Kitten suddenly attached to kennel?

Question

Recently, my new kitten has become overwelmingly clingy to her little kennel. To the point where it is difficult to get her out and she will stay in it no matter how unstable it is. (i.e. sitting on a tower of blankets) I wouldn't think much of it, but here's the back story:

I took in this kitten two months ago tomorrow. I got her from a woman who took in an emaciated stray, then popped out 5 kittens. She was 2 days short of 6 weeks when I got her. When I first got her, she HATED her kennel. I tried to get her to sleep in it until I knew for sure I could trust her litter box training but she would cry and cry. she started to get better, so I started letting her out overnight. She now stays in my bedroom at night with me. I have always had her kennel in there, but she has never expressed interest in it. it's become her "time out" place for when she gets too overwelmed and starts biting too much. When I leave for the day, I lock her in the room so she doesn't tease the dog, who has to stay in a kennel.
about three weeks ago, my roommate took in an orphaned kitten, of which she hated at first, but has grown into being okay with her. the kitten at first used her kennel to transport her to our apartment, but since then hasn't been in it. My cat started to get possessive of it, then dropped it when I moved the kennel back into my room. (so it's been about three weeks since she last showed interest in the kennel) Today I moved it out to the living room because she was getting really nippy and wanted to put her in time out. I opened the door once she stopped crying but she would not get out. she finally came down and laid beside me. but since then, she's been in and out of it all day. when shes inside of it, she won't get out unless its on her terms. It's the strangest thing.

She's acting more affectionate than normal, but she's generally a fairly affectionate, laid back cat. Is she just excited its in the living room even though it's been here before? or is something wrong? she's my first cat, so I'm a little cautious. could she be sick? She's UTD on vaccinations, worming, etc. She goes in for her last set of boosters this week.

Thanks!

Answer 1

She is old enough now to be spayed. She may be going through some changes so it sounds like now would be the right time to have her spayed. good luck with your baby

Answer 2

First off, STOP PUNISHING THE KITTEN!! You never ever ever punish and for heaven's sake you never ever ever use the cat carrier as a form of punishment! You train by rewarding good behavior not punishing bad behavior. You need the carrier to be part of the animal's life forever, ultimately it will come to think of the carrier as associated with punishment and bad things then when you need to get it to the vet's office good luck!



Cats love small cozy dark places. You could achieve the same thing with a relatively small cardboard box turned on it's side with a blanket in the bottom.



Second of all, you never let kittens under the age of 4 months roam the home unsupervised. If it gets into the bathroom and jumps into the toilet it can drown. Keep the toilet lids down until it is 4 months old. It can bite through electric wires etc. If you haven't kitten proofed your home the kitten should never be roaming unsupervised.



Make sure the kitten has been dewormed and is scheduled for spaying and microchipping when she is 4 months old.



Did anybody think about what diseases that other kitten could have brought in to your kitten? Where did it come from? Had it been blood tested for FIV and FeLV and as a matter of fact has yours? You never bring another animal in until you know it has been checked out by the vet.



Give your kitten some boxes to play with. They usually love that stuff, good way for them to claw and wear down their nails.



You should have the litterbox in your room at night. Kittens that young have tiny bladders and cannot wait, also the bedroom door should be closed so it doesn't roam.

Answer 3

Start with some behavioral observation. Your cat does not respond to the kennel-as-den the way your dog does. Determine whether he likes sleeping on the bed near a sunny window or parks next to the shoe rack in the closet; whether he prefers to relax on Grandma's hand-knitted coverlet or a freshly-laundered stack of underwear; or whether he patrols the house on the floor or enjoys airborne patterns, jumping from counter to cabinet top. These behavior patterns will inform your choices as you design your cat kennel.



Build a sturdy frame for your kennel using 1-by-2-inch or larger lumber, depending on how big your kennel will be. A spacious kennel with a 4-by-4-foot base that stands 5 feet tall will make a perfect "motel" room. Build four 4-foot squares and connect three of them with uprights on the inside. Reserve the fourth square to make a top for the kennel. Reinforce tall kennels with extra lateral bracing every 3 feet or diagonal "Z"-bars. Keep bracing on the outside so vertical members can support interior structures.





Furnish your cat's kennel, which will serve as her temporary home, with her habits and preferences in mind. Add plywood perches cover covered with carpet scraps across the kennel at different levels to provide steps for play and scratching that also protect paw pads and mouths from splinters. If you have a climber, attach an upholstered pole diagonally across the kennel for "cat crazy" time. Before attaching perches and "trees," sand edges and varnish or paint the entire frame with nontoxic paint (the kind recommended for children's toys). Allow the paint dry completely before permanently installing the amenities.





Wrap vinyl-coated welded wire (available at home and hardware stores) around the kennel and secure it along the uprights with heavy staples or brads. If vinyl-coated wire is not available, make your own using galvanized welded wire and vinyl paint. Vinyl paint requires a two-step process, so allow plenty of time if you have to do the painting yourself. Use 14 gauge wire and buy fencing that has openings no larger than 2 by 3 inches. Many cats can get through---or get stuck---in larger weaves. If you have kittens, use the 1-by-1-inch weave; kittens have an amazing capacity for getting halfway through almost anything. Add a door to the top of the kennel by covering the fourth 4-by-4-foot square with fence wire and attaching it to the top of the frame with a piano hinge. Add a hook or padlock latch to the opposite side to prevent escapes.





Equip the kennel with a cat bed or carpeted pad and with food, water dishes on a mat (boot mats work well) and a litter box in the bottom of the kennel. Position the kennel by a sunny window or in the between rooms where she can see everything---wherever she'll be happiest.

Answer 4

Nope, sounds normal to me. All cats are different.



With the changing environment, especially adding a new cat to the mix, you can expect a change in behavior. Just let her do what she wants as long as shes not hurting herself or others. She likes it in there, don't change a good thing for her.