Daily Kitten Chat Forum » Cats & Kittens

1. 

   I took Lucky to the vet yesterday for her second set of kitten boosters, and she's still deathly afraid of most human contact. She's 9 weeks old now, will let me pet her, but still hates being picked up, and really hates the folks at the vets. She was hissing and spitting yesterday, just like she did the day I found her. Poor scared little thing doesn't bite or claw anyone, so I'm not afraid of approaching her when she gets like this, but her loud spitting is sure startling, coming from a tiny little 2.4 lb cat!

   I've been trying to give her as much attention as I can, picking her up and holding her when I can (she doesn't like it, and claws her way out of my hands). She'll let me pet her if it's on her terms, or when she's sleepy and curled up on top of my bed, I can walk up to the bed, reach towards her and pet her with no objection. She purrs when petted, and closes her eyes, so I know she likes it and trusts me, just as long as I don't try to pick her up.

   She gets along with my other cats with no problems at all. Lucky plays with Rocky (a 4 mo old kitten) and Maximilian (a 9 mo old kitten) every day. Maybe I should accept that with only one human (me) giving her regular contact, she'll never really be the people friendly animal my other cats are.

   I should just be grateful she trusts me as much as she does, and happy that she's got a much improved likely lifespan, and will only have to be cornered, placed in a cat carrier, and poked and prodded twice more this year (12 weeks for her last kitten boosters and 6 mo to be altered), and once a year after that for regular checkups. Otherwise, I should be satisfied to let her be a cat's cat as much as she wants. As long as she's comfortable, healthy, and happy, what more could a cat want?

   Should I want more for her? At 9 weeks, her personality seems fairly 'set'. Is there anything else I can do to improve her chances of joining me (and the other cats) on the comfy chair for a nice scritching session while I watch TV? Comments?

   Posted 3 years ago by whistl #

2. 

   Whistl, my girls were both feral but have lived with us now for about 13 months. And instead of getting braver, Windi is more afraid than ever of strangers. If the doorbell rings, or if anyone else is in our house, she hides under the bed. She picks her times to sit in my lap but they are kind of rare. And anything spooks her. But she loves to be in whatever room we are in - just at a distance. I keep hoping that she'll outgrow that, but I'm beginning to think that this is just how Windi will be.

   Posted 3 years ago by WillowandWindismom #

3. 

   Hi Whistl,I rescued some ferals and they very slowly became accustomed and then enthusiastic about me. With prolonged contact they became friendly with the other folks in my house(my parents). They were happy and social with myself and the other cats/dog but they were never anything but scared/unhappy about the vet or strangers.
   I think the more people who you bring into her life while she's young and who she sees won't harm her the better. She may never be a real social kitty.
   One of my rescues that I have now,Ellie,was very antisocial hissy/spitty is now a trusting kitty who sleeps with my Mom and trills and purrs now so it depends on the kitty. She's been around more people though.

   Posted 3 years ago by Buttercup #

4. 

   Thanks for your replies. I guess that means Lucky is just being a normal rescued feral kitty. I am greatly relieved by that news.

   Thanks again! :)

   Posted 3 years ago by whistl #

5. 

   Whistl...considering she was feral...you've come quite far with her. Some don't calm down at all (hopefully Lucky will). My 3 Muskateers...Misty,Spunky & Rusty were rescued from our backyard. They are now 1 yr.6 mos.old & are still somewhat afraid of anyone other than myself (the one that feeds them). They're lovable & sweet other than that & healthy & happy playing w/each other.
   As for the spitting...well my Snowshoe Siamese feral (Ms. Hissy) I finally rescued (took 3 yrs. to catch her)does nothing but hiss & spit. I don't think she knows how to meow. lol. It took getting used to that,but,now I know that's her way of talking to me...Get Me My Food Mom!!! Give Lucky some time. She might surprise you with a sudden turn-around.

   Posted 3 years ago by feral #

6. 

   Whistl, I'm listing for you some of the more successful techniques I've used to help get ferals accustomed to people, especially feral kittens.

   1. I don't pick them up. Kittens seem to have a very well entrenched rule in their heads that "four (feet) on the floor" is definitely the way life should be. I try to give them more autonomy and control over themselves by not picking them up (and violating this rule).

   2. I work to help them become less afraid of hands. Specifically, I'll sit on the floor against a wall in a room, and set down a plate with some plain, unsweetened yogurt smeared around on it. I set this far enough away from me that the cat will come up and lick at it. Next time, I'll move it closer. The next time, I'll bring the plate in, but I'll set it in my lap and dip a finger in, then offer the finger for licking. If the cat's brave enough to come up to my lap and lick the plate, that gets rewarded with lots of "good kitty" and petting (if the cat will tolerate petting).

