Taming a 10 Week Old Kitten

[MrsMozartleto]

Long story short today I collected a tom kitten from a farm.

He could be handled, in a towel, and seemed to accept people.

Got him home nice and safe in a crate. All good. The dogs showed an interest but didn't get close to the crate until the JRT suddenly took a lunge at it! We've had cats up until a few months ago so didn't expect that reaction.

I've put the kitten, in his crate with the door partially open, in the bathroom, along with wet food, water, litter tray with the door off, and a scratching post with a dangly thing.

I've been in a couple of times and he's stayed in the crate and hissed at me. I'm thinking of taking in dabs of tuna (good sniff!) and just sitting in there for a few minutes and building it up. He's currently due at the vets on Tuesday for a check up and whatever worming etc he needs, though I'm bit currently sure that's either a good idea so soon or indeed if I'll get him there / they can handle him if I do.

I've been googling but not found anything very useful as yet on how to teach him not to be scared.

ETA: As I pressed post I could hear him miaow, so will go in with an offering of tuna and see what he thinks.

ETA2: He thinks I should toddle off... ??

 

[Snow Falcon]

Well until you post a pic...........

 

[AmyMay]

Well until you post a pic...........

Exactly!

 

[MrsMozartleto]

You asked for it... ?

 

[MrsMozartleto]

Apparently he's not doing autographs either ?


And I stink of tuna ??

 

[Blanche]

The kitten lady has lots of advice for this.

If the link doesn’t work just Google her.

 

[SusieT]

Nice food, warm laps and not too many sharp movements - he will come round within the week! It still very nervous delay vets for a week. Watch the dogs- flightly kittens are very tempting for terriers!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

My two yard cat sitting were completely feral when they arrived, one slightly worse than the other so they stayed crated for a few weeks with dry food, litter, water on tap and me wearing a thick pair of gloves getting them used to being handled. They are now the soppiest and most lovable pair of cats who just love a cuddle and head butt me constantly. It just takes time, a lot of handling and we cracked it when they realised I was in charge of the wet food buffet and to get it they had to come to me.

 

[MrsMozartleto]

Thank you ?

He is a sweetie and has had such an upheaval to his life.

The two completely feral, and older, cats we got a few weeks ago live down in the barn and don't come near the tin can, though walk past it at a distance. Did the weeks in a crate thing, feeding, etc., but I think they were too old change. I now put feed in the barn and we spot at least one of them mooching past fairly frequently.

I'll get some suitable gloves and start delivering the blobs of tuna closer to him and start handling if I can get hold.

 

[Snow Falcon]

Sqquuueeeeee!!! ?

 

[MrsMozartleto]

I've ordered gloves.

Now off to watch the video ?

 

[MrsMozartleto]

My two yard cat sitting were completely feral when they arrived, one slightly worse than the other so they stayed crated for a few weeks with dry food, litter, water on tap and me wearing a thick pair of gloves getting them used to being handled. They are now the soppiest and most lovable pair of cats who just love a cuddle and head butt me constantly. It just takes time, a lot of handling and we cracked it when they realised I was in charge of the wet food buffet and to get it they had to come to me.

Did you leave the dry food with them and then feed them wet when they had to come to you?

I'm wondering if I should put him in a crate in the sittingroom so he can get used to us all but feel safe, or maybe to leave that for a few days ?

 

[Rumtytum]

One of my rescue cats went under a chest of drawers in the spare bedroom. Much hissing and spitting when we took in food and water, emptied her litter tray and sometimes sat on the floor and stared at the walls…...Six weeks later (after we’d talked the night before about returning her to the Cats Protection League) Chloe finally crept out, looked around and decided she was going to stay; within a couple of days she was downstairs then mooching around the garden. Perhaps your little tom needs to set his own timescale too although he’s a lot younger than Chloe so it shouldn’t take as long. Good luck!

 

[KittenInTheTree]

I'd just make sure that the dogs couldn't get near him, and aside from that let him have the run of the house. Cats hate being confined. Far better to limit the areas where the dogs have access until the kitten is fully established as part of the family.

 

[MrsMozartleto]

One of my rescue cats went under a chest of drawers in the spare bedroom. Much hissing and spitting when we took in food and water, emptied her litter tray and sometimes sat on the floor and stared at the walls…...Six weeks later (after we’d talked the night before about returning her to the Cats Protection League) Chloe finally crept out, looked around and decided she was going to stay; within a couple of days she was downstairs then mooching around the garden. Perhaps your little tom needs to set his own timescale too although he’s a lot younger than Chloe so it shouldn’t take as long. Good luck!

Thank you. Sounds very hopeful!

 

[MrsMozartleto]

I'd just make sure that the dogs couldn't get near him, and aside from that let him have the run of the house. Cats hate being confined. Far better to limit the areas where the dogs have access until the kitten is fully established as part of the family.

