Worried my new kitten gets sad when left alone? How to help?

Hello, and congratulations on your new kitten! As long as your kitten is healthy and stable, I do not think it would be wrong to have a pet-sitter come in once every 24 hours to feed him, clean his litter box, and give him some cuddle time. You can try to have the pet-sitter rotate a few of his toys each day to keep him entertained. You can also consider a feline pheromone called Feliway, which helps to reduce stress in cats in new situations and environments. I hope this helps!

He is so cute! You can put him in a crate with food, water, and a litter box. This will give him a safe space while you are gone. You can also get Feliway, which is a plug in diffuser that releases calming pheromones.

Congrats on your new kitten, and thanks for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Kino! Moving into a new home is stressful for a kitten, and it will take time for her to adjust. I would leave her alone for now, allow her to get used to the sights and smells of her new home. When she does come out, praise her and offer her a treat or a toy to play with to show her coming out and interacting is a good thing that will be rewarded. As time passes, she should feel more and more comfortable with coming out, and the treats and toys will make that more enticing as well. Praise her too when she comes out, and you should see over time that she will be calmer and happier in the home. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Earl Grey (I love his name!). Cats and kittens are much more self reliant than dogs and puppies, as they can use a litter box to attend to their needs. Even at his age, it's fine to leave him alone for five hours. I hope this helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Sukkar. How lovely of you to take him in, what a lucky boy. I would set up a window seat for him next to a window that gets sun all day. A cat tree would work well too. He can lay on it, look outside, and enjoy the sun. You can also look into a catio, which is an outdoor enclosure for cats. He could go into every day for a few hours, enjoy the outside, but not escape and still be safe. This may help him and cheer him up a bit. Keep in mind as well that he's four, so the playing stage may be gone for him. I have a six year old Ragdoll who spends most of his time sleeping in the sun and eating. Probably why he's fat! He doesn't play at all, but he's happy. I hope this helps!

It sounds like this is not an easy situation. Some cats will not like being kept inside while others adjust easily. You won't know until you try. There are some things you can do which can benefit any cat (a bored cat and a cat adjusting to a new life style). Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play (really get him moving) and switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. Try feeding him out of a food puzzle. Hide food for him to find. Provide a stand or resting place by a window so he can look outside. You may also try clicker training him for positive behavior. Here is a link about training cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/can-i-train-my-cat/ Most cats response best to combination therapy. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Some cats do like company and others do just fine as the only cat. They are all different just like humans. When you move, make sure Tim gets lots of attention and play time. Provide him with climbing opportunities like a tall cat tree or shelves. There will be an adjustment period that may last a few weeks as Tim gets use to his new living situation. If he seems lonely beyond this, then maybe look at getting him another playmate. It’s ok to see how he adjusts and many of them do just fine. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.