Daily Kitten Chat Forum » Purrs

1. 

   My girlfriend and I just got some kittens about 4 days ago and they are around 4-5 weeks old I would say. They were outside cats from what the handler was saying so we took them in with great love. We have toys and a little kitten hut for them to play in and cute little food dishes and all that.

   But...they are extremely skiddish and self-reliant it seems. They didnt eat til the 2nd day, which is understandable as they hid underneath the couches. Over the past 2 days theyve started to sniff around and explore...as of right now, they are running around downstairs playing on the furniture, tackling each other, running on tv stands...you name it.

   But my girlfriend or myself can't seem to get one to stay calm in our hands. They start freaking out and hiss at us, clawing to get away. At one point, both have purred in our hands at one time or another on seperate occasions...but theyre still not what I would call tame...

   We want them to be comfortable in our hands and to respect us enough to let us pick them up...they run away every time we reach for them, but at times they do play with my hand and finger around a corner or two.

   How do we get them to like us enough to play with us comfortable in the open???

   Thanks in advance

   Posted 4 months ago by andrew1allissa #

2. 

   Hi, A1A. Welcome to the Daily Kitten! Lots of folks here have worked with feral cats. I am not one of them, but I've seen them describe this taming/bonding as a slow process. It takes patience. They've had to be in survivor mode until now and don't know that it is OK to trust friendly humans. Try spending time sitting near them without reaching out to them. Read a book out loud in a soothing voice. Let them approach you.

   Keep checking back for more comments. We'd love to see a photo of your kittens. Please click on my avatar to see pictures of my three kits, Digit, Furl and Boots! :)

   Posted 4 months ago by Kitten Whisperer #

3. 

   Welcome A1A. Kittenwhisperer is right. It takes some patience when they're use to being outside on their own & then suddenly brought into a strange place. Sitting quietly on the floor closer to their level helps them to not feel so overwhelmed by your size. One time when I was trying to get 4 kittens to come out from hiding,I laid on the floor on my stomach deciding to relax & try to take a nap. These kittens were about 5 wks. old at the time. Next thing I know,there are 4 kittens walking all over my back,jumping & playing w/each other & messing w/buttons or zippers,or anything else they found interesting.
   I would do that everyday w/them & within a month & had them resting easy when I'd pick them up. The main thing is...you don't want to rush or force them. You want them to come to you. Try laying a few small treats out on the floor.Usually when one gets curious,the rest follow. Talking gently to them & telling them what good kitties they are seems to relax them.
   I would love to see pics of your new kittens. I Love them at that age.

   Posted 4 months ago by feral #

4. 

   Welcome A1A, it might not feel like it at the moment, but I can tell you, you are making great strides already. KW and Feral are so right, it is a patience thing. You need loads of it but you will make progress every day, I promise, even when it doesn't feel like it. The best way to get them to trust you is to quietly spend time with them without bothering them, except for talking to them in a low gentle voice, offering them treats from your hand occasionally (without looking at them -- staring is a challenge to cats, so keep your face averted or blink slowly at them and eventually see them blink back -- meaning 'chill out, I don't want to fight,' -- ), just doing your own thing and letting them do theirs and eventually they will come to you.

   To be honest, a lot of cats never like being picked up, though most kittens do. It's a bit like kids, they get too old for it and want to get down! So I think picking up is maybe the wrong aim. Snuggling and cuddling beside you, on the other hand, is a great aim! and that will come...

   Posted 4 months ago by jcat #

5. 

   Hi, A1A!

