Two days ago, I adopted a semi-feral kitten that was living with his mum and siblings outside a hotel. I kept him in a large rabbit hutch for the first day; yesterday, I let him out, but he just hid under the sofa and wouldn't come out on his own. I'm still keeping him shut away at night for now because I'm not sure if he knows how to use the litter tray yet. The problem is, he meowed almost all night long. Today, he's been wandering around the house and finding his feet, but he's still meowing non-stop. Even when I'm cuddling him and he's purring, he's still meowing... Do you think he'll settle down, or is he just a naturally "vocal" cat?
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Thanks everyone for your replies, things are much better now. I’ve done away with the crate and set up his bed and everything else in the bathroom, and when we have to be out for a long spell, I leave him in there. He meows for a bit but settles down very quickly. It’s brilliant, he’s using his litter tray and hasn't had any accidents yet. I weighed him this morning to try and guess his age; he weighs about 1lb 14oz, so according to what I've seen online, it looks like he is indeed 8 weeks old. The only issue now is that when he hides, since he doesn't meow anymore, I'm having a nightmare trying to find him... for instance, he's been hiding for at least two hours now after my daughter-in-law scared him while trying to play. I've been searching for over an hour and I'm just telling myself he'll eventually come out on his own...
Hi there,
You should take your kitten to see a vet to check their age and make sure they’re up to date with their vaccinations and flea and worm treatments.
Knowing how old they are will help you figure out if they’ve been fully weaned yet, which might explain why they're meowing so much.
To help reduce the meowing at night, try to spend some quality time with them before you go to bed, giving them plenty of fuss and strokes.
You could also try settling them in a smaller, more secure-feeling room at night to start with, before gradually giving them more space as they get used to their surroundings.
Best regards,
Caroline – Vet student at the Alfort National Veterinary School (EnvA) and Project Manager for ProVéto Junior Conseil, the school's student-led consultancy.
Hi there,
This behaviour is actually perfectly normal for a kitten.
I shared some advice with someone dealing with the same problem only yesterday; you can find my posts here: https://wamiz.com/chats/forum/chaton-qui-miaule-en-permanence-83552.html
I second that! ^^
You really need to find out how old the kitten is first (try weighing him, as that might give you an idea of his minimum age, though the best thing is to take him to the vet anyway – he'll almost certainly have worms at the very least). This would also help you figure out if he’s been properly weaned, both nutritionally and behaviourally, by his mum.
His behaviour is perfectly normal. Lots of cats are frightened when they arrive in a new environment. It’s definitely best to keep him in the bathroom or kitchen with his food bowl and litter tray (make sure there’s as much space as possible between the two!), then gradually let him explore more of the house once he’s started to find his feet.
As for the meowing, he's just missing his family; it should stop soon enough. Keep him busy, let him build up his confidence, and give him plenty of cuddles (and please, forget about using a crate! If he’s very young, he’s bound to have an accident outside the litter tray at some point – it’s up to you to teach him how to use it).
Some cats are just more chatty than others, but he might not be fully weaned yet. Have you seen your vet to get his age estimated? That would explain all the meowing; he’s calling for his mum and his brothers and sisters. Also, you should really keep him in a proper room, like a bathroom or kitchen, rather than in a crate. He’ll go stir-crazy very quickly, especially if he’s used to living outdoors—and besides, he’s not a rabbit! ^^
