Overprotective Mother & Kitten Socialization?

Hi everyone,

I took in a pregnant foster, she had 6 babies here and they are 11 days old today. I'd like to get them used to handling and human presence (the kittens are still all hissing at me every time I approach the nest, lol), but Momma will not let me. The first time I looked at them too long and tried petting them, she went on a campaign of beating the tar out of me for the rest of the night. So I gave them all their space after that (until I had to take them to the vet yesterday). So tonight I thought, maybe since they're a little older she'll let me, but after the first two I picked up screamed their heads off, she growled a really loud growl and stormed back into the nest to protect them from me. I just apologized to her profusely and begged her to not beat me up again, lol.

Is there anything I can do other than wait until they're older? I wanted to get them used to people from as early as possible. She'll oddly let my husband touch them without any issue, but he's out of town for the rest of the month. I don't know why she doesn't want me to touch them.

You could surely try with a Feliway adapter or Feliway spray.  Spraying shortly before your sessions. 

Soft calming music on may too be worth a try.

Is there anything in your household which may stress her?  Making your approach just the last straw, I mean...   If so, try to lessen all stresses...

If you do more tryies, so short moments.  Take one, hold where mom sees the kittens a couple of second, lie back.  10 seconds perhaps, not more...

If everything going good, do so with each. Otherwise just one at a time, next hour next, etc...

As she explodes after 2. So pick them one at a time, and quickly back before they lose their patience....

Roughly like you do  with a cat who dont like to be carried.

So she and the kittens accept your hubby. Good, at least something.  If everything fails, hubby must perhaps take the task of socializing them. They will be around 30 day they, still OK.

But why do they react to you, both the mom, and it seems the kittens too?? Some smell you happen to have??

Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions. I will definitely try them.

I'm not sure what it is that makes her so overprotective of her kittens with me. She's perfectly sweet to me when I'm leaving the kittens alone, and I can't imagine I smell that much differently than my husband. She has her own bedroom so she shouldn't be stressed by anything in the household.

This behavior is all new to me. I've only had one foster cat family before and that mother cat always acted like she wished we'd take her babies away from her forever and didn't have this protective instinct at all.