Socializing my feral mom and her kittens

Thanks for coming to TCS and I hope we can offer you at least some support here. You are doing the right thing!! Mom needs to be separated from her kittens. You don't want mom to influence the kittens anymore than she already has against you. Of course, she will be upset and down in the bathroom. It is a new environment than the basement. Are your intentions to socialize her and keep her? She doesn't sound to fierce and this is the way to do it. Spend as much time as you possibly can in that bathroom with her. Just reading, talking quietly. Best not to look directly at her either. Just glances back and forth slowly, with some slow blinking. You can play some classical, soft music when you are gone. Once she settles down in the bathroom and feels safe, she wills start eating again. Make sure she has a hiding place in there (not just behind the toilet a favorite spot). Maybe a small cat carrier without the door and keep a comfy bed inside for her and a couple of mouse toys/treats.

Are the kittens with another "foster mom" cat you have? Not sure I understood about that. If the foster cat is friendly, then this will help move those kittens along to being socialized quickly. They will look up to this older friendly female. It is best that the kittens not have a hiding place where you cannot reach and pick them up and pet them. They need daily handling, regardless of the hissing/spitting. In a few days time, they will come to realize you are their new caretaker and will start to trust you. It is NOT true that if they are over six weeks that they cannot be socialized . Even older ferals can be socialized, it just takes ALOT more time than kittens. You just have to work with them everyday, loving on them, bringing them their food, playing with wand toys with them (don't leave the wand toys in with them though). Where are the kittens being kept at the moment? They really need to be confined somewhere where you can easily interact with them.

Thanks for caring for this family of cats. We need lots of people such as yourself in this world

Jumping in just to say Hello and Welcome to the Forums!

Nodding agreement with what Feralw said.



Good luck!

There are surely several different ways to socialize shy semiferales.

One of them is to use friendly socialized cat(s).

They should have somewhere to get away. But is should be somewhere you can get hold of them, and you can have still some contact, even if they are aside. A cat igloo, a side turned cardboard box, something like that...
They are lesser stressed, and feel a little more comfortable...


Good luck!

Yes, try to handle/pet them as much as possible. It is a very good idea to put the most fearful kitten with more social kittens and let the fearful one watch you love on the social kittens. Believe me, they do watch, everything. You don't ever want to chase the kitten. This is why I like the large cat enclosures/cages in the initial stages. That way you can reach in with a closed fist, slowly and start to pet under the chin and side of face. With the cage socialization, the kittens cannot run away from you and they won't get as frightened because they can't run and hide. Don't reach over their head in the beginning, that will frighten them. Put a small cat carrier in the bathroom (without the door) and the frightened kitten might run in that carrier. You can then reach in slowly and pet the kitten for a minute then retreat. Do this often. Also, spend some time using the wand toys playing with the kittens, this will bring the playful side out of the timid kitten too. Don't always worry about handling/petting ALL the time. This will cause the kitten too much stress. Just a few short sessions every other day will be fine. The kitten WILL come around on it's own schedule. It took my feral kitten, Magilla, a whole six weeks before she started coming to me. Then, she was all over me in no time, and just was hungry for attention. But all cats are not lap cats, feral or not. Just depends on the personality of each individual kitty as to how affectionate they will become in the long run. My Perkins, who was a barn born cat and a bit feral, does not like to be pet or touched. So we butt heads as a way to show affection to eachother. That is another thing you can try as time goes on, head to head rubs, cats go crazy-silly for those. .

You are doing a great job!!!! Sadie sounds just like a doll and obviously not a feral cat, just a lost stray/pet, poor girl. And, really, if her kittens could see her being affectionate to you, then that would help her kittens come around to you quicker also. More luck to you

You are really doing everything you can with the space you have. I would think moving Shadow in with the other two girls must be done if you have no other space or room. You have to make due with what you have. This way Sparrow will have to become closer to you and she will. Honestly, if she allows you to pet and is purring during those moments, you are on the right path. It took one of my female feral kittens many weeks to stop the hissing. The hissing is just fear, that's all. Of course, there will be a bit of disrupt in the beginning when you put Shadow in with the two other girls. But, again, you have no other choice. I would do the crate thing again. I have a large Midwest cat cage (tall) that works so well in these situations. If you plan to do more rescue work , you might order one on Amazon. They are about $100.00. This way Shadow could be in that cage comfortably for quite a few days before letting her out with Lilly and Sadie. I am sure Sadie will remember Shadow, no doubt about it as it has only been a few weeks apart. I don't think Sadie will become so protective of Shadow. Sadie trusts you now and relies on you for food, comfort and love. I do not think that will be an issue. It would be worth trying anyway. Much luck and glad to see your update and that the girls are doing well.