The answer to if you should let your kitten cry:
Don’t let your kitten cry, because that is how it communicates. Your kitten feels lonely after being separated from its mother and littermates, so it’s important to calm down your crying kitten.
Feed it, put it in a warm room, clean its litterbox, and play with your kitten often to make it happy.
As a kitten owner, you want your little one to live happily and comfortably. But these cuddly cute creatures might sometimes cry too much, and you might wonder if you should just let it cry.
Your kitten does not speak your language. Things would be easier if your kitten could just say, “I am hungry, or “I am cold.” However, your kitty communicates through crying. That means it’s your job to figure out what it needs, and address the issue.
In this article, I will explain if it is ok to let your kitten cry, causes of constant meowing, and what you can do to keep your kitten comfortable.
It’s also important to learn the stages of your kitten’s development, as it will help you figure out why it is crying. That is what I will discuss shortly.
Don’t Ignore Your Crying Kitten
Your kitten cries because one or more of its needs has not been met. Therefore, it is unkind to let your kitten cry. As we are going to see, there are many reasons why your kitten meows.
As soon as you figure out why it is crying, address the issue, and your kitten will keep quiet. It would be dangerous to ignore your kitten if an urgent need should be met, such as sickness or pain.
How to Figure out Why your Kitten is Crying to Help it
So now that you know it’s wrong (and cruel) to let your kitten cry, I’m going to help you find out why your little one is crying, and how to help. Here are the possible reasons, and how to solve them.
1. Loneliness
If you have just adopted your kitten, it could be that it is crying because it feels lonely after being separated from its mother and, littermates. Another possible reason is that it is calling out for other pets, or kittens in the house.
What to do
Give your kitten some love and affection. We all know how playful kittens are, so don’t hesitate to engage it in some play sessions. Use interactive toys to play with your kitten.
Play is good for your kitten’s development, and it is a fine way to bond, and build trust with your little friend.
2. Hunger
One of the main reasons why your kitten cries is hunger. It could also be that you are feeding it at a different time than it was used to at the shelter, or breeder.
Your kitten is growing at a fast rate, and therefore needs to be fed more often. Kittens from 6 to 12 weeks old should be fed four times a day.
What to do
Talk to your kitten’s former breeder or shelter, and find out the type of food the breeder was giving your kitten, and its feeding schedule times.
If you give your kitten food but it refuses to eat and continues to cry, try a different brand or flavor. The more time you spend with your kitten, the more you will get to know which type of food it prefers; if it is salmon, beef, or chicken.
If you are rarely at home, leave a bowl of food for your kitten to nibble while you are away.
3. Sickness or pain
Our cute furry creatures are small, and it may be possible to accidentally step on your kitten’s tail, or toes as you go about your daily activities. The sound your kitten will give when in pain will be different from a normal meow.
It will sound more like a cry of distress, which can be described as a shrill or piercing cry. Your kitten may meow but in a louder, and intense pitch.
What to do
If you hear your kitten crying in a weird voice, check immediately to know what’s going on. It could be in pain. Although adult cats are good at hiding their pain, your kitten is less adept, and will express distress when uncomfortable.
Seek help from a veterinary if you suspect your kitten has an injury. It’s also important to be watchful of any change in your kitten’s behavior. If your kitten cries while seeming fatigued, seek help from your vet.
4. Dirty litterbox
Even if you have provided your kitten with a litterbox, it might refuse to use it if it has not been cleaned. The foul smell of a dirty litterbox is irritating to you, and your kitten too.
Your kitten may cry because it wants to poop, but its litterbox is not in a good state.
What to do
Constant cleaning will ensure your kitten’s litterbox is clean. If you use clumping litter, scoop the solid and liquid clumps at least twice a day to remove bad odor.
While some types of litters have perfumes to cover the bad smell, you may need to avoid using such litters if your kitten finds such scents uncomfortable.
It is also important to use a box with shallow sides to fit your kitten’s small body. Avoid covered litter boxes as your kitty will not like it. Besides, it will trap bad odor, making it even more unwelcoming for your little one.
Learn About your Kitten’s Stages of Development
Knowledge about your kitten’s development stages will help a lot if you want to know why your kitten is crying. Here are the stages of your kitty’s development, so that you can know how it relates to its vocalization:
Newborn to 2 Weeks
Your newborn kitten is born deaf and blind. It navigates the world through scent. It will sleep a lot, and it is critical to provide it with warmth during this stage. Your newborn kitten’s room should be kept at a temperature of between 85 to 90 degrees.
At this stage, your kitten relies on its mother full time for food, warmth, and bathroom support. If the mother is not present, your kitten should be bottle-fed every 2 to 3 hours, and kept at a warm temperature. If separated from its mother or its littermates, your kitten may develop behavioral issues.
At 2 weeks, your kitten’s eye are open, it will attempt to walk but still have wobbly steps, and is still fully reliant on its mother.
3 to 7 weeks
Your 3-week old kitten is curious, and explores its surroundings, including the litterbox and toys.
At 4 weeks, your kitty has improved vision and hearing abilities. If no mother is around, your kitty should be bottle-fed every 5 hours, or else it will cry a lot.
At 5 weeks, your kitten plays and develops social skills. You may begin the weaning process as you introduce wet kitten food to your little one. Provide it with a shallow litterbox.
At 6 weeks, your kitty should have access to clean water, litterbox, and wet food. You will notice your kitten has increased energy; sleeping less and playing more often.
8 to 14 weeks
At 8 weeks, your kitten is energetic and independent. All its baby teeth are present. There is no need for a heating source. Give your kitten canned, and dry kitten food at least four times a day.
It is advisable not to separate a kitty from its mother and littermates before 12 weeks, to avoid problematic behaviors, such as constant meowing.
Make your Kitten Less Vocal Through a Cozy Environment
It is essential to keep your kitten warm just like the way you would with a baby.
Fill its bed with lots of blankets. Some pet owners suggest keeping a warm hot water bottle on its bed. You can also put a ticking clock under your kitten’s bed, and it will think it is its mother’s heartbeat.
Your newly adopted kitten feels scared in its new environment. It might get lost and feel confused. Keep it in a small room, and keep checking on it often. Ensure its room has its food bowl, water, and litter tray near its bed.
Your kitten needs to feel comfortable in its new space for it to adapt to your home.
Be patient with your kitten before introducing it to the other rooms of the house. It will feel more anxious when left in a very large room.
There is no need to keep the lights on because your kitty can see much better than you in the dark. It will not have a problem finding what it needs even under minimal light. Turning out the light when going to sleep will help your kitten establish sleep patterns.
Sources
https://www.petmd.com/cat/slideshows/6-reasons-your-kitten-crying
https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/kitten-development-understanding-kittens-major-growth-milestones
