Feral 6 week olf kitten

Well,here it is, the first full body photo of little Gibbs


Today he's been cleaning himself, first in private and then even a little bit on public, what a scandal, though I guess that particular posture wasn't confortable behind the computer desk.

 

It's started to play today, I tried a red laser pointer I had but it doesn't interest him for more than twenty seconds, also tried a ball of wool, but as soon as it sees my hand moving it, it doges back a meter, it's more interested on my shoe laces, I had to hide them away. He still doesn't like me close, thought it tolerates me while I'm on the bed

Really, how do you manage to sleep at all? Before going to "sleep" we played with the laser pointer until it finished sideways both times.

 

Nighttime was more of the same, exploring surfaces meowing all the way, hanging from the door and curtains and then protesting because it fell quite noisily. 

 

I managed to grab it trice from the back of the neck, though I'm not good at wrapping so I just left it on my chest and caressed it on the back and behind the ears, the first time it anchored to the pillow, the last time it just got limp, now it gets closer, though it's still weary of my hands and tries to bite them lightly after smelling them.

 

Sleeping hours: 0, I hope to get a good siesta after lunch and manage not to nod at class.

You are doing a good job!  Have you tried taking a treat in to him?  Maybe some chicken,  in small pieces,  let him come to you to get it.  He will associate you with good things.   Treats and play time are two very good ways to make kittens comfortable.

I think all the advice you have been getting is good and that you are doing great.  My strong impression based on what you've described is that the kitty is just scared.  Honestly, 6 weeks is too young for it to have been taken from its mom and siblings, but there is nothing to be done now but move forward.

Keep Gibbs in the same room for now until he is totally comfortable.  He will let you know when he is ready to come out, trust me- probably by blowing past you at full sprint when you come in.  

He doesn't sound feral to me because of how he acts toward you when you are in the bed.  If he were truly feral he would never (and I do mean never) approach you like this, especially so soon.

Be sure you are talking to him a lot, and go slowly.  It sounds like you are doing all the right things so far.

PS your English is fabulous.

So I've been lied, again, Gibbs was nine weeks old.

 

Tonight it tried to climb to the playmobile boat and fell with it, making it upset and jumpy the rest of the night.  

He has three hiding places, inside the harmonium, behind the computer table next to the printer and between the book shelf and the wall next to the balcony door.

 

And it's learned how to take out the plug in its hiding place behind the bookshelf, which powers the pc and my alarm clock XD

 

My mother is looking into feliway products, what’s your opinion on them?

Is there any way to adapt it onto a more diurnal life?

Nine weeks is still young enough to be socialized. It is just going to take time. Is there anyway you can close off one of the hiding places? The bookshelf would be my first choice.

I am very lucky none of my cats fools with the electrical plugs or cords.

Feliway works very well with most cat's; not so well with some. Try it - it is expensive but really worth the try.

What did the trick to tame my feral kittens once upon a time was to groom them with a flea comb - I don't know if they are called that in Spain so I will provide a link:

http://www.wag.com/cat/p/miracle-coat-cat-flea-comb-black-225261?site=CA&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_W&utm_term=QXK-060&utm_campaign=GooglePLA&CAWELAID=1323897886&utm_content=pla&ca_sku=QXK-060&ca_gpa=pla&ca_kw={keyword}

The brand doesn't matter, but just gently combing the fur in little short strokes provides similar sensations as the mother cat licking them.   Within one minute - literally one minute - of this my eight week old feral flipped into purring and trusting me.   His brother was a tougher sell and held out for a week, so it's not a guarantee but can help.

Wow, that feliway plug... thing worked wonders.

It's been the first night in a week it hasn't been meowing all night. Only when it lost the ball under the desk, finished eating, digging in the litter box... it was even concentrating in the games while chasing the ball or the red dot without checking on me every few moves.

It even settled on my bed in the space between my legs for a while.

I'm not very sure what else it did, I was seeping most of the night, and you can laugh at me, I dreamt about little Gibbs XD but I think he was mostly looking for things to play on.

Thank you very much to everybody who has posted in this thread, your advice is being very helpful, there is still a long way to go but with your advice at least I know I’m doing the right things.

I'll try to lure it out with some catnip snacks after looking for that comb.

