Expert: Jessica - 7/6/2010

Question
We are a foster home for the first time for a feral litter of 4. We were told that they are about 5 to 6 weeks.  Our major question is about behavior expectations. We have had them for 3 days. They all stay in a pile in a corner comfy bed behind some furniture. We handle them fairly frequently although we held off for a while re two of the kitties that had the sniffles. They all have been getting doses of amoxicillin. They have a room to themselves, as we have 3 other adult cats. The sniffles have stopped; all seem to be eating.  One male has progressed to purring and venturing out, responding to petting. No interest in play yet. Another male hisses at everything but we pick him up anyway. He does not respond to petting and wants to escape immediately. Another male tolerates petting a little better. The one female is passive about being held but not responsive. All are pretty quick to run back to the corner bed. We'd like to help them socialize and having some feedback re expectations given this situation and some tips would be appreciated.
Thanks!

Answer
Hi Ann,

What you are experiencing is normal with a feral litter.  I know it seems very unrewarding right now, and even hopeless at times, but with plenty of patience and lots of physical contact with the kittens, you will start to see your work pay off!

Feral kittens around 5-6 weeks old begin to get a little challenging to tame up but are certainly not impossible.  For the first-time fosterer, I would say you would most likely have them quite tame in about 2 weeks if you’re consistent with them.  This can always vary depending on the kittens’ natural personalities and the amount of time you have to dedicate to them.  Some 5-week-olds will tame up much more quickly, while some can be a little more stubborn, but an average feral in an average household should make great progress in about two weeks.

Since you find that one of the kittens tends to be more outgoing than the others, try using him as a teacher to his siblings.  Cats learn much more easily by example than by any other means.  All of my ferals are helped to accept human contact immensely by watching other cats interact with me.  If you get him to purr in your lap, try to hold the most untrusting one in your lap at the same time.  The purr is a powerful means of communication, and this will certainly help your nervous ones to feel being held may be a positive experience.

Likewise, if you are finding that the fear of the skittish one seems to be spreading to either of the other nervous ones, strongly consider breaking up the litter.  Just as an outgoing nature can be taught, so can a fearful attitude at this impressive age.  You want to keep the kittens surrounded with positive influences.  If your most skittish one seems to be reinforcing too much fear among the others, you should try to isolate him and work with him on a one-on-one basis so you don’t slow down the progress of the rest of the litter.

As ferals, the kittens will resist petting and holding.  You can expect this for the next week, or maybe longer.  The kittens will likely continue to try to evade you when you first approach for a while, but expect their posture to slowly soften as you hold them.  The babies will usually earn trust for you first at meal time, and for this reason, I advise using special treats as a way to earn their trust in general.  It’s absolutely the quickest way to create a bond.  I feed my kittens a bit of turkey baby food (for humans) using a syringe.  You will have to forcibly feed it to them the first few times, but they learn it’s a treat amazingly quickly and will come line up for their turn.  Bits of chicken are also great treats.  Use a couple bites of a treat up to four times daily to help establish trust.

I also recommend to spend some time sitting on the floor in the ferals’ room reading a book out loud.  This way, they can get used to your presence and your voice.  But since you’re sitting still and not making eye contact, they will find you less threatening than when you are actively pursuing them.

Play time can be appreciated by the babies, but since they are startled by sudden movements, it can take several days before they’re willing to play with you interactively.  The best methods of play are usually to sit on a chair and use a laser pointer or dangle a long ribbon wand or other toy that creates a lot of space between you and the kitten.

Good luck with the little ones.  I’m sure you’ll do great.  Taming ferals is a lot of work, but you will feel wonderful about the difference you have made in their lives in just a couple of weeks!

Jessica