I was told that Rhyme would be the easier kitten to handle, and I must agree that he has definitely been the easier kitten to work with. I walked into the bathroom this morning to both kittens sleeping on a towel on the floor and Rhyme immediately started purring when I started petting him. That's the first time any one of them has purred since I've had them! Progress!
Of course, the love affair did not last long as Rhyme quickly went back to growling and hissing at me when I tried to pick him up. I've been lucky the last 3 - 4 days in that I have not been scratched or attacked when I went to pet them. It almost seems like they growl and hiss at me as a warning to not come at them too fast. I do notice that if I try to pet them from above, they immediately recoil, then hiss and growl at me. However, if I come at them from below, with my hand moving slowly toward their chin or their paws, then I assume that they see me coming and don't give me the verbal warnings.
Reason has the best warning glare that any kitten I have ever fostered has given me:
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| Don't mess with me! |
Her glares are usually accompanied by flat ears and an occasion hiss or two, but once I start petting her, she almost always calms down, closes her eyes and relishes the attention.
As I have never fostered feral kittens before, I was given a two-paged, single spaced information sheet on feral kitten socialization. It reads:
Feral Kitten Socialization
Confined space
Approach often and with food
Wrap and hold in a towel
Play radio/tv
Have both female & male friends visit
Try to be with the kitten at least an hour in the am and hour in the pm
Speak softly, move slowly
Be PATIENT
Be cautious with kittens: out of fear they can inflict some painful bites and scratches. Some kittens also have trouble distinguishing between treats and the fingers holding them!
SPACE
It is important to keep the kittens in a small confined space such as a bathroom or kennel because it reduces stress by reducing the size of their territory, and keeps them accessible to you. Choose a space that is quiet, clean and safe. NEVER let feral kittens run loose in your house! They will be terrified by their surroundings and will feel you are chasing them when you try to approach them.
Check your space for holes, dangerous hiding spots and escape routes; also restrict access to hiding areas. In order for cats to be desensitized to your presence, they have to be exposed to you. If they are always hiding behind a dresser they will never learn that you are safe or associate you with good things. Cats like to hide and burrow under something, but make sure these locations can provide a visible view of you and are easily accessible. A cat dome, travel carrier or cardboard box are all good choices for giving your cats security and privacy while still allowing them to see you. Kennels can be partially covered with a sheet or towel.
Provide comfort. Cats love soft, warm thing to lay down on. Sunny window perches, cat trees, and warm cat beds will help your kitten be more relaxed. A cat who is more relaxed is less fearful. A radio playing softly helps normalize human voices and unfamiliar noises.
Desensitize the kittens to your presence. Spend time in their space reading, working on your laptop, drinking some tea or coffee, writing, or having a nap. By being present but not approaching or engaging the kittens, they will feel safer and more comfortable with you. Give food or treats when you enter the room.
BODY LANGUAGE
Show friendly, gentle, and trusting body-language. Try not to sit or stand so that you face the cat directly or stare at him/her. Being stared at is unnerving for cats. Always look at the kitty, make eye contact, acknowledge him or her verbally, and then glance away again.
Move quietly and slowly but stay relaxed. Cats dislike loud sudden noises and sporadic movements - such as heavy walking or quick movements - especially if they are uncertain or unfamiliar with their territory. Announce yourself before entering the room by saying hello through the door.
Speak soothingly. For animals, higher sounds (with the exception of distress noises) are associated with nurturing young and courtship within a species. Lower sounds are associated with aggression or territoriality. This is true throughout the animal kingdom, and why many animals can be initially more fearful of men than women.
Give 'blinkies'. Blink intentionally when you look at your kitty. Cats will softly blink at another individual to show gentle motives and friendly intention. When your cat looks at you, blink slowly. Close your eyes for one full second, then look at your kitty. Glance away from your cat, blink again, then look back at your cat.
FOOD
Food will play an essential role in kitten socialization. Frequently approaching a kitten with a spoonful or finger full of baby food, tuna, or other healthy treats can be very effective. Try to get the kitten to take the treats from your hand or spoon each time, wait a few moments, then place the treat near the kitten if it refuses. As the kitten becomes more comfortable, its eagerness for the treat will quickly begin to outweigh its fear.
You can encourage kittens to be more physically comfortable with you by sitting or lying on the floor and placing treats on your body.
Pair your presence and all exits and entries with food. Even if the kitten hides or remains at a distance, leave food and/or treats every time you enter or exit.
HANDLING
Handling kittens frequently is very important. Wrapping a frightened kitten snugly in a towel while yo pet it helps it to feel secure while getting used to being held and touched. Slowly and calmly reach out and grasp the kitten by the scruff of the neck, supporting its rear end with your free hand. Hold the kitten on the towel and wrap first the bottom and then one side of the towel over the kitten with your free hand, then use that hand to hold the kitten still under the towel while you wrap the second side.
You can "burrito" a kitten in a towel and just hold and pet it while watching TV. Pet the kitten on the head with your hand coming at it from behind - many kittens will flinch at a hand coming towards the face.
Exposing kittens to strangers is also important, we highly recommend "kitten parties". Have friends over and give each one a burrito-ed kitten to hold while chatting or watching a movie.
PLAYING
Provide your kitten with plenty of toys, playing helps them relax in their new territory. You can interact with them through play with want toys, pipe cleaners, laser toys or throwing a ping pong ball around the room. Playing quietly by yourself with their toys may get them interested in the game, and help normalize your presence. Kittens that are very averse to being touched can be touched and stroked with soft want toys like long peacock feathers.
DO NOT leave kittens unsupervised with toys that have any kind of string, elastic, feathers or parts that may come loose and be swallowed (i.e. eyes and ears on toy mice).
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Most kittens will socialize very quickly. Some will take much more time and patience on your part. Socialization at the earliest age possible is crucial. The older cats get, the less malleable their personalities become. Young kittens may become friendly and adoptable within weeks, while kittens over 5 months will likely take months to adjust, and many always be shy cats.
If you have more than one kitten from a litter, it is sometimes necessary to separate them. This is often difficult to do because our natural tendency is to want to keep them together. However, sibling kittens will bond with each other and what we want them to do is bond with a human. It will take a great deal of time and effort to socialize a feral kitten if it is kept with others. There is the possibility that a feral kitten will not be able to be socialized if it is not separated from other kittens. Remember that the separation is temporary, and kittens can be reunited with their own kind once they are socialized.
This last sentence might ring very true for these kittens. Since Rhyme is making progress in leaps and bounds, I think it might be a good idea to separate her from Reason in the hopes that Reason will socialize with me quicker. I will give Reason another 4 - 5 days, but if she doesn't improve then I will separate her from her brother for a brief period of time.
They do love to be close to each other:
Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association
Adoption application:
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