He will spend a good part of the day self entertaining (getting into mischief) then sleeping. I understand the guilt, I really do. He'll be ok, but 10 weeks is too young to be in a big house by himself. Too much trouble to get into.

 

I so agree with Marcia, at 10 weeks old, he needs to be in his safe room while you can't be there to watch him. I know he will cry, but he will settle down and sleep most of the day anyway. Make sure that his safe room that you don't leave things plugged in, one of the things bored kittens sometimes do is chew wires. Pretty much look at the room and think of what you would do if a toddler were in there. Blinds! Make sure that if you have blinds, you may want to pull them all the way up so that they don't get stuck in them, and hide the cord.It is much, much safer for kitten to be in his room while you are away. This won't be forever. Eventually he'll be old enough to be out of his room while you are not there, but I have heard too many sad stories of kittens getting hurt, or worse, when left to the entire house at this age. Also, it is easier at this age for the kitten to be in a smaller area, near his litter box. Many times, if left out in the house, they will find other places to go rather than go back to the room where the litter box is.

Don't let those little mews get to you, he will fine after your gone. Do you have a cat tree yet? It is a great thing to have, especially when they are little. It gives them a safe place to scratch and climb, and if you put it near a window, they will be able to see outside. Maybe put a bird feeder outside the window. He will spend so much time on the cat tree, and it will give him plenty of exercise running up and down that all day, and he'll sleep there too most likely.

Congrats on the new baby kitty

 

He'll stop crying, however if he learns that when he cries you open the door.... God help you.

Neelix is just about 7 months old now and he's out of his safe room almost all the day. He still spends nights a week in there to give Book a break in babysitting. The other 3 nights I shut MowMow in with me and Book and Neelix have the rest of the apartment. Those nights gives Book a much needed break from his little brother and a chance cuddle with me at night.

He cries for a few minutes when he realized he's not coming out after he's done eating but then he goes to sleep.

As long as their is plenty of stimulation, he'll be fine.

 

I have three kittens and they spend their nights 11pm-6am in their respective bedrooms...separate. During the day, if DH or I are home, they can have full run of the house together and generally play for a couple hours and sleep most of it. When we are both at work (or I am working and DH is sleeping after nightshift), the two little ones go in one bedroom together and Luna goes into a room by herself. They cried a bit the first couple times, but are now used to it. We had baby cams in their rooms and, again, they settle down really fast, play a bit, then sleep.

As MowMow said, the crying you are hearing is the kitten learning he can manipulate you. It WILL stop. Don't give in or you will have a BIG monster on your hands. Leave him with some toys to entertain himself, a cat tree, litter box, and water. But, when you get home, be prepared for a HUGE playtime!

 

Kittens = babies. And you know all the trouble babies can get into once they can move - if they were left alone.

 

I kept my kittens in their safe rooms while I was gone until about 4 - 5 months of age. They still sleep in there at night. I value my sleep! They're used to it and go running in their for their treat when I call them. They wait patiently until I let them out in the am. I agree there's way too much trouble for them to get in to. I used the laundry room for their safe room. I used pool noodles between the appliances and the walls so they can't get in back of them.

 

Now, having said all this, I do have 12 twelve week old foster babies that are sick and tired of the Happy Room (their foster room), and prefer the vastness of our smallish house. I've started letting them out to get used to the resident grumpy old ladies (and Jack my behemoth 26 pound cat) and frankly I leave for hours with them out. So far no issues except knocked over stuff which is no big deal. For the most part they sleep most of the day. They are very active 0600 - 1000 and again from 4PM to ???.

At night I round them all up (easy when carrying trays of yummies) and close them back up in their room for the night because I, too, value my sleep. I just think 10 weeks young is just a hair too young to be out in a big house alone for extended lengths of time. Mine have each other to play with and entertain themselves with and have never given me cause for concern - yet.

 

10 weeks is young, especially with no company. My brood are very bonded but kittens are a different prospect.

 

Stephano still meows at the door every night, for about 5-10 minutes, horrible, pitiful meows, like he is being murdered, but then he gives up, because he know's I'm not going to give in. He has to sleep in a closed bedroom because I have anotehr cat that has free run of the house at night, that he can't be around. He has learned the routine, and he is not too traumatized by it, but he still feels like it is his obligation to protest loudly for a few minutes every night

 

I forgot to say that Neelix was in his safe room for 8 hours while I was at work and 8 hours at night when we slept. If I was home he was out (unless he was in time out).

We did that until he was six months. Then I started letting him out during the days and locking him up at night still (to give all of us a break). Now as I said he sleeps in his room 4 nights a week but has free run the rest of the time (but he's still locked out of my bedroom at night the other 3 nights, he si too active and keeps me awake.).

 

Merlin is a very vocal cat. He used to cry to be let out of the bathroom, his safe room, at night. He attacks my head in the mide of the night so he lost his bedroom privileges. He has now learned that once that door closes he is in for the night. He no longer cries to be let out, not even in the morning when he hears the dogs wake up. He knows that I will come get him when I am ready.

I work full time so he has been locked in the bathroom every day that I work and at night. Even at 7 months old, I don't fully trust him to be out on his own for an extended amount of time.