Can I socialize a semi-feral kitten?

A few semi-feral cats visit my garden and one day a kitten came along with them. I'm guessing he looks about 14 weeks old. I attracted him in with some food and he got into a laundry basket that was near the door and settled down. I didn't trap him but let him out when he wanted to go. He has stayed with me of his own free will and goes between the garden and the house. He sleeps in the laundry basket (which I have made into a bed for him) at night. I would like to keep him as a pet and I have no other pets at present.

However he is not friendly at all and will hiss or go under the table if I try to pet him. Sometimes when I feed him I can pet him while he is distracted with the food. He will play with a shoelace if we trail it along but he is cautious. Can I turn him into a more friendly pet? I would also like advice on encouraging him to use the litter tray as I can't pick him up and put him into it. Any advice would be appreciated.

Aw, how sweet! The answer is yes, he can be socialized! It's MUCH easier to do it inside only though. Is that an option for you?

There are a couple of ways to go about it.

Both will require a crate, so that's the first step. From there you have two choices.

The first step is to start putting his food in the crate so he's comfortable going in there to eat.

The next step depends upon what you want to do. You can either call around to local vets, and find one willing to give you a "flexible" appointment. I would tell them it's a skittish stray you want to adopt. If you can do this, when he's eating in the crate, be quick - but close the door. Then take him to the vet. In the meantime, get a room at home ready for him. When you come home, release him into the room. Kitties, when moved to a new territory, do MUCH better when in smaller space, and he'll socialize more quickly if confined to one room.

The alternative is to use the crate method - but rather than take him to the vet, you just release him into the room. The only problem with not getting him to the vet first is that he likely has fleas, and that can be a problem to fix once he's been inside before getting treated. (It's also best to assume he's got internal parasites, and the vet can treat him for those too). And getting him back into the crate to get him to an appt at a specific time can be a bit traumatic for both of you - but most of us have gone through it - you both survive!

FYI, we find that most feral kitties are actually so scared at the vet, they just hunker down and allow the exam.

To set up his room, the best thing to do is make sure it is kitten-proof: http://www.thecatsite.com/Care/18/Br...a-New-Cat.html

I also highly suggest two litter pans, at least at first. Kitties from outside aren't used to peeing and pooping in the same place. But a non-clumping clay litter (at first) until he's used to using the pan - then you can slowly replace that with whatever litter you ultimately want to use (cats don't like rapid change, so best to change things slowly). In fact, if he's used to going in the garden, you may want to get potting soil, and put a thin layer over the tops of the clay litter - this will help him understand what he's supposed to do with the pans. Often they'll lie on them at first - but eventually they HAVE to pee and/or poop. If he does either outside of the pan, if poop, scoop it up and put it in the pan - that's usually all it takes for them to "get" it. Same with pee - soak up what you can with paper towels and put it in the pan. Having the scent there helps him understand what the pans are for.

Otherwise, just spend as much time in the room as you can, and do things like scooping the pan, putting food down, cleaning his water dish - do each of those things on as regular a schedule as possible. At first he'll be scared and confused - but the schedule of doing things helps him understand faster that you're taking care of him. Especially the food - food is your friend with socializing. Same with having a scheduled play time.

But spend as much time as you can with him/her in there - but spend a lot of the time NOT trying to interact with him. You'll be big and he'll be scared - so get down on the floor, and read out loud. Sing. Sew. Fold laundry. Talk to him in a soft, quiet voice, and while sometimes try to engage him interactive play (like with the shoestring, though there are toys designed for this), spend a lot of your time just talking or whatever and not trying to interact. Do whatever you can in there, and just let him get used to you being NOT threatening. He needs to get used to the new sites, the new sounds, the new smells!

Here's an article you may find helpful: http://www.straypetadvocacy.org/soci...feral_cat.html

If you want to work with kitty outside, it will take longer - likely a lot longer. But the basic principles are the same. Spend as much time as you can being non-threatening, not trying to interact, but do everything as much as possible on a schedule - the most important part being that kitty associate you as the person providing his food. And sit while he eats, talking to him, not looking at him.

It's our instinct to want to love all over them - but they take their own time getting there. But once they do - there's no bond like it.

EVERYTHING LDG said, plus please check out the section on ferals in www.messybeast.com.

My Ferris was a feral rescue and I adopted him when he was just around 12 weeks old. There are old posts on TCS, just search under "Ferris" and look back to late 2006, early 2007 to read his story.

It's not easy, you have to give them the time and space they need, but eventually, he will CHOOSE YOU to place all his love and trust in, and when that happens, there's nothing like it in the world.

I sounds to me like the kitten is very likely to tame. He already knows that you mean food and good things.

One tip to use once he is inside is to tie a shoelace or string to your beltloop, something long enough to drag on the floor. A cat or kitten is entralled with chasing fun things, and kitty will end up following you around chasing that string. By nature, kitties walk away from anyone coming towards them, and this gets kitty coming towards you!

Best of luck catching and taming this little guy!

All great advice above. I brought in Scaredy a couple years ago - clearly a feral, aggressive, scared of me even if I was standing a couple hundred feet away, etc. She was close to a year old.

I fed her outside for a bit, got her used to me, brought her in, spayed her, tried introductions with my other 2 male (neutered) young cats, and fur flew for several weeks.

Two years later, she loves ME to death, not so much the other humans here (especially men and boys), and she and the boy kitties can be together in a room, but they are not friends. I suspect she will never "be one of them", and it's probably a result of her sad first year.

I'd have to think a young kitten would socialize MUCH easier.

You got great advise and yes at this age you should be able to tame... I have option 3 for the vet , ask if they do housecalls ( around here it is 10-25 charge)

Yes, save that kitten!

You've already gotten great advice!

I'll just add - be patient --- it pays BIG dividends!

Like has been said before - bringing the kitten inside will speed up the process.

Bless you!
g

Thankyou LDG for all the advice and to everyone who replied. I'd rather not confine him indoors all the time as he seems to enjoy playing and relaxing in the garden. He has started using the litter tray when he is inside. He scratches at the door when he wants to come in. In some ways he is behaving like a pet cat but the main problem is when I try to pet him he hisses at me. I would like to eventually be able to pet him and pick him up though I accept he probably wont turn into a cuddly lap cat. I will try getting him to the vet at some stage. Thanks again to everyone.

Try petting him when he's eating. That's how we work with the outside kitties. He'll get over it!

my 2 cents here, you might try isolating him. this is a bit harsh but it helped me tame a feral kitten when all other attempts failed. i kept the kitten in a room (10x10), he had no contact with the other kittens, i was the only interaction he really had. Since your guy is allowing you to pet him while eating I think he is a good candidate for this (mine also allowed this but that was about it).

I would play with him (string toys, cat dancer) and he would only get food with me in the room. I started a conditioning exercise next, i would hold some dry food he liked in one hand so he knew it was there, then made him let me pet him before giving him any. This was slow at first, until he 'got' it. he would let me pet him, then get a reward. The more he let me pet him, the more rewards he got. Once this was established he was much more personable, he looked forward to these sessions (partially cuz there was nothing else for him to do). Soon he would do the petting-reward thing even if he had a bowl of food; he liked the challenge!

One day I went in and started the exercise, he let me pet him but he wouldn't take any food, he just wanted to be petted! From that point on, he really warmed up, and soon he was allowed out to play with the others. By the time he got adopted he was tamer than the other kittens, who were still a bit skittish around strangers.

Anyway, this may not work with every kitten, but yours sounds like he is at the same stage as mine was. Good luck!