Frightened Kitten

muireann50

Hi all,
Hope I can get some advice on dealing with a frightened kitten. I got two foster kittens on monday morning who need socialisation.They are 9 weeks old. They were completely freaked out when we got them first, but the little boy is perfect now, he has turned into a right little lap cat. His sister is the one i need help with. She spent the first 36 hours just hiding, if you even moved she would scamper.She's gotten better the last day or so, she will now lie next to me on the couch but when she sees a hand she's gone, she seems terrified of them. I managed to rub her thursday night while she was eating but after about 20 seconds she turned and hissed so I left her be.
I've been talking to her as much as possible, and I play with her. She'll eat some tuna off an outreached spoon but has only eaten from my fingers a couple of times
I've read that you should pick them up in a blanket and rub them on your lap a few times a day, but any time I freak her out at all she takes much longer to come around again. So I'm wondering if I should start getting more forceful with her or let her come to me in her own time.

Thanks in advance, any help would be great

Zapperzy

Best thing to do is completely ignore her, don't force yourself on her at all. Sit down on the floor at her level and just watch tv or read a book, don't make eye contact and don't reach out to her. You can get a piece of string and slowly move it around, cats are naturally curious and she will eventually come closer to have a look but even if she approaches you do not make a fuss and suddenly pick her up or rub her, just continue to ignore her. You can also put a small dish of tasty food down a little distance away from you and slowly move it closer to you every day but again don't touch her while she's eating or you risk going backwards again. She will eventually come around.

I once sat down on the floor with a long piece of string and a kitten like yours that was terrified of all humans and within maybe half an hour forty minutes he went from being completely terrified to flying around the floor after the string, and every so often he would forget himself and pounce on my fingers or chase the string onto my lap. Done the same with a pair of kittens that would sit hunched hissing at the back of their cage at the sight of humans and just short sessions every day taking it slowly and within 2 or 3 weeks one kitten was adopted and the other would launch itself at the door of the cage to be picked up every time someone passed by. So it definitely is possible to turn her into a much happier kitten, just sounds like she's had very little or no contact with humans up to now and is terrified.

MaryK666

Hi Muireann,
Congratulations on your new arrivals. I'm sure that you're as delighted to have them there as they are to have been fostered.

Kittens are funny little people and no two will react in the same way. Some take to humans and to home comforts like a duck to water while others never fully settle down and feel comfortable around people. We have two (now older) cats who were rescued from a farm and were completely feral. One completely settled in straight away and is about as feral as our sofa while the other is still skittish (almost 4 years later), jumps at loud noises and will go and hide if anyone other that me and OH are in the house.

The best advice I can give you is to just let the poor little mite do her own thing, on her own terms and in her own time. Forcing the issue will only make her more scared and more wary of trusting you. You only have them for 5/6 days and that's way too short a time to try and push a scared kitten.

Are they confined to one room or do they have free run of your home? It's better to keep them in one room for the first week or two so that they can adjust to the sights, smells and noises of their new home without it all becoming too much and stressing them out. Make sure that they have plenty of places to hide like upturned cardboard boxes with holes cut in the side. They also prefer, by instict, to hide in a higher place so if you can put something off the floor, that's also a good idea. Best to let them come to you and if one of them is already looking for cuddles, it won't be long before the other one figures out what's going on and wants to join in. Try sitting quietly with them, ideally on the floor of the room they're in. Bring a book so you can just sit there quietly. It sometimes helps to read aloud to them but in a calm relaxed voice so that they get used to your voice.

Also remember - treats are your friend! Anything tasty that smells yummy will make them curious and bring them closer to you. Just don't overdo it as their little stomachs are easily upset and you don't want a dose of the runs.
Simple toys like a piece of sisal string that you can slowly drag across the floor while you sit there are also a great way to start the interaction process as kittens are real curious, playful little monsters and can't resist.

Never try to touch them when they're eating as they feel vulnerable and will feel threatened by any unwanted contact. This may cause them to lash out with a claw and you could end up with a nasty scratch.

It's all about communication and endless patience. Sometimes the bonding process happens really quickly and sometimes it takes several weeks but if you let it happen naturally, it will only be a matter of time before they are both happy, social little cats.

muireann50

Thanks for your replies
I will let her trust me at her own pace so. I did think it couldn't be a good idea to grab at her and pin her to my lap to rub her, she's obviously been through enough already. She loves her tuna so I will keep bribing her with that.
MaryK, they are in one room of the house. They both have their favourite dark hiding place and I make sure not to disturb her when she's in her little cubby hole so she can feel as safe as possible. She just fell asleep on the sofa near me so I'm taking that as a sign she feels a bit safer. I had read that the best time to rub them is when they are eating, I should know not to trust the internet!
I just feel so sorry for her, her eyes look so terrified when she gets spooked:( I will let ye know how I get on anyway, thanks again

MaryK666

muireann50 wrote: »

Thanks for your replies
MaryK, they are in one room of the house. They both have their favourite dark hiding place and I make sure not to disturb her when she's in her little cubby hole so she can feel as safe as possible. She just fell asleep on the sofa near me so I'm taking that as a sign she feels a bit safer. I had read that the best time to rub them is when they are eating, I should know not to trust the internet!
I just feel so sorry for her, her eyes look so terrified when she gets spooked:( I will let ye know how I get on anyway, thanks again

Sounds like you're doing everything just right at the moment so stick with it. If she's snoozing on the sofa near you, she's not as terrified as you might think.
Some people will suggest rubbing them when they're eating but, as with dogs, until they get comfortable with you, they can think that you're either going to hurt them or take their food away - neither of which they appreciate. When they get completely settled in, they usually don't mind if you touch them when they're eating but it's always better to leave them to their own devices - just in case.
Sometimes, that terrified look never fully goes away but it is so sad to see. Our scardeycat girl is very comfortable around us and her favourite thing is to have you puff warm air from your mouth onto her belly when she's having belly rubs (she trusts us completely) but if the doorbell rings, she still gets that look on her face and she bolts for upstairs under our bed or under one of the sofas in case someone else comes into her space.
All we can do for them is to provide them with unconditional love and the best possible life you can give them so that they know that, for most of the time, they're going to be safe and loved and nothing is going to hurt them.

I look forward to hearing progress reports and, when they get settled, to seeing pics.

muireann50

Hi,
Thought i'd post an update on the scaredy cat:) Well things have resolved themselves now and she lets us rub her. She allowed me to rub for a little while on monday night but then the next day I had to bring her to the vets for some treatment, which meant catching her and putting her in a carrier, she was not impressed! So she was weary of us for another while. But last night she let my bf rub her, and she's happy out since. She purred for hours last night, just lying on the couch with her eyes closed. She's a much happier cat overall, playing more, not jumping at noises so much. So thanks again for the advice. Here are some pics, she's the black tortie and the ginger is her fat brother:)

MaryK666

Muireann,
They are both just so adorable. Those cute little faces would melt the hardest of hearts.
I'm delighted to hear that the girl is coming around.

Once they get used to the idea of cuddles and being spoiled on demand, that's it. You're now officially a slave for life.

muireann50

They are lovely little things I'm only fostering them, so i'll be returning them in a few weeks so they can find a permanent slave lol. Thanks again