Need help with taming feral kittens
 

hi everyone,
some of you know that i had been trying to catch a female cat and her three kittens for more than a month now. well, i have recently succeeded in doing just that. first catching two of the kittens on saturday night and catching mama and the remaining kitten early this morning. mama cat is very friendly and i believe that she was a pet at one point but her kittens are the wildest, scariest, most vicious kittens i have ever come across{sweat}. they are feral x 1000 {oh} i have fostered 13 kittens in the past and though they may have been afraid at first, they quickly got over their fear as curiosity and playfulness inevitably took over. these guys are different, the first two kittens that i caught have been hiding in their hooded litter box since saturday. they will not come out. they are scared to death! i can't even clean the litter box because they are so scared. any suggestions as to how i can make them feel more comfortable and secure? help please!

they are so different from Little One, whom i have been fostering for over a month.. little one is a joy!!

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

hi lynie

Part 2: Socialization of Feral Kittens

pls go to this link : http://cats.about.com/library/guest/ucfeature4b.htm

due to copyright issues, i can't post the whole article here only an excerpt and the link to this website. i've jsut found it and think it might be workable, it's worth a try,

good luck. except below :-

Part 2: Socialization of Feral Kittens


Lost or abandoned domestic female cats teach their offspring to be "feral." These latent instincts, acquired from their African Wildcat ancestors, help them to survive in nature. Feral cats are elusive, often nocturnal, and usually fearful of humans. Like most wild animals, they will not attack if unprovoked, but will defend themselves if threatened or cornered. Their strongest instinct is to run. If they feel trapped and escape is blocked they will bite or scratch.

Never try to catch a feral by hand. Always use a humane trap. I suggest a semi-heavy long sleeved shirt, jeans, and thick gloves, for your protection and depending on the age of the feral.

I know of two methods that for socializing ferals that will work:

* The one you are about to read, and I believe to be the one most commonly used.
* The other is something on the new side, called "The T Touch". I have heard some very positive comments about, but as of yet have not attempted it myself.

if you can't get the link let me know

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

thanks! the article's very helpful. printed it out and will be giving it my best shot once i get home.. hopefully the little rascals will come around before too long.. i hope its not too late!! they look around 4 months old...

wish me luck!!

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

no worries, lynie. my cats were past 4 months old when i approached them and i spent the next 5-6 months trying to get them to trust me enough to take food from me. all taht time, i used to throw their kibbles out to them at my backyard, pieces by pieces!

i know you can do it...all the way behind you {good}

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

SIGHHHHH*
the kittens are not "deferalizing" at all. i don't understand what i'm doing wrong. i have spent hours everyday sitting in the room with them and being as gentle and non-threatening as humanly possible.
cleaning the litter boxes is still an ordeal.. topping up their water and food bowls is still traumatizing for them. everytime i enter the room they scuttle to their corners and make themselves as small as possible.. one of growls constantly.. the rest just hiss everytime i come near even though i don't look at them.. mama cat is no help.. though the kittens see that she is totally relaxed and friendly with me they do not follow her example at all. in fact they seem completely bewildered that she associates with such a horrible creature. what do i dooooooo? oh and one more thing and this you can relate to ashley, MAMA CAT IS PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

I think it takes time and patience, Lyn. The kittens were not socialized from "infanthood", so it's natural for them to feel scared. The hisses and growls are signs that they are terrified of you. They see you as the predator, and do not understand why their mama is not afraid of the predator. You have to be patient. It might take anything from 4 to 6 weeks for them to get used to you.

At my old home, there were a lot of stray families. I noticed that it was easier for me to feed the mothers than their kittens. Their mothers may continue to eat if I walk out and look at them, but the kittens would scurry away and hide under the cars immediately.

But do be mindful of their claws and little teeth. Until they are tamed, do not try to pick them up with your bare hands. The little kittens may bite or scratch you. And believe me, they will draw blood in their fear and terror of being handled. I'm speaking from experience. I had to go to a doctor once because I made the mistake of picking up a little kitten from inside a drain. It had fallen into a deep drain and I reached in and picked it up with my bare hands.

P/S: This article might be useful as a guide on how to socialize your kittens. http://catnet.stanford.edu/articles/...ialization.pdf
Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

i already got scratched!! a zillion little scratches on my left leg and right hand.. {ohmygod} ouch!!{shy} ahh well i've learned my lesson.. gloves and towel from now on...

