Being allowed under the bed / treats fever

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Mooch

The Tiny 4- Parade!

Purred: Wed Jul 11, '07 5:23pm PST


	Hi, My sister and I have been at our Forever Home just under a week. We are 8 1/2 weeks old. My sister is rather timid and doesn't like to be touched much, and neither of us like to be held, but we like to sit by Mommy wherever she is (that is, when we're not wrestling and spazzing out, which is most of our waking time ). Mommy's been trying to get us used to being on her lap by hand feeding us treats on her lap (actually, treats are 10 or so pieces of Innova Evo dry). But we get so frantic when we smell our treats that we go bonkers and burrow in Mommy's lap in a desperate search to find the treat source, so it doesn't seem like much of a lap-training session....? Mommy understands we're rather timid yet hyper ON or OFF babies, and maybe it's just our personalities not to be affectionate, but does anyone have any suggestions? Also, Mommy lives in a small apartment, with one small main room, and one tiny work room. When Mommy is around, we love to be out and about, but when she's away at work, or fast asleep in her bed, or when we feel scared by noises, we like to sleep under the bed hidden away with the stuff she stores there. But Mommy was just advised that we are still babies and shouldn't have access to places to hide like that. But it's so cozy under there, and we feel so safe when nobody's around! Would blocking off under the bed and under the sofa be good for us? Would it help us become a little more mellow and less timid? We do have a pretty cool cat condo that is used only for a jungle gym at the moment. Mommy wrapped all her electric wires with covers and prepared our home to make it safe, but she'd never read that we kitties should be in a room without those kinds of hiding places until we are three months old (so she was advised). Any ideas?

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Mia

So many toys, so- little time...

Purred: Wed Jul 11, '07 6:59pm PST


	Meowmy lets us under the bed, and doesn't really see the harm in it, unless you have something bad for kitties under there. Now about the getting your kitties more cuddly...some cats just don't have the personality for it. It's never too late to try though! I say when the kitty is comfy and laying down, lay down beside 'em...talk cutesy to 'em and pet them nice and soft. No kitty can resist that! It helped with me! If you guys were younger, I'd say give 'em a bottle...but their too old for that!

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Boris

I'm cute and I- know how to use- that :)

Purred: Wed Jul 11, '07 9:06pm PST


	I think the main worry is that the two of you would burrow under those spaces and get stuck there, and be unaccessible for humans to help you out, which would be a bad thing. As you get older, you'll figure out how to get out of such jams on your own, but for now, you need to train how to get in and out of tight spaces by other surfaces that are accessible to humans. I know it's hard not to hide down there. When I came home to mommy and daddy, I used to hide under the bed for security, and would only come out some of the day. I still hide under the bed if something really scary happens (like the super coming in when mom/dad are not there), but I can be coaxed out by mommy pretty easily these days, whereas you kittens still don't know your mommy very well, and so might be reluctant to come out when she gets home and looks for you. Still, for your mommy to provide other safe spaces is not a bad idea. I have some of my own: I have a cat cube thingy that is like a little fort for me (I hide in there and sometimes have even slept there), the top of the bookcase, behind the curtains, and in the newspaper recycling bin (I like to hide under the paper, and only poke my nose out, which amuses mommy . The first one became an immediate second hiding place, as is my domed litter box when it's too far to run hide anywhere else. The others I discovered over time. Mommy says that if she was housing the two of you, she'd probably buy a domed kitty bed for each of you, so that you'd have something cozy and covered that was your own, and put it near the bed, and put treats there randomly to stimulate your interest in it initially. Ideally, they would get your scents on them soon, and become a new safe destination, and then the little beds can be moved into another area very slowly and incrementally (we cats do not like sudden changes). Then again, mommy's always liked the idea of getting a domed kitty bed for any kitty, but it wouldn't work for me: I do not sleep in my current bed, because I'd rather burrow under their covers. MOL.

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Cindy

Wriggly Bum

Purred: Thu Jul 12, '07 6:55am PST


	My meowmy bribed me to sit on her lap too when I first come to my forever home (I've been here nearly a month now ). She used Milk Flake'Ums and she held them inbetween her fingers didn't put them in her lap. It was easier for me to find them then and now whenever I hear the treaty bag I run and sit on her lap

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Mooch

The Tiny 4- Parade!

