Is Your New Kitten Driving You Crazy? What’s Normal in the First Few Weeks

A lot of people get a cat because they want an easy pet. And compared with a puppy- cats are pretty easy. You don't have to housebreak them, take them outside several times a day, or spend the first year teaching them not to eat your shoes... But then you bring home a kitten and realize that easy does not mean completely effortless.

Your new kitten may be hiding under the furniture, climbing things they shouldn't, scratching the couch, biting your hands, attacking your feet, hissing at the dog, and suddenly sprinting through the house at 2 AM. And if this is your first cat, you may start wondering whether you somehow ended up with a particularly difficult kitten.

Rest assured- your kitten is probably just a totally normal, but totally "kitten-y" kitten.

Kittens Are Still Babies

It's easy to forget that when you're looking at a cute little British Shorthair who looks like a miniature adult cat. They may look very put together, but developmentally, they're still babies!

Our kittens are usually only 13 short weeks old when they go home. Alive 3 whole months, half of one of which was spent with their eyes sealed shut and not even being able to wobble around. At that point they've only been really walking and playing for maybe 6 weeks!

But yes! Kittens are supposed to play, chase, climb, scratch, investigate everything, and occasionally make terrible decisions. They're learning how to interact with people, other animals, and their environment, and they don't automatically know which behaviors are appropriate in your particular household.

That doesn't mean you should allow destructive behavior to continue unchecked either though. It means that instead of expecting your kitten to already know how to behave, you need to give them appropriate outlets and a little time to learn.

Your Kitten May Be Much Shyer at Home

One of the first things that surprises (and sometimes concerns) new owners is when a kitten who was

confident and playful before coming home suddenly hides.

Remember that your kitten may have spent hours traveling before arriving at your house, sometimes after a long car ride or even a flight. Then they walk into a completely unfamiliar environment filled with new smells, sounds, people, and possibly other animals. That's a lot to process!

Some kittens walk out of their carrier and immediately start exploring. Others find a hiding spot and decide they would prefer to observe everything from there for a while. Both are super normal.

Start your kitten in a smaller, quiet space where they can easily find their food, water, and litter box. Let them come out and investigate at their own pace rather than constantly pulling them out of hiding because you want them to socialize.

For more on those first few days, see The First 72 Hours With Your New Kitten and Building Confidence in a New Kitten.

Your Kitten May Bite You

Kittens play with their mouths. They chase, pounce, grab, wrestle, and bite their littermates, and now you're the most interesting thing in their new home. This doesn't mean you have an aggressive kitten.

You should still teach them that hands and feet aren't toys. Use wand toys, balls, stuffed toys, and other appropriate things they can chase and attack instead of encouraging them to wrestle with your hands.

And if your kitten bites while you're petting them, that's a little different. Some cats become overstimulated by petting and will let you know when they've had enough. You can read more about that in Why Does My Cat Bite Me While I'm Petting Them?

Scratching Is Normal

If your kitten immediately discovers the corner of your sofa, don't assume they're being naughty.

Scratching is normal cat behavior. Cats scratch to stretch, condition their claws, and communicate with their environment. Your job isn't to convince them that scratching is bad (dont bother, it'll never work!); it's to give them things that are appropriate to scratch and make those options more appealing than your furniture.

Put scratching posts or cardboard scratchers near the areas your kitten is already interested in. You can gradually move them later if you want them somewhere else. And don't be surprised if your kitten ignores the beautiful scratching post you bought and prefers the cardboard box it came in- sometimes they just need time to decide they're going to try out new areas to scratch.

For more tips, see How to Stop Your Cat From Scratching the Furniture (Without Punishment!)

The Kitten Zoomies Are Real

Kittens have a tremendous amount of energy, and sometimes they seem determined to use all of it at once.

Running through the house, climbing furniture, attacking toys, chasing invisible enemies, and suddenly racing from one end of the room to the other are all pretty normal kitten behaviors. Regular interactive play is important because it gives them an appropriate way to use that energy.

You may also notice that your kitten sleeps for enormous portions of the day. That's normal, too. Growing kittens need a lot of sleep, so don't feel like you need to keep them entertained every waking moment.