   I'm going through something similar. A friend of a friend took in 2 ferals - a brother and sister - at about 10 weeks of age. We took the female when she was about 13 weeks old. She was scared to death at first - she hid for 2 full days. She slowly came out on the 3rd day and bonded almost immediately with my 1 yr old male cat. With us, however, it's taken a little longer. She seems to respond better if you come at her at the same level that she's at - she'll run if we are towering over her, but if I crouch down as I approach her more often than not she'll let me pet her.A lot of times she seems like she really wants to be touched but she'll stay just out of reach.Sometimes I can play with her with my finger and she'll swat at my hand in a playful way. She'll play with us if we break out the laser toy or the feather dancer thing. It's trying to catch her that's the difficult part! I acknowledge her every single time I see her. I talk to her all the time and make an effort to let her know that I know she is there. Sometimes she lets me pick her up and cuddle her - she'll purr the whole time. She'll come up and sit next to me on the couch sometimes, not cuddling with me but near me, which is more than she did before. We are not at the point of her snuggling on my lap but hopefully she will do that at some point. She also hasn't rubbed our legs yet, but she does with my male cat all the time. She's been sleeping on the bed with my husband and I, along with her new big brother for a while now so we are making strides. There's a huge difference from the way she was when she first came home with us but it's just a slow process. I was just saying to my husband that these last 2 weeks I've been able to pet her or pick her up every single day, so I guess she's finally starting to trust us more and feels more and more comfortable here.

   Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

   Posted 4 months ago by Beth_in_NJ #

6. 

   A1A, you and your girlfriend are so lucky - you've acquired the kittens at a stage where their fear of people isn't all that solid yet. You have a very good opportunity to help these kittens learn to trust people. And you've gotten some great advice already from others.

   First, I'd recommend not picking them up just yet. They're scared of your huge size (relative to them). At this age, they really prefer having four-on-the-floor. The only one who'd normally be picking them up would be their mama, by the scruff, and she'd barely clear the ground with them. When you scoop them up in your hands and then stand up, the closest similar event for a feral kitten would be getting picked up by a hawk or owl; their only self-defense would be to claw and bite as if their lives depended on it! So remember, at this point, four-on-the-floor is the best way to go.

   Second, for many wild animals, including feral kittens, hands are scary things (especially if they've been picked up, as in the preceding scenario). They haven't yet come to trust your hands. They don't yet see you as a 'replacement mama.' I'd recommend smearing a tablespoon or two of plain, unsweetened yogurt in a saucer, and introducing them to it; most kittens love this treat. Then, over a few days, when you give them this treat, sit on the ground and dip the fingertips of one hand in the yogurt. They will probably learn to come lick it off. After a couple days of that, you can continue, but use your other hand to gently pet them while they're licking off the yogurt. And talk to them in a low, soothing voice; use their names, if you've decided on names. If not, then use the word "kitty" and tell them how brave they're being. This helps them learn to not be afraid of your voice, and not be afraid of your hands.

   Sitting on the ground, or lying down, are good ways to appear non-threatening to them. Remember, you're Godzilla-sized compared to them! After you're able to show them that your hands aren't scary, but are the source of good things like yogurt, you may be able to start picking them up. But if you try to pick them up and they struggle, don't force the issue; set them down immediately. (Some cats never like being picked up or held; some cats never become lap cats.)

   Please keep us informed of their progress!

   Posted 4 months ago by anncetera2 #

7. 

   Thank you all for your insight. Over the last few days, they have progressively gotten loads better in morale in the house. They seem to have found that they are safe in the house...except for the fact that we tower over them as you all say. I'm goin to try the "on level" confrontations over the next few days and see how that goes.

   They seem to love the cat toys and the laser light tracking we've gotten them. Theyre all over the living room...they only hide when we get up or walk around...but Im hopin one of these strategies works for them to come around.

   The boy, Mocha, seems to be more "rowdy" than Rufie, the girl, is. But they have tons of fun tackling each other and running amok with one another.

   Thank you again, I'll update soon.

   Posted 4 months ago by andrew1allissa #

8. 

   Just be patient and let them have a "safe place" where they can go and hide. Also, try to pet them while feeding them wet food. I have two 16 week kittens that we tamed from 4 weeks old. They are very friendly now. Best wishes.

   Posted 3 months ago by Crystal #

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