My kitten is clingy and cries when I leave

I just picked up an 8-week-old kitten from a shelter. She is sweet but incredibly clingy. If I go to the kitchen or bathroom, she follows me and starts crying loudly. I work from home, so I am rarely out of the apartment, but the crying is stressing me out and my neighbors have already knocked on the door about the noise.

I tried leaving her with a toy, but she ignores it and just screams for me. I have a 4-year-old dsh named Bo and a 2-year-old Siamese named Nala, but the kitten is too young to interact with them yet. How do I build her confidence so she stops following me around like a shadow? I feel like I am failing her by not being able to give her space.

Don't worry, this is normal for that age. It is not about failing her, it is about her not knowing where her safe zone is yet. Since you are home all the time, the separation is the problem. You need to make the time you are apart more interesting than the time you are together.

Have you looked at the thread on kitten crying at night? It has some good tips on using white noise. Also, check out how long until a kitten settles in to see if you are just early in the timeline. My Miso did this for the first two weeks.

@sowens I read that thread, but it mostly talked about night time. My issue is during the day when I am working. I tried a white noise machine but it didn't seem to help much. She still cries within 30 seconds of me leaving the room.

Also, I am worried about the noise. I saw a thread about neighbor noise complaints and it said to use soundproofing, but I rent and can't really do that. What else can I do?

Space is key. If the apartment is small, she feels it more.

Look at kitten proofing a small apartment. You need to create a 'safe zone' she can retreat to. Not just a box, but a specific corner with her bed and toys. If she can't escape the whole apartment, she will panic.

@slane That makes sense. I have been letting her roam the whole apartment. I will try to set up a specific area. Do you think I should feed her there? I know food is a big motivator.

It is a delicate balance. I had a senior cat who got anxious when I moved, and it took months for him to trust the new space again. Kittens are faster, but they need that sense of security.

When you set up that safe zone, make sure it is quiet. If your neighbors are knocking, that adds to the stress. You might want to check the thread on diet changes for anxious kittens to see if a slow feeder or puzzle bowl helps keep her mind occupied when you are away. It is less about the food and more about the activity.

I am traveling a lot right now and my 10-year-old maine coon is stressed. I hear you on the neighbors. I left my cat with a puzzle feeder and it helped, but he is older.

For a kitten, I would worry about her chewing on things if you leave her in a small space for too long. Have you checked the thread on kitten proofing a small apartment again? It mentioned some specific items to hide.

Thanks everyone. I think the issue is a mix of the small space and the fact that I am always around, so she doesn't learn to be alone. I will try the safe zone idea and the puzzle feeder. I also need to figure out how to manage the noise so I don't get in trouble with the building. I will update in a few days to see if the safe zone helps her confidence.