new kitten adjustment period?

[calcetin]

Mandala, I hope you’ll consider an older cat, far more need loving homes and they can bring lots of joy to your life. At age 7+ they can still have a long time with you. Even 2-3 mo. old kittens can be a handful, they want to play constantly and are sometimes still figuring out the litterbox. No problems like that with an older cat, and they are often overlooked at adoption places, but can be a good friend to you for many years.

[CarnalK]

@peccavi

I
A suggestion is to volunteer at a cat rescue facility and see if they will let you (under supervision) work with any newborns that might come in needing to be cared for. It will give you a chance to socialize them and yourself. If this sounds like a lot of time that you don’t have, then you are definitely not ready to adopt a kitten (better rehoming a grown cat that will need less time).

Sweet lord, that’s a little over the top suggestion. The mere question she asked shows she didn’t understand the reality.

Two months ago, my wife brought a newborn home from a construction site at her work- no littermates or mom could be found. I was pretty upset, knowing how this was going to go. But I made the suggested emergency formula recipe I found online woke up every hour overnight when it cried to see if it wanted food and keep it warm. It was super weak in the morning when I brought it into the vet and they euthanized her because it looked hopeless. That fucking sucked a whole lot.

[Helena330]

@CarnalK

Sweet lord, that’s a little over the top suggestion. The mere question she asked shows she didn’t understand the reality.

Two months ago, my wife brought a newborn home from a construction site at her work- no littermates or mom could be found. I was pretty upset, knowing how this was going to go. But I made the suggested emergency formula recipe I found online woke up every hour overnight when it cried to see if it wanted food and keep it warm. It was super weak in the morning when I brought it into the vet and they euthanized her because it looked hopeless. That fucking sucked a whole lot.

What a sad story. At least the kitten didn’t suffer as long as she would’ve if your wife hadn’t cared enough to try with her.

mandala, I hope you’ll still consider opening your home to a kitty that needs one! I agree with people above who have said kittens are a lot of work, especially for someone who hasn’t had cats before. Here’s another thought. I volunteer at our local shelter and it’s kitten season. Kittens are* everywhere*. There are about ten kittens in each of the three community rooms, two to three in most of the cat condos, and lots more in foster homes waiting for space to open up. They’re really cute and fun, but my heart breaks for the older cats who are constantly overlooked and sit in the shelter for months. How about going and having a look at them? The people at your shelter will know what you need when you say you’re looking for a beginner cat.

[CarnalK]

@Helena330

What a sad story. At least the kitten didn’t suffer as long as she would’ve if your wife hadn’t cared enough to try with her.

I don’t blame her and at least I made its last night better. Broke my heart though, poor little guy.

[Tim_T-Bonham.net]

@Orville_mogul

The only negative is that if they are in active mode, their first reaction is still to run from us when they see us, and they very seldom approach us for anything (other than food).

Yes, when in active mode, they’ll run. More interested in running than food at the time.

But that’s often also hunting mode.
You might try a 2-3 meter or so long cord, with a few knots tied along it, as a toy – drag it along the floor (with you at the far end) and see if they enjoy running & jumping on that. That might be what they like when in active mode.