We live in a static caravan so limited on what can be done. The Rotties won't harm him, they're just fascinated, but the JRTx is potentially an issue going by her reaction this evening. The dogs don't go in the bathroom so that could be kitten's safe place for now.

I'll watch the cat lady video properly tomorrow and make a plan.

 

[honetpot]

I had two semi ferals last year, and I kept them in my bedroom and apart from feeding them ignored them. They would come out at night when I was in bed, made an escape through the pipework boxing, and out through a window, and started living in the cavity wall, which was a devil to get them out of. My advice is time and food, they were just getting tame when one got killed on the road, the other is just like a normal cat now, and sleeps on the bed, pummels me to get up at 6.30, and brings his live dinner home. I have dogs and until they were really settled kept them apart, the puppy is now his best friend.

 

[AmyMay]

We had a young feral cat many years ago. He ‘lived’ under the kitchen units for a week, refusing to come out. My sister and I spent an evening sitting on the floor with some tasty treats. He eventually came out to see us, and that was that. He was the most loving, affectionate cat.

 

[Lady Jane]

Sit there for ages with smelly food reading a book - maytake a few days

 

[fetlock]

My first cat when first brought home as a kitten, strutted out of the carrier and immediately took over the place.

My current one was the opposite and was terrified. I left her in the carrier with the door open in the room next to me and left her be. Five/six hours later out she finally came, the aroma of the just delivered madras curry being the thing that tempted her out and 2 hours later was happily sleeping under the duvet with me.

He'll come round when he's ready. I'd keep him and the dogs separate until he establishes himself in the house. If you're not adverse to him in your bedroom, that's where I'd be having him overnight.

Poor little mite looks so scared in that carrier, bless him. I'm a sucker for a kitten.

 

[Equi]

You have to have endless patience with scared/feral kittens. They need to eat, so leave them for a few days to get used to the room and you just going in feeding (so the bathroom is prob not the best room) then go in with food, a good book, and set the food a few ft from you. Wait until they eat and leave, then you leave, repeat with the bowl closer and closer and try a few chase toys. There is also the grab and stroke method which can work on some but ive only found it works on the ones who are the least hissy/scared to begin with. For example my 3 ferals, one would let me get him, sit quiet in my lap until i stopped touching him then scurry away to hide again. He was the first to interact with affection and is the one i still have now..total snuggle puss. The other two were more difficult and one hissed even as i held them a good month later...never tamed much. Finally all 3 did become tameish after the 1st one showed them it was good...but those other 2 never really became "pet" cats and ran off not long after being let loose. 1st one is still wise, will only come to me or my dad but scurry at the sight of anyone else. Most people dont even know i have 2 cats. the other older cat i have was from the exact same situation.

 

[fiwen30]

Lots of good advice above.

Scared kittens need time and endless patience. True ferals/semi-ferals benefit best from exposure therapy - they learn better as small babies than as half grown cats. That means touching and stroking (gloves!) even if they’re being growly and spitty.

 

[Cloball]

You could try some feliway plug ins? I think they do a kitten specific one. Helped our stressy adult cat with a big change.

 

[MrsMozartleto]

Well that was fun ?

I bought a long narrow crate that fits on the desk in the sittingroom, which thankfully he's now in - he'd found a wee gap in the shower end wall and I had to take the panel off. With the judicious placement of long cardboard boxes he was guided back into his travelling crate, and from that to the big one was but a simple step.

Surprisingly the JRTx has just had a couple of looks but is more interested in any scraps on the kitchen floor.

On the very happy front he let us stroke his head! No hissing or anything ??. Now leaving him to chill; though he's not super happy about being contained it's the safest for him just for now.

 

[P3LH]

We only had one which never fully tamed over the years, and we had lots that came as spitty balls of fluffy off farms! In the end she chose to sleep in our shed, was terrified of life and went to live her days out on a farm. The others all came round in time, usually found playing with chase type toys started to build a positive association. Plus I guess when you’re a child, you aren’t deterred by hissing and spitting and clawing!

 

[MrsMozartleto]

He's coming up for rubs now ? Still crated as he's tiny and all need to get used to everything.

Obligatory picture ??‍

 

[Rumtytum]

He's coming up for rubs now ? Still crated as he's tiny and all need to get used to everything.

Obligatory picture ??‍

View attachment 94149

Little man ?! You are well on the way to becoming proper staff ?

 

[MrsMozartleto]

Little man ?! You are well on the way to becoming proper staff ?

I am! He's miaowing for attention - I'm just at his beck and call now... ????

He let me lift him briefly. So tempting to have a cuddle but trying not to overdo it. Little steps.

 

[MrsMozartleto]

Oh my gawd!

He purred and had a full body rub ?

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Aw, he’s cute and you’re doing well ?