my new kittens seem OVERLY hyper.?

[metalfirecracker_]

okay, so yesterday i brought home an 8 week old kitten (after much thought, not spur of the moment). her mum was a stray and she had been living outside/inside with her mum and siblings and the lady who feeds her mum. there were only two kittens left out of the litter of five, and i had to chase her around the garden for about half an hour in order to catch her.



anyway, i got her yesterday evening and she was a little wary at first, but became friendly and cuddly very quickly, she is happy to have her tummy rubbed and fall asleep in my lap or cuddled up next to me.



so as soon as my housemate saw her, she decided she would take the last kitten that was left, and today we went to get her.



since getting her home, she has been very frightened, spending most of her time hiding and shying away from us. MY kitten, on the other hand has decided she is going to show off to her sister and play up. she's been running around like mad, chasing her poor sister and starting play fights, which the other kitten has absolutely no interest in, by the looks of things.



is it normal for my kitten's character to change so much so quickly? is she just showing off because her sister hasn't had the extra night here that she has had? will they settle down a bit more soon? i know its unrealistic to expect the newest kitten to be totally comfortable immediately, but i'm just finding it strange because the first kitty settled in so quickly.



also, the first kitten scratches in the other's litter box. i've been trying to stop her, because she's not happy when the other scratches in hers. am i right in doing this? i don't want her to dominate both and leave the other one with nowhere to go.

[Trixy-Kitty]

i would think it's normal for cats to behave that way. I have two cats that did that they get along fine now. I think it's more of a dominance thing. Once they establish who's top they should be fine. I'm sorry I'm not much help but i try

[ilovenickjonas]

he is a kitten he will do that its normal!

[Laura185996]

First of all, you need to give both of them some more time to adjust to their new surroundings. It might be a couple weeks before you are really starting to see their true personalities. And with kittens, there is no such thing as overly hyper!

Also, I doubt that the kittens understand the concept of "showing off." Yours probably doesn't even realize that she has been at your house any longer than her sister has. If these two cats are litter-mates, they've probably already established a dynamic within their litter, and chances are that your kitten is just more dominant and active and the other kitten more submissive and calm. It is pretty typical for sibling pairs to take roles like this.

I also wouldn't worry about the whole litter box issue. You are doing the right thing by having two litter boxes, but there is no way to teach each kitten which box is theirs. If the cat needs to go to the bathroom, it'll probably just use whichever box is closest, and that is fine. As siblings, they have probably been sharing a litter box since they learned how to use one.

Just be patient and give them a little more time to get used to their new home. Soon, your kitten should calm down, and the other kitten should get a little more comfortable and playful.

Good luck, and enjoy your new kitties!

[Jade144]

I have 5 cats, 2 of which are still kittens. The kittens took ages to settle in so theres nothing to worry about. They're slowly getting more friendly with us as they're getting older, at first they didn't like much contact and when they did it was only when they were tired. Remember it's new surroundings, they're still getting used to your house and you. Also, my cats have learnt to use the same litter box, but obviously after a while they won't use it until you empty it. If you let her keep scratching in the other ones litter box, see what happens, if she definately does not like it then keep her out of it.

Honestly though have no worries about them settling in, I've had ones that settle so easily, and the kittens I have now that have taken months. Good luck!

[Flutter226]

They probably will want to switch litter boxes and it's a dominance thing. They are both kittens. And YES! It is ok for it's behavior to change quickly. My kitten when I first got her she was the same way. It took her a while to figure out who she was. The other kitten will settle in when its ready :)

[Peachie056]

I brought home a 6 wk old kitten in June. The other cat in the house is 15. The kitten took over immediately. Although friendly and loving like yours, he was absolutely insane, running all over the house. He climbed the trees I have growing in the house. He was so wild, I swore her would eventually run up the walls and across the ceiling. He grooms the old boy and snuggles at night. But, he also wants to romp and rough play and really bite hard on the old man. And, of course "I" have to separate them at certain times when the baby would get nuts. They use the same litter box. But, when it's changed, the little boy HAS to be the first one in there. I just had him neutered last week and he's completely different. Now he's strictly a lover boy. He calmed down so much, I pray it stays this way. Even the old boy likes him now. Just keep both boxes clean at all times and the other one will use it. And, once he's neutered, he'll be fine. Those two will get along once they're together awhile longer.