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Expert: - 7/27/2009


Question
Our outdoor cat gave birth to 4 kittens on Mothers Day. They were in a very safe unreachable location. Once we realized she moved them in to the garage (full of stuff) we could not find them. By the time they began to come out they were very scary of us. At this point we can get close to them with tuna. Several people have attempted to pick them up and they go into scratching and hissing mode. They watch us pet and cuddle there mom and our other cat. Just spayed the mom this week and hoping they realize we are the food source. I hope you can offer some great suggestions as there are homes waiting for the kittens if we can humanize them - thank you

Answer
LeeAnn,

You need to get them into your house into one room, where you can work with them.  Once they are in the one room and get used to you feeding them, then you wait for any of them to come up to you and ask to be petted.  It has to seem like their idea.  Then after petting them, if they allow you to pick them up, just stroke them and speak softly to them. You will end up doing this on one kitten at a time since they will get brave at different times.  Once you can pick them up and stroke them and speak softly to them, they usually love this game.  If the scratching hissing behavior starts up, put the kitten down and walk away.

One thing to remember is to not make eye contact unless you blink a lot.  Cats take unblinking eye contact as an aggressive threat.

This whole socialization thing takes a couple of weeks to a month with kittens so young, but it can work. You need to be persistent and consistent in how you deal with the kittens.

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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