Purred: Thu Jul 12, '07 6:14pm PST


	Mia, Boris and Cindy, Many thanks on your advice and ideas! Yeah, Mommy thinks she's putting a fast one on us by sliding up close while we're asleep on the sofa to cuddle and talk cute to us. Heh. It's fun for a little bit, but hopefully she'll grow out of it, MOL. Mommy's kind of an organizer freak, so everything stored under her bed is in plastic boxes that we can't open. There's a spare rug that is rolled up but it's thick and won't bend or budge, and also some notebooks. They're so comfy and cool to sprawl out on, let me tell you. And funny enough, we're only been here a week, but when Mommy calls out to us, we always pop out to say hi! But yeah, we still do need practice for getting out of small spaces, just in case. Mommy's not sure how she can block off the entire bed. We do have our Cat Condo with a little house we can use for a hideaway, and also our carrier which is a Sleepypod dome and is dark and cozy. Milk Flake 'Ums, ooh, those sound good! Mommy was actually trying to feed us our treats out of her hands, but we couldn't find them and they smelled so fantastic we got desperate, so we'd bite at any ol' thing there, which included Mommy's fingers and palm and well, any part of her hand MOL! Then Mommy would yelp and the treat would fall into her lap MOLMOL! Mommy figured out to bribe us with treats in her cupped hand. Maybe we'll like to sit in Mommy's lap once it gets a little cooler over here. Thank you again for all your valuable help! We're going to go tell Mommy to check out things to possibly block off her bed.

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JoJo- McCormick

Me! Me! Me! LOOK- AT ME! Me! Me!

Purred: Thu Jul 12, '07 7:17pm PST


	Hi Mooch! From my previous experience (13 years ago!) as a new kitty in a household, I can give you, and your human, some suggestions. When my Mommy brought me home, I was already an adult kitty of 4 years. Although I was used to having my litter mates around me at my previous home, I did not get along with them. That's when Mommy brought me to her home. I hid under her bed for DAYS! I came out when she was there, occasionally, to eat and use the litter box. But, other than that, I was too scared and stayed under the bed. Mommy has had kitties all of her life, and I guess she was used to that kind of reaction. She let me be, but would stick her head under the bed just to talk to me. Sometimes, she would even feed me under there! That was cool! Finally, after about 2 weeks of me being nervous and hiding, I decided to jump up on the bed in the middle of the night, while she was sleeping. Mommy woke up to me squashed right next to her side, under the covers. We have been that way ever since. Sometimes, kitties take a while to get used to their surroundings. They each have different personalities, and adjust accordingly. It might take a week, it might take a month. If your kitty seeks out places that are hard for you to get to, let it. Unless you notice something out of the ordinary, like irregular breathing, lack of appetite, etc., your kitty is just being a kitty. They will not be social if they are scared or uncomfortable...or simply in a new situation. Give your kitty time. I can guarantee that your little one will be nothing but a snuggle kitty within a month. Many purrs and head-bonks to your family! Love, JoJo

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Boris

I'm cute and I- know how to use- that :)

Purred: Thu Jul 12, '07 8:09pm PST


	I can see all those suggestions as useful, but providing kitty-designed spaces is a good idea nonetheless, so kudos on the kitty condo.

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Mooch

The Tiny 4- Parade!

Purred: Fri Jul 13, '07 5:16am PST


	Hi, Jo-jo, and also Boris, again! Thank you so much for your words of advice! Mommy feels much better and has some good ideas in thanks to you all. Me and my sister Cham love to go and visit our other brother Yoyo and our other sister Lulu downstairs. It's so fun! We play and nap and snack together. And then when we come back to our own place, we're kind of in a nice happy, mellow mood. After all, we're the Tiny 4 Parade! MOL. Again, thank you all very meowch! >Mommy woke up to me squashed right next to her side, under the covers MMAO!! Edited by author Fri Jul 13, '07 5:18am PST

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Being allowed under the bed / treats fever

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