Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I will not change her name. It's a beautiful name with a bad reputation. She does very well in the crate and when I let her out of it my dog tried playing with her and he's huge so that didn't work to we'll I'm afraid he'll accidentally hurt her. So she'll stay in the crate it's zig enough for her to play in and she can sleep with me at night now that the room is clean and safe
When I lived with my roommates, I had to keep my cat in my room for several months until I moved out. I also fostered kittens who stayed most of their time in my guest room and in a large dog crate when we go out.
Keeping a young kitten in a crate and a room is not enough space.
When your kitten reach 8 weeks, she will grow much more independent, bold and a strong drive to play all hours of the day and night. She will want to explore beyond your room. She will starts crying and begging to be let out of the crate, which quickly grows to be too small for her.
My suggestion is to start making the rest of the house kitten proof and accesible to her. Keep the dog in the kitchen or somewhere barred from getting to the cat so she can explore with confidence.
Confining your cat in such small space, in addition to the lack of socialization she needs from her mom and littermates, you have a tall order as an owner to make up for all that missing in her life. I do hope you are planning to allow other people to pet and hold your kitten so she will grow to be more people friendly.
Lastly, I personally don't care if you named your cat Hamburgers. If things don't work out, most people are reluctant to adopt a cat named Lucifer. And no, most people will not bother to google her name.
PrincessPanda703 ... I've been trying to write a reply that's diplomatic and as kind as I can be. However, I can only be bluntly honest and this will come off as unkind.
I'm not sure why you started a thread asking for help and yet you are adamant about not accepting suggestions and advice. In fact I find your stubbornness, and that's how I see it, as combative.
I'm not sure what possessed you to get a cat (maybe it was Lucifer?), but it appears you've brought this poor kitten into an environment that is not suitable. That's unfair and selfish.
However, now that it is apparently what it is, educate yourself by listening to the very smart and experienced members of this forum, and do what is right.
Protecting the kitten while you're away by keeping her safe in your room is one thing. But confining her to a box or cage is wrong, absolutely wrong. At no time is this right no matter what excuses you are making to try and justify it.
First, even a large dog cage is too small - kittens learn by exploring and she's being prohibited from doing that. Second, and most importantly, she's a baby and needs her mother and litter mates to learn her life skills - since she was taken too soon from her mother, you must now take on these roles.
It's a misconception that if a kitten is no longer dependent on mother's milk it's a-ok to remove the kitten. A six-week-old kitten may be weaned from mother's milk (and truthfully 6 weeks is too short), but the kitten has a lot to learn - it cannot teach itself, it must be taught. This kitten is going to depend on you to learn how stalk and hunt ("play") and learn how to defend herself properly (which in essence is "social skills"). If she is not allowed to have a vast amount of experiences in which to test actions and reactions, she may self-choose the wrong ones. She may never develop confidence and might become a scaredy cat and fear all things. She may become overly aggressive and scratch to shreds anything that she feels is a threat (you, your dog, visitors).
She has to be allowed to make mistakes because that's how she will learn. Falling off a bed happens to all kittens. Unless it's as high as the Princess and the Pea's, the kitten will be fine - lesson learned to not do it again and be more sure-footed. Animals playing together learn what is too rough by communication with each other and not by a human necessarily deciding and interfering too soon. However, it is your responsibility to be a diligent observer and supervisor. You say your dog is huge. It would be my advice at this time that they not actually play because your kitten is too young and small and has not learned enough yet. The dog cannot know he's too rough if the kitten hasn't learned how to tell him that. Maybe let them quietly be in the presence of each other, but I'd limit it to that.
Having a pet requires work beyond giving it food and a place to pee. There's even more, tons more, responsibilities when the animal is a baby. It's a learning process for the pet owner, too, so when there's a question, a responsible pet owner asks and then listens to suggestions and advice.
Mawipafl, apparently you didn't understand anything I said. I was keeping her in the crate while I cleand my room and made it safe for her. At night I let her on my bed and let her explore then. When I'm not home she's in the crate and when I feel like she's big enough I'll let her roam my room. I don't let my dog play with her too much because she is so small. I'm taking everyones advice and seeing how I can put that into how I raise Lucifer.
Mawipafl, apparently you didn't understand anything I said. I was keeping her in the crate while I cleand my room and made it safe for her. At night I let her on my bed and let her explore then. When I'm not home she's in the crate and when I feel like she's big enough I'll let her roam my room. I don't let my dog play with her too much because she is so small. I'm taking everyones advice and seeing how I can put that into how I raise Lucifer.
Ok, you're getting there. If your room is secure, you might think about letting her out to explore/play when your not home. Give her some toys, or better yet a cat tree or some boxes to hide in or climb on, and she can entertain herself while you're away. As long as she can't get out of your room, the confinement probably isn't necessary, and may do more harm than good.
I know you care for your kitten and want to do the best for her, otherwise you wouldn't have taken the time to come here & ask questions. All of us on this forum dearly love cats, and sometimes we may come on a bit strong. But it's always out of concern for the cat's welfare, so please don't take offense.
She's your cat, and if Lucifer works for you, that's fine. Names often turn out to be the opposite of their true personalities anyway. One of my girls is named Angel, and when she was a kitten Lucifer would have been much more appropriate for her.
Catdad7x
I don't want to let her out yet because she's really tiny like fit in the palm of my hand tiny. Even though I made my room safe I'm still worried she'll get hurt somehow. I understand that everyone here loves cats and so do i. I love all animals, I'm only 21 I have a lot to learn and I'm stubborn but I am thinking about everything that everyone said. But I also have to do things my way or it won't feel right. I do appreciate everyone's advice, but I don't appreciate most everyone being so condescending about it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
