[Skittycat]

Hi

I was just loking for some help/ideas about my kittens behavior,

its a long story, but i got him after he was abused by some kids
his transition into my home has been great, no litter box problems or anything.

The problem at hand is his shyness/being scared
if you walk into the room, he is panic-ing for an exit
if he is sitting some place and you go to pet him his ears go flat down onto his head and he flattens out like hes about to be attacked (hand shy)
if i offer him a treat he will come over for it but wait for me to drop it on the floor.
He does show some affection at night.. he will come over to our pillows and start kneeding them and purring or he will walk upto me while im on the computer and press his foot onto mine like a signal that its ok to pick him up then as soon as i hold him he freaks and does the high jump off of my shoulder

He is still very young (has his baby teeth) so i am hoping that i can teach him that everything is OK now.

is there any thing i can do to let him know we are the "good guys"
i have tried playing with toys and strings etc and he loves that as long as i keep my distance and i reward him often for just coming into the room
and looking at me lol
i also bought a clicker but that seems to scare/agitate (sp) him.

If it makes a difference, he is a Siamese mix aprox" 6 months old

I could realy use the help, i love this little guy and want to continue to pamper him as all cats should be
help me get into his little heart

Thanks so much,
Skitty.

 

[juliahadley]

Hi
it sounds like you are doing a really good job with your kitten
and congratulations for rescuing an abused kitten

What you describe is normal behaviour for any new kitten cat, it will take a while for your kitten to settle in your home

try sitting on the floor and playing with a bit of string
don't force kitten to come out of his hiding place (if he is hiding) but sit quietly with toys and string and let him approach you when he feels ready

also try holding out treats to him, then place them on the floor so he can eat them, then extend this to holding them and letting him take the treat from your hand
then you can progress to stroking him while he takes his treat

it will take a while, some cats are more nervous than others

I had one semi feral cat that hid behind the video cabinet for 4 weeks, only coming out at night when no-one was around
conversely I have had a kitten that was fine from day 1, it depends

your kitten sounds not too nervous actually, I think in a few days he will be well climatised to you and your home
good luck and I'm sure you will have much fun and joy with your kitten
J

 

[Raina_Stardust]

This sounds like normal "new kitty" stuff. Keep on doing what your doing and he should warm up to you soon. It may take a while, several weeks or even months to make him a lap cat. That's great you took in an abused cat,thank you for opening your heart to this soul in need.

 

[Lori]

How wonderful that you took this kitten in. He will take some time and patience to trust humans again, but he will come around. I agree that it sounds like pretty normal kitten behavior.
Good luck, and thank you for caring!!

 

[kitkat]

Its so nice of you to rescue that kitten anyhow about your situation, Id just make sure you're being patient and give it time. I definitely think your kitty will come around, I'm sure you cat is beginning to trust you but after what happened to him you can't really blame it for being so scared. One of my cats Twinkie used to be the biggest chicken in the world and now he is not so scared!

 

[lunamystique]

This post was about a month ago so you probably have worked everything out by now but here are some of my thoughts:

You really do seem to be doing everything just right! My cat Cooper was like this when I 1st got him from a no-kill shelter about 6 yrs ago. He was found w/ his brother and sister under a bridge w/ heavy traffic. I have always assumed his mother was probably hit by a car (perhaps he witnessed this).

The key w/ him has been mostly going barefoot in the house (shoes scare him), avoiding walking towards him directly, and providing lots of places in each room where he can go to feel safe (open cat carriers w/ soft blankets inside have worked wonders, leaving closets open w/ some shelves cleared off for him to sit on).

Sometimes he gets in a spunky mood and I can act like I do w/ the others but this is rare. I generally talk to him a great deal but in an offhand way, minimizing eye contact. I also try to keep the noise level down. He spends the most time w/ me when I'm quietly typing on the computer, reading a book, or sleeping (he always sleeps on my pillow).

It's been very rewarding relationship but these "special needs" cats take a great deal of time and patience. I often wish he were more socialized but am so proud of the progress he has made over the years.

Thanks for taking this little kitten on. There are so few homes he could have (finally) found happiness and felt safe in. Looks like his/her luck has taken a turn for the better!