More photos

Wow! She is precious. And it looks like she's getting more comfortable. Good for you!

A brief heads up for the weekend.

 

On Saturday my mother decided that after a week we had to open my room, especially because she didn't think that sleeping next to a litter box is very healthy.

So we spent all day with the door open and at night it went on exploring.

Now it has a new hiding place on a dark dusty corner between two bookshelves, it didn't move in all Sunday from it, but at night after making a trail of food it found it's bowls in the kitchen.

 

It allowed me to scratch behind it's ears while I was treating it a yogurt, though as soon as it finished it dogged back away, it wast tempting to grab it and do the burrito but I thought it was cruel to take advantage of it.

It spent most of last night jumping on my bed attacking my legs and feet (and being very weary of my hands). is that normal? it doesn't bother much except when it find's a part that's not covered by the blanket, but I rather it played in a nicer game than to try to eat me XD

She's probably wary of your hands because she knows they can grab her. Sounds like a smart little kitty!

Sleeping next to the litter box isn't that unusual. The litter box smells familiar in the big place full of new smells (your house).

You might try letting it find it's food by itself (no food trail). Food is a great motivator.

Also remember not to play finger games with it. It's cute when they are kittens but once they get bigger, it can hurt you!

It sounds like you're doing fine. Keep up the good work.

I'm not posting that often because there is nothing to say, this week's been the same routine, From 7:00 am to 12 pm the cat looks for a hiding place and won't move only if you find it when things get quiet again it will go to another one, then, at night, it will go to the litter box, and have something to drink.

 

We'll play with the woolen ball until it's panting openly and it'll go to get something to eat at the kitchen, that's about 1 pm, then I get waken up around 6 am or sooner because it's jumping on my bet trying to move the blanket and bite my feet or legs, I only find up when it manages it the first time.

 

How can I get it to stop playing with my feet? I don't mind if it's on my bed (it's the closer I can get to it at the moment, though it won't get from over my knees (I've tried to grab it a couple of times when it got closer the first days and since then...) 

 

I'd also like it to be more active in daytime, I know that until it trusts us there is too much movement in the house but still, I don't like the idea of having it starving in a corner until the sun sets

Now's the time when you can sit quietly by its hiding place and tempt it with food.  Do you have Gerber baby food there?  It is basically chicken paste (don't get anything with onions).  Most cats and kittens can not resist it.  If you sit quietly and offer it that or wet food on the end of a spoon, it will eventually become brave enough to come eat.  Patience is the key.  Do not move abruptly or try to pick it up.  Just offer the food and let it decide when to come get it.

By the way, I don't think it will hide to the point of starving itself.  Have you figured out if its a boy or a girl?

A little summary.

 

Its active time is augmenting, it's 11 am and it's still moving around.  

 

It still refuses to make physical contact though at night it lies in my bed and around five it starts to grab my left arm or leg with all four and starts to... I don't know if it’s biting or what, I have a lot of nail marks so I suppose it wasn't biting seriously, what does it wants by doing that? Should I allow it?

 

Also when it plays makes a curious rumbling sound sometimes and sometimes if I leave the cotton ball really close to my chest while I'm on the bed it will lie down against me (as long as my hands are still of course.

 

Ah, and I found him a companion, is a domestic kitten six weeks old with white and orange stripes, I hope they’ll become friends and the newcomer shows Duster (new name, because you can always find him in the dustier darker corner of the house) to trust us

Great name- although I did like "Gibbs." the new kitten will no doubt help him recognize that you are a friend. A note of caution, though. Get them both checked by the vet first. You do not want them giving each other any viruses or bacteria. Even healthy kitties might have germs the other one hasn't "met" yet. Introduce them slowly and give them both an escape way in case they don't initially take to one another.

Games with wand toys are an excellent way to get them to play together.

As a note, those shoes are a size 12

Well. she must like the way the smell.  Probably reminds her of you!

Not a very good today Mr, Marmaduke arrived


He is really domestic and 6 weeks old, really cute and very confortable wit humans. But when we introduced im to Ms Gibbs...


They were both VERY scared, they hissed each other (thoug whe they coudnt see eath other they started meowing) tailing one another and Gibbs hitted a few times the newcomer, what should I do?

Ah, I got Gibbs to lick yougurt from my fingers!