Need help with taming feral kittens
 

Yes, lynie.They need time to be able to socialize with human.I have mother cat with 6 kittens that I regularly feed on the ground floor of our apartment.Facing the same problem.Mother is quite tame but the not the kittens.

4-6 weeks could be too early.Sometimes it takes up about 3 mths for the kittens to trust you. I experienced this before.

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

up to 3 months??? {cry} argh!!!! mama cat would have given birth by then... i'll have a million cats and kittens in my house! {sweat} i think i've bitten off more than i can chew.. {sick} i should've caught mama cat earlier.. was hoping she wouldn't get preggers so fast!!

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

here are some photos of the 3 kittens and their mama. their names are Mama Cat, Socks, Mr Fluffers, and Cocochino.

Need help with taming feral kittens
 

aiyoh!! so cutelah liynie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they don't look feral at all.they have this manja look!! wuah!!! I want,I want.sob!!sob!! i wish I can have them.

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

and more photos..... the siamese looking one has short hair. the black one and the dark brown ones have medium length hair and fluffy shaggy tails. they're all so cute!! the light grey one is mama cat.

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

yeah they are super cute! and gorgeous! its unbelievable, but the siamese looking one is the most ganas of all!! {shy} still growls and hisses at me.. i can't even check if that one is a girl or a boy.. i might lose a finger. but we are slowly making progress.. yesterday i bought them new toys and catnip and they played with me a bit.. still very cautious though.. the black one let me pet him last night and he took treats from my fingers and licked my hands.. the other two will only take treats from me if i put them on a spoon {ohmygod}

Need help with taming feral kittens
 

they all look so cute.wow!!! very ganas ah?? looks can be deceiving eh?? Did you bath them?? They look clean.Are you going to give them up for adoption??

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

nope i didn't bathe them.. omg they would be furious and totally terrified!! and my hands would be shredded!!! {sweat} they are all for adoption. including mama cat after she is neutered. but since there is a possibility she is pregnant, that will not be possible for a few months.

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

http://forums.petfinder.my/attachmen...2&d=1219974139

I want this one....!~ {cry}{cry}

eheheh... but cannot... sooooo cute...omg....i feel so geram wanna picit2 them oni....

yea la june.. the looks so deceiving one... where got the feral look.... ehehehehe {shy}{shy}

Need help with taming feral kittens
 

kikikikikikikikikik!!! With this kind of look,your inbox will be flooded the moment you open for adoption.{wink}

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

hi lynie

thanks for keeping us posted. you're doing a good job because they have that fearful look in their eyes. congrats..i'm sorrry i'm not able to help you.

hang in there...all they need is lots of love .

as for mama, you're right, it's either you get her to do abortion immediately (and that's tough right?) or let her go full term and neuter after delivery.

why don't you open up the kittens for adoption now? has the vet estimate how old they are?

you know what? when your mama cat delivers and samantha delivers, we're both going to sigh with relief and look forward to being "foster feline grandparents"?

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

huwaaa huwaaaa..i wishhh i wishh...the black one...memang comel ...{cry}{cry}

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

hahahahahaha yeah i know!! they look so sweet and gorgeous! i'm dying to pick them up and give them a long cuddle. but they are too scared for that right now. i don't want to scar them emotionally any further...

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

the black one, mister fluffers, is also my favorite!! he's the most outgoing one! the others are still scared but he's already starting to play with me and eat from my hands. and i can pet him. i like his fluffy tail. makes him look surprised {shy}

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

yeah i just don't have the heart to consider an abortion. i can't intentionally take their lives! will just to have find them good homes as well. aborting would be the easy way out. its my fault i didn't catch her earlier anyway {cry}

i've put photos of the kittens up on their petfinder adoption profile and have already received a few calls.. hopefully some patient cat lovers will respond. i'm really looking for adopters who understand the situation, that the kittens are NOT loving and cuddly right now. they must be rehabilitated and the adopters must be willing to go through that process. its tough coz people wanna play and bond with their new pets instantly but its just not going to be like taht in this case.

i'm actually a little worried about being a foster feline grandparent.. have no experience with newborns and pregnant mamas.. do share your experiences with me {grin}

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

Yes............ I love the black one too!!!!!
Reminds me of my Salem....

