a member introduced her abandoned kitty to his housemates (2 adult cats and 2 dogs). It gives a great lesson on how animals get acquainted with each other and learn the safe boundaries. Kittens are fast learners. They tend to adjust better to natural rivals than adult cats.

What's your kitty's name?


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## skan (Feb 25, 2010)

BroganMc said:


> Oh no don't give up. We only adopted our Peppermint because we mistakenly thought Animal Control would give us more time to decide whether to adopt her brother. They killed him within 2 hrs of catching him. I'm still upset about that 15 years later.
> 
> Your little one will be alright in time. Just take a little time at night and/or in the morning to play with him. Study next to him, if you can. Just plop yourself down on the floor next to the bed and read. He can be your study mate. After a while they do adjust to being in their new home. If anything, you may find he bonds with you even more since he's an only kitty.
> 
> ...


Yeah Im really worried about my bird. He loves to come out and sit on my shoulder and just relax, but with the kitty around it is a bit stressed and scared to come out. 

The kittens name is Hachiko 

Hopefully they can get along peacefully Although I blame myslef for doing this on impluse. I have owned cats before but never together with a bird or while liviing my own. Its also a bit of a problem as I often go back home for visits and I can't take Hachiko with me (allergies and dogs)


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## BroganMc (Feb 28, 2010)

Is your place big enough to separate your bird and Hachiko? Like keeping Hachiko in your bedroom and your bird in the Living Room? Then you can spend time with both of them separately. After they are each comfortable with you, then you let them see/sniff each other while protected from each other. That is, keeping them behind separate bars/cages. Your bird in his cage and your cat separated behind a baby gate or under your watchful eye. Try not to hold the kitten up to the bird cage but rather in sight of the cage. Kitten will scratch at you to get to the bird otherwise. Same for the bird. You need to let them discover each other.

I've never owned birds myself but my brother keeps parakeets and has 3 cats. The birds are kept in a cage in the kitchen (a common area for the family). The cats are allowed to roam. Sometimes the cats like to watch the birds and the birds aren't too happy about being around the cats. Usually if they are out of their cage they fly up to a very high perch out of kitty's reach. Eventually kitty moves on because they know they can't catch the bird. Then the birds come down to their human companions.

Basically as long as you don't setup safe areas for each to go and assure them you are each their human, things can work out. I expect it will take your bird longer to adjust. He/she is an adult and used to thinking of furry creatures with claws as predators. Kitty will be very curious and probably want to play with birdie. Don't let him. I'd stick to mouse toys and things unbirdlike (balls, felt ribbon/cad dancer, etc.)


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