Expert: Dear Tabbi - 6/30/2008

Question
Hi Tabbi. I have just brought home a beautiful6-7 week old kitten who was abandoned in the parking lot of the supermarket where I work. Thankfully, one of the people who bring the carts in saw this little guy and put it in a box with a sweatshirt for it to lie on and gave it some food and water.  I am positive the poor thing isn't trained and probably abused. I immediately fell in love with it and told them I would take him/her home, which I did.  They fed the kitten and put him/her in the security room with food and water until I could take my lunch and drive her home.

I would like to know if I am handling this right as I know the poor thing is still scared.  I put the kitten in a bedroom for the night in the box and he was lying in it and then put  a dish of cat milk and some canned food and a small dish with cat litter in the room.  When I came home from work, the kitten was not in the box but under my dresser, and is still there 12 hours later.  I then put the combo dish of milk and dry food under the dresser so he would eat.  I have been going back into the room and trying to coax the poor thing out and speaking in low tones so as not to truly frighten him any more. Am I doing the right thing, or should I just give the kitten more time in getting used to his surroundings? I am hoping his instincts will kick in and will come out on his own to get the food, but am wondering if he is too young yet to do that. Thanks for any help.  

Oh, I do have another 5 yr old cat in the home, that seems curious about this little guy, but isn't aggressive towards him.

Answer
Faith,

Both questions are correct. He is more than likely confused and frightened plus he is probably missing his kitty friends. His actions and reactions right now are the result of fear and confusion. Keep speaking gently to him and get him used to your voice and presence. But don't try to coax him out. He will come out when he feels comfortable and secure enough, though that may take awhile.

Ideally, you should confine the kitten in a large cage or carrier that has room for a small litterbox, food/water dishes, plus something to cuddle with or hide under, such as a towel or piece of your clothing...or in a  small room, blocking up everything he could crawl into, or under, until he no longer runs or hides from you. Then you can put him in a larger room. As he gets more courageous let him explore a room at the time. Sudden freedom in a whole house is too overwhelming.

If he was a feral kitten then it is inbred and inherited not to trust humans. Cats that are feral or from feral mothers are not like regular domesticated housecats and you cannot expect them to behave in the same way. Feral cats and kittens carry alot of hereditary baggage and distrust. They also take a LONG time to adjust. It takes a LOT of patience with them too. Just let him take things at his own pace. He will get better as he gets more courageous. They also usually bond with only one person.

A suggestion would be to get another kitten about his age as a friend for him. A kitty needs a friend to play kitty games with, to cuddle with, to groom, be company when he is alone, and comfort him. He can learn about humans from watching another kitten. 2 cats are easier to take care of than one because a solitary kitty requires more of your attention and company to keep them amused. When they get older, a single kitty also gets bored easily and can be destructive as a result. Look around the perimeter of the parking lot. Maybe you will find one of his littermates. Do the introductions VERY slowly with your older cat. Too many new things at once will stress out the kitten more than he already is.

Do not feed him alot at first because he probably is not used to having enough food and too much at once will be hard on his digestive system. Also do not give him regular milk. There is a milk replacer called KMR, or boxes of milk for cats that you can get at Petco/PetSmart/etc., but if he is eating then water is fine. Kittens over 6 weeks old should be fed a small amount of canned cat food 2-3 times a day. He may not be able to eat dryfood yet (kitten chow I presume you are giving him) until about 8 weeks old. Chicken flavored baby food is good bribe, but make sure it does not contain onion.

Food is the key to taming. The kitten may hesitate to eat in your presence at first, but be patient. Eventually the kitten will associate your presence with food. How soon you begin handling the kitten depends on the kitten's age and temperament. The more often kittens are handled, the more likely they are to socialize. Feral kittens will hiss, growl, and swat. Do not be deterred. Remember to pet from behind the head. Coming at them from the front is threatening and they may strike out. Also do not look them directly in the eye, that is also a threatening gesture to them. Normally they do not like to be petted for any length of time, and though they can be loving, lay next to you, follow you, etc. they usually do not like to be held.

Feral kitten age and how long it can take to socialize him:

Kittens under 4 weeks old: can usually be socialized in a matter of hours or days.
Between 4 and 6 weeks old: can take approximately one to two weeks to socialize.
Between 6 and 8 weeks old: may take anywhere from two to four weeks.
Between 8 and 9 weeks old: will usually take from two to four weeks, but usually closer to four weeks.
Kittens over 10 weeks: can also be tamed, but it may take much longer and most times they will be tame to the person working with them, and remain quite wild with strangers.

You can usually determine the general age of a kitten by comparing it to a woman's shoe size: From nose to end of body (not including the tail), a 6 week old kitten will be approximately the same size as a woman's size 6 shoe. A 7 week old kitten approximately the same size size as woman's size 7 shoe, and so on.

That was a nice thing to do to take the kitten home. He is a lucky kitty! Hopefully this information will help you. And as you have questions, or need more information, please don't hesitate to write back.

Tabbi