Need help with taming feral kittens
 

oh!! Dear.I have been through that too.the vet asked me if I want to consider abortion for the mama cat.I can't answer him immediately.I went home and asked for my hubby's opinion.Both of us was in dilemma for 2 days.Finally we decided not to abort it.I took 2 kittens and give out 4 for adoption.1 went missing but I saw her in my neighbour's house.Very well taken care of.I'm happy for her.

Your cats/kitten are so adorable and cute.Hot cake in the market.he!!he!! So you have the privilege to short list suitable parents for them.

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

i hope you're right june.. i can't stop worrying though. its so hard to be sure who's gonna be a good adopter in the long run. i suppose i think too much. you guys are a great help though. so nice to have this online support {shy}

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

hi lynie

sorry typo error earlier - i meant to say they don't have that fearful look in the eyes {shy}

that make it two of us - we shall look to june and other forumer to show us the ropes on being "foster feline grandparent".

my colleauges now asked : are you a grandparent yet? has samantha given birth yet?

how they knew : cos i panic when i heard samantha was pregnant and i had to be the feline midwife and i took my panic to work - they asked me why i had that frantic look and i spilt everything {sweat}

how about you let the other kittens watch and observe how mr fluffers interact with you?

i noticed that when my previously lost ginger returned home to us, initially he would only interact with the other cats but not us - he was really afraid of us - but we also noticed how he intently observed how the others interact with us right from fighting us when given medicine to asking us for cuddles and kisses...and from then on we make sure he is only exposed to good behaviour. :-)

perhaps you can give fluffers more time outside the cage so the others can see from the cage there's nothing to be afraid of when fluffers is with you.

right now mama cat will not be that concerned about her kittens because to her mind they are "old" enough to be independent.

hang in there...

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

Yeah! Mama cat doesn't care about them at all. Poor babies. I think this confuses them even more because they are trying to look to her for reassurance.. But really they are old enough to be independent. In the streets she would have left them already. They've been weaned for quite some time. Usually the stray kittens i find are much younger. Oh took your advice today and have given mr fluffers freedom in cat room. He's loving it and we played for almost 2 hours. Finally had to stop coz he was gasping for breath. The others watched and seemed interested when i dangled the toys in front of them, but still they held back. I'll try again tomorrow. At least they showed interest. That's something right? Will keep you posted. How is samantha? Should be giving birth anytime now right?

Need help with taming feral kittens
 

Poor babies!! Probably the mother cat feel secure in your house and thought the kitten will be safe also. I have 1 stray kitten still hostile towards me.She has no qualm entering my house and straight to the kitchen when I open the door.But everytime I want to pet her,she ran away. hmm!!

Don't worry lynie.we all are here.we can help each other giving tips or advise. For me,everyday is learning process with the strays cats or kittens {victory}{wink}

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

lynielime...the mama cat is soooooo cute(adorable looking){happy}
& by the way congrats on suceeding in capturing the entire family{victory}...
dont give up on the little ones...they will eventually realise that u mean well and will come to you...im sure they will realise tat your the next best thing besides their mom soon...hang in there!!!{good}

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

lol, any success so far? i've had many rescued kittens too.. and most are like wat u mentioned.. hahaha.. ferocious cute little kittens that bite and scratches u and cries loudly when no one's around. im quite used to it ald so just catches them with bare hands and stroke them of course with a newspaper protecting my hands 1st while i proceed to get nearer to them. best way is to keep them near u at all times possible. it would atake some time yes. like the article says but its not possible. u dun need to do anything for this few weeks.. as it would most likely just stress u out more.. just wait till they settle down, they will stop hissing once they have it in mind that u brings the meals. den when they stop hissing, they will mos likely become submissive to u and u can pick them up, carry them for very short period of time(pls be careful if u hold them close to ur body they may freak after a while and may try to run, in process may scratch u unintentionally/accidently) altho they will not be as friendly/tame as our family cat. But if they get used to u, they will let only u touch/carry them. by this time, u can start playing with them chasing the feather-on-a-stick. hahaha. goodlucks

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

hi lynie and all

hey, what cerz said makes sense. perhaps we're all wrong in advising you to try harder to make contact with the kittens who are still jittery. worth trying to ignore the otehrs except for giving them food and cleaning their litterbox!

samantha has yet to give birth! i've been asking myself many times how come she hasn't given birth yet but dare not post the question to felix lest it frazzles her more..she's taking care of samantha besides her own 6 long-haired cats and her own children and she has been quite busy lately i hate to disturb her.

say, if you have found some potential adopters for the kittens, do try to get their email contact so you can mail them some information on how to handle kittens (assuming they're 1st timer or they need a refresher..the articles are from cats.about.com of course and very useful, i keep rereading them to refresh myself on the important points! ) i'll pass you the articles or links via PM.