   3. I work to help them become less afraid of people in general. That usually means no sudden, jerky movements; no loud noises or shouting; nothing that will obviously startle them. And if I do notice that something I do startles them, I find a different way to do what I need to do, that startles them less.

   4. I try not to restrain them, corner them, or chase after them - and I don't let anyone else in my house do that, either. Domestic cats are small enough to be prey animals, and that means they have a well-developed 'flight' instinct; I try not to give them any reason to run away from me or hide.

   5. I make the areas near where I sit (within arm's reach) an attractive place for a cat to spend time. In indoor winter house conditions, which are cool, I'd set up a heated cat bed next to me on the sofa, and turn it on warm. Cats love warmth!

   Good luck!

   Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #

7. 

   I love every suggestion Anncetera! Taming of the wild is never a thing to be accomplished quickly. It takes patience and imagination for getting into the little heads. My little Sugar is my most resistant feral. She's making great progress but is one you never try to actually hold firmly. She needs to know she can climb down at any time or she'll panic and retreat to the outdoors for days if she feels too threatened. I can be patient...she's such a beautiful little tuxie..my very sweetest one of all. When she decides she needs some loving she just SOAKS up every touch and looks into my eyes with such wonder. I absolutely melt all over the place. =)

   Posted 3 years ago by Karenopa #

8. 

   What a nice visual there Karen.

   Posted 3 years ago by feral #

9. 

   Anncetera has given you terrific advice. My little Libby was a feral kitten, too, trapped at about eight or nine weeks. She will never be 'a people person' but she shows me she loves me and recently she has taken to coming on my bed in the middle of the night and settling down by my head, such delight! One thing that she really loved and that seemed to help us bond is being combed with her flea comb, it seems to reinforce that 'grooming' bond that cats give each other and enables her to get cuddles without 'losing face'.

   Posted 3 years ago by jcat #

10. 

    Thanks for all the advice. I don't have trouble getting Lucky to come to me, as long as it is HER decision to do so. I will stop trying to pick her up. I thought I could "wear her down", getting her used to it as long as I kept the pickups short. Probably a bad idea. Maybe later, when she's older.

    This morning, I had sort of a breakthru. Lucky has been climbing up onto my bed at night and curling up leaning against me on and off for a little while now, but she usually stays out of scritching reach. Today, she came right up to my hands, let me pet her, and started playing with my fingers, pawing and licking them and rubbing her teeth on them (not biting, it was quite pleasant). When my other kitten joined us, Lucky climbed on top, making a kitten pile with Rocky and my right hand and arm. It was great while it lasted.

    :)

    Posted 3 years ago by whistl #

11. 

    Awww...she may well come around in time, Whistl...Linus is a feral rescue we've had for 3 years now, and took him the better part of a year to even trust us..I think many of them form a close bond with their human family, but may always shy away from strangers...I think you're doing the right thing by giving her time and her own space;she'll learn that scritches from you are a good thing!

    Posted 3 years ago by sullis #

12. 

    W, I'm not sure if this suggestion will help, but I have two kitties who absolutely loathe being picked up. I don't think they'll ever like it, but they have grown to accept it (for short periods).

    First, get the kitty used to stoking down her side once or twice, sandwiched between her favorite petting (maybe a chin rub, ear rub, whatever she seems to like best). Then get her used to a belly touch in a similar manner - not a poke, not a stroke, just a gentle, brief touch, sandwiched right in the middle of petting that she prefers. (This sandwich technique would be applied in all of the following steps, repeated over several days as she shows increasing comfort with being handled in new ways.)

    Then widen it to a two-finger touch.
    Then all 4 fingers.
    Then a firm, 4-finger touch with a little upward pressure on the belly. Not as if to pick her up yet, just to get her more accustomed to being handled this way.
    Then a very brief, very small lift, only just enough to get her paws almost off the ground and back down again. It'll happen so fast that she probably won't have time to react badly. Again, sandwiched in lots of happy-making praise and petting.
    Then a lift to about 4-6 inches, and right back down.
    Then a lift to your knees, and right back down.
    Then a lift onto the sofa or a chair, with lots of petting afterward.

    If you can eventually get her to where she'll tolerate being held and petted, using these tiny incremental steps, you will have made HUGE progress with a feral cat. It takes time, but enough repetition will help her learn that none of what you're doing is really so scary.

    Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #

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