Picking up feral kittens

Hi everyone, so I have to feral kittens around 4 months old in my bathroom and have had them for almost 2 weeks now. I am making real progress with the one. She walks up to me when she sees me anticipating food. I pet her while she eats and kept petting her yesterday but he tried to get away and you can tell she is not comfortable with it. She does not hiss. She loves playing. Other than being scared of me, she acts like a normal kitten now. I tried to pick her up yesterday but she ran away and I got too nervous.

His sister is not very friendly. She takes treats out of my hand and run over to me when I have food, but she is hissing like CRAZY, even more now than she used to. She literally sounds like a hissing machine and half the time I'm not even moving and she comes out hissing. I pet her on the back when she eats now so that is progress. She hides all day though and isn't out and about like her sister. She plays a little but not much.

I watched a video on a guy socializing kittens around this age and he started picking them up. I also read this is a great way to tame them. I am worried about trying to and getting bit. Should I scruff them and wrap them up like a burrito and hold them close to my chest and pet them? I feel like the tame one would learn to love it. I also think by letting the other one just hide and hiss all day, she isn't going to make progress unless I push her to.

tarralb said:

wrap them up like a burrito and hold them close to my chest and pet them?

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I believe in this burrito trick.  Wrap them up, carry at your chest, talking sweetly, singing softly, making friendly noises... perhaps even a whole hour.

After a couple of such sessions it is done.

Its a little like the american way of "breaking in" a horse, but much much more milder and nicer.

Begin with the friendlier one, so she will be a positive example for her sister.

Good luck!

Burrito'ing is very effective for taming.

One big thing here that you are not going to want to do, but seperate them. Honestly, I always feel so awful if I have to do this, but this way the progress you make with one will remain rather than be lost after picking up the more fearful one's signs.

The number one way to taming is through their hunger. Do not free feed or leave food for them. You are the food provider and they must overcome fear to eat, which gives them a reason to be quicker about it.

Here's Crystal, a little beauty who will get spayed and is already spoken for for adopting. I had to seperate the 4 of them.

What is the best way to grab them? I tried to scruff and lost it and got scratched

Definitely by scruffing.

If you are not familiar or comfortable with this, here is how.

Using most of your fingers, not just your fingertips, grab as much skin as possible on the back of their neck and hold firmly, not too tight that you are squeezing, you will quickly know how tight to hold it by their actions. When you first grab the scruff, sort of push down so the kitten kinda is pinned close to the floor. This allows you to get a better grip too.

When a kitten is in a full scruff they will sort of get limp, feeling powerless by this hold.

Then take a towel and wrap it aroundsnugly, fairly tight because if not they will wiggle their way out fast.

No arms should be out at all, and the towel should be snug enough around the neck so there is no way to get arms free.

Like the pic I posted.

You will wrap the entire body this way, and will not feel loose, but like a burrito This causes total submission, touch the face, kisses, talking, just holding them close and being with you like this, they soon learn you are no threat.

After a while, there will be squirming starting, but hold for a good hour or more if you can.

Once they keep wiggling and starting to act wrestless, it's long enough. Gently set down and begin to unwrap, by this time there should not be any fast bolting away, but a calmer, slower stroll away. They always look back "hey, that wasn't so bad!"