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

Thanks everyone. You guys are great! Will be trying everyones advice. I guess i'm just feeling a little lost with these kittens and disappointed in myself because i always thought i was good with cats. With previous foster kittens i thought i was the cat whisperer! Hahaha!! But these guys are showing me that i don't know cats as well as i thought i did. Its ok, when i need a boost i get some love from my own kitties and poochies. Will continue to update you guys on how things how with cocochino, socks, and mr fluffers. Thanks everyone!

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

I have bad news. I was not careful enough and now mama cat has run away. I usually let her out of her cage for a couple of hours every evening and night for exercise. During this time she always tries to escape so i close all doors and windows. Also all the grilles in the house are covered with additional wire screens to keep all cats in. Guess what happened? She managed to rip out the wire screen in cat room grill, squeeze through the grille, push open the window and jump out into the garden. My dogs out there didn't notice her or they would have barked. When i noticed she was gone i went outside and saw her in alley behind my house jumping into neighbors garden and disappearing. I have to get her back. Do you guys think she will come back? If she is not already pregnant, then she will be in about 2 seconds. I'm worried she won't come back coz she wasn't very comfortable here. This is my fault, the window was not locked. Only closed. I thought the grill and screen would keep her in. I underestimated her strength and how much she wanted to get out of here. I hope she comes back asking for food which is how i caught her in the first place. I'm so upset. Have gotten quite attached to her. But obviously the feeling is not mutual.

Need help with taming feral kittens
 

oh!!dear!!oh!!dear!!oh!!dear!! I hope she will return back for her kittens and food.It was her instinct as stray that wants to break free from your house.Not your fault.Don't be sad.

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

I hope you're right june.. Her kittens are calling her and they are even more scared now. I wonder if she found anything for dinner. Fingers crossed she'll be at my gate in the morning hiding under my car waiting for breakfast. That's what we used to do everyday before i caught her. Do you think she can remember our old routine?

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

Mama cat's back! Thank god! 11 hours out wandering by herself and then she came back and meowed loudly outside asking for food. I can sleep peacefully now. What a relief.

Need help with taming feral kittens
 

oh!! Thank God.they normally remember our routine.Like the strays that I feed,by 7am all of them already standy for their food.then in the evening around 7pm.Everyday without fail.yesterday I came back home late.My hubby was asleep from 5pm-10pm.When he got up,I asked him to go and feed the cat downstair.We make ssst!!ssst!! sound and all of them coming from their hiding place and running toward us.they know we are coming to feed them.

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

Dear forummers, i need your advice again. Mama cat is extremely agitated. I feel terrible about keeping her in here. I am beginning to think that she is not pregnant. I think she's in heat. When i found her after she ran away yesterday, she was lounging under a car with 2 big toms. Do pregnant females behave this way? According to what i read on the net, pregnant females become more affectionate and stick close to home and familiar people. Mama cat is still desperately trying to escape and meowing loudly. She is restless and uneasy. What should i do? Should i let her go? She is so upset. The thing is, if she's already pregnant, i want her to have her babies in here. And if she's not pregnant i don't want her to get knocked up. But vet said we had to be sure. So a week ago my vet said keep her indoors for 3 weeks. If she has gotten bigger then she's pregnant. If there's no change in her size then we neuter her. The reason for this arrangement is that last weekend the vet felt some swelling and lumpiness in mama's tummy but said she couldn't be sure the lumps are fetuses coz too early and small if so. And the bloody ultrasound not working well so not clear. I have two more weeks to go before bringing her back to my vet. I think she will be nuts by then. Any advice please. Thanks

Need help with taming feral kittens
 

lynie,she is definitely on heat.do you have cage?? u must cage her.don't let her escape from your house.Yes,female on heat is very loud that drive us nuts.What I did was,I spray her with water to keep her quiet for a while in the cage everytime my mama cat meowing loudly. But on heat during pregnancy?? I have not come across this one yet.

Re: Need help with taming feral kittens
 

I've put her in a cage for now but she is terribly bored and unhappy. I feel so guilty when i look at her.