What About Hissing?

Hissing can sound alarming, particularly if you're expecting your new kitten to immediately be affectionate.

But hissing doesn't automatically mean aggression. A hiss is often a way of saying, "I'm uncomfortable, and I need some space." This can be particularly true when introducing to other new cats, dogs, or other pets.

Your kitten may hiss when they're frightened, overwhelmed, confronted with something unfamiliar, or simply don't want to be handled at that moment.

Don't punish the hissing. Pay attention to what happened immediately beforehand and give your kitten the space they're asking for. A kitten who hisses when they're scared isn't necessarily going to grow into an aggressive cat.

Don't Expect Your Kitten to Be Completely Settled Immediately

Sometimes new owners are surprised because their kitten doesn't behave exactly the way they did when they first met them.

Your kitten may have been outgoing and playful when you visited, then spend the first few days at home hiding behind the toilet. That's not necessarily a personality change. They're simply in a completely different environment.

As they become comfortable, you'll start seeing more of their actual personality. Some kittens become incredibly affectionate once they settle in, while others remain more independent. That's part of getting to know your individual cat.

You May Have a Little Buyer's Remorse

I think this is worth saying because people don't always talk about it.

There can be a strange adjustment period after bringing home a new pet. You were excited for months, you finally brought the kitten home, and then suddenly you're responsible for this little animal who is keeping you awake, biting your ankles, hiding from your children, and scratching your furniture.

You may even have a moment of thinking, What did I do?

That doesn't necessarily mean you made the wrong decision. You're adjusting, too and adjustments take time.

You and your kitten are both learning a completely new routine, and the first few days or weeks can be the hardest part. Once you understand your kitten's personality and they understand what to expect from you, things usually become much easier. Hang in there and know it's a learning stage for you both.

It's Easy to Worry About Every Little Thing

If this is your first cat, you may find yourself watching your kitten like a hawk and wondering whether every little thing is normal.

Did she eat enough today? Is she drinking enough? Why is she sleeping so much? Was that poop too soft? Why hasn't she pooped again? Is she supposed to sleep this much? Why is she suddenly hiding? When did he last poop?? (yes, I get a lot of questions about poop in recent go-homes)

Take a breath.

Kittens can be surprisingly inconsistent from one day to the next, and there is a lot of normal variation in how much they eat, drink, sleep, play, and use the litter box. A kitten may have a day where they seem ravenous and another where they aren't nearly as interested in food. Their stool can also be a looser than usual occasionally, particularly with the stress of moving to a new home and all the changes that come with it.

That doesn't mean you should ignore genuine signs of illness. It just means you don't need to panic over every small variation.

Look at the whole kitten. Is she bright and responsive when she's awake? Is he playing? Is he eating and drinking? Using the litter box? Generally acting fine?

Those things are much more useful than obsessing over whether kitty ate exactly the number of ounces you expected them to eat or whether they took one more nap than yesterday.

If something seems genuinely wrong, call your veterinarian. But if your kitten is eating, playing, sleeping, using the litter box, and generally acting like a kitten, you can probably relax.

You don't have to monitor your kitten every second of the day. 

More Than Just Normal Kitten Behavior?

Of course, not everything should be dismissed as "just a kitten being a kitten." If your kitten isn't eating, is repeatedly vomiting, has significant diarrhea, seems unusually lethargic, has difficulty breathing, isn't urinating, or otherwise seems sick, contact your veterinarian.

Behavioral problems that are severe or aren't improving with time may also need some attention.

But if your main complaint is that your kitten is hiding, scratching, biting, climbing everything, sleeping at strange hours, and periodically turning into a tiny tornado, you're probably experiencing a pretty normal part of kittenhood.

Final Thoughts

The kitten stage can be a handful, particularly if you were expecting your new cat to be an effortless little roommate from day one.

Give your kitten a safe place to settle in, provide appropriate outlets for normal behaviors like scratching and playing, and be patient while they learn your household.

And give yourself some time, too.

That tiny kitten who currently seems determined to destroy your house will eventually grow into the adult cat you've been looking forward to. You just have to survive kittenhood first. I believe in you!