7 week old kitten

[lilybean]

Hi there,
I am looking for a bit of advice here if anyone has been through this type of situation. I just adopted a 7 week old male kitten. He is absolutely precious, I am already in love with my new little guy. He has been vet checked and is healthy, although he is obviously a little young to have been separated from mommy yet. I know that in the next couple weeks he will gain a lot more independence, but I am wondering how I should deal with the next couple weeks. I have never had a kitten this young, so I am a little unsure. He is so precious and so dependent on me, I want to make sure I give him the best care. He is very playful but very snuggly, which I LOVE, but he also has a very hard time if I even put him down for a moment, let alone if I have to go out anywhere, or get chores around the house done. I currently have had him snuggled up on my chest for about 3 hours now LOL. If I put him down, or try to snuggle him up in the bed to sleep, he starts crying and crawls up my legs to get back up to me. It's so precious. So far, I have been giving him as much attention as he wants, and loving him up as often as I can, which tends to be 24/7 almost lol. But is that what I should be doing? Everything in me just wants to, and loves, snuggling him 24/7 but will doing that create separation anxiety for him when he is older? I think he will proly become more independent in the next week or so, but am I doing the right thing for him by snuggling him and comforting him whenever he needs? He is so tiny and just wants to feel safe and comfortable. I think he sees me as his mommy now, which I love of course. But am I doing the right thing? I love him soooo much already and we are already so unbelievably bonded, and I want to make sure he grows up to be a happy, well-adjusted cat. Thanks!!

[moosmom]

Do what I did. Get him his own kitten!!! He sounds like he's been taken from mama too soon.

Bad A$$ Buddy seemed to want to play with my older cats who had absolutely no interested in this feisty little guy. When Melissa posted that a tortie kitten needed a furrrever home, I scooped her up and brought her home. Buddy's playful aggression has been diverted to Lucie Loo, and my older cats couldn't be happier.

I think another kitten might be the way to go. It'll keep him occupied and give him someone to snuggle up to.

[Catty1]

Does he not show any interest in his year-old 'brother'? Maybe once he is a little bigger, they will start to play together.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

lilybean,
you don't want him to feel secure but you want to slowly help him learn independence as well.
Can you set up a safe room for him, where he can have a bed, toys, water, litter box and not a lot of things to get hurt on/with? You could use that room for say 1/2 an hour at a time while you do some chores.
I know some chores are not safe to do with a 7 week old kitty underfoot!

Another kitten is a good idea if you have the time, space and finances to accomodate one.

[lilybean]

Well, he is doing a lot better now! He is a lot more independent but still loves his snuggles. He absolutely LOOOVES playing with Emerson now, who is learning to be gentle with the baby kitty. Sometimes I pick him up and he gets mad at me now because he wants to go play! Before I couldn't put him down on the floor next to me even without him freaking out!

[iamgray]

Ah that's great that he's doing better!

If he is ever being too needy and you need a break from him to get stuff done around the house, you can try wrapping a hot water bottle in a towel or blanket, along with a ticking clock, and put him in a box with it. I've never done it myself, but when I was raising a very young kitten I read that suggestion on a few sites. I preferred to wear a bunnyhug and put him in the front pocket, or else I'd wear two shirts and roll one up to make a pocket for him right by my heart, and then zip a light, close fitting jacket up so that just his face was sticking out, then I could go about my duties while still keeping him close.