Help with feral kitten

Today's update. Her name has changed again, now she is being called Glinda. This is the first name all three of us agreed on. She doesn't seem to care much about the name.

She is doing well. Still hissing, but it is very half hearted. She has never been swiping or biting. I think I had it much easier than I realized. We are going to the vet Saturday. I think she needs another dewormer and her distemper. Also just an exam. Spay will probably happen next week.

Finally got the kitchen done, so we might let her wander a little more this week.

Datagrrl said:

Today's update. Her name has changed again, now she is being called Glinda. This is the first name all three of us agreed on. She doesn't seem to care much about the name.

She is doing well. Still hissing, but it is very half hearted. She has never been swiping or biting. I think I had it much easier than I realized. We are going to the vet Saturday. I think she needs another dewormer and her distemper. Also just an exam. Spay will probably happen next week.

Finally got the kitchen done, so we might let her wander a little more this week.

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Glinda is a sweet name for her

I also wanted to add, that a week ago when you got her, she looked a bit older to me than 6 weeks, and add the past week, my idea is she is 8-9 weeks now.

You will be able to judge by her weight as well, she should be around 2 pounds at this age, just about all mine are 2 lbs by 9 weeks old.

Her hissing still after a week tells me she was likely a bit over 6 weeks when you got her too. 6 week olds are much more easily tamed and adapt fast.

The mental/emotional developing period from 6 to 8 weeks is alot of difference too.

An 8 week old who starts their taming at 8 weeks basically is tough, much tougher than at 6, but with constant handling and socializing, playtime, and through food, she will be fine, but it takes a bit longer is all.

You have not made a mistake, it's actually going to mean a dramatically different life she will live, with your family rather than an outdoor feral is enormous. Just know that you will have spared her so much hardship she would have otherwise had, not to mention the fact that the majority of feral kittens will not live past 6 months old as a feral, outdoor cat.

So keep up the good work, never think on terms of allowing her time, no, it's all about asap in getting her tame.

The younger her mind is, the better she will tame, and sooner.

Good luck!

Catwoman707, you are spot on, of course. I guess I didn't mention it, but she was 1lb 15 oz when I weighed her Monday. I called the guy I got her from, and he said she was 8 weeks whe I got her. He took them from mom at about 5 weeks, maybe 5.5.

I think my six week estimate was wishful thinking I read a couple articles that said if you aren't socializing by 6 weeks it is a lost cause.

She was living in a house at 6 weeks, and being handled somewhat. This is his second litter since trying to take care of the colony at his parents' place. This was the first kitten who behaved this way. I didn't really know what I was looking for and I felt so bad for her, I thought maybe I could win her over with love.

This is her sitting with me tonight.

Thanks for saying

So! Please do NOT believe anyone who says that anything over 6 weeks is a lost cause!! It simply means that beginning to tame at 8 or 9 weeks old is alot more time and effort required, and at 8 weeks their development mentally sort of sets it in stone that they will always have a fear of strangers.

I will also say that, it's likely that Glinda will always have a feral streak in her, not with your family, in time you will forget she was ever feral, she will adapt quite nicely, BUT anytime a stranger (anyone other than your husband and daughter, and yourself of course) comes around, she will be nowhere around.]

Super shy of strangers. For me, this makes kittens difficult to adopt out, because they are going to be total hidey cats during adoptions, and also with their new family, so unless the new family is patient and will allow lots of adjusting time, this is a problem.

But you won't have this, she isn't going anywhere So it won't matter if she is shy with strangers.

She WILL be fine in time with you.

Just stay vigilant with her, interacting as much as you all 3 possibly can. Before you know it she will be a lap kitty. Promise!

Is her daily regression to a scaredy cat normal?

Every morning she is scared of us again, and if I don't tread carefully she will swipe and hiss when I open the crate.

She usually calms down, but it feels like we are starting over each morning.

Datagrrl said:

Is her daily regression to a scaredy cat normal?

Every morning she is scared of us again, and if I don't tread carefully she will swipe and hiss when I open the crate.

She usually calms down, but it feels like we are starting over each morning.

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Be patient, it takes time. I have a feral living in my bathroom which I might of mentioned before. She was 7 weeks when I got her and there was no touching her or anything like you are doing. So you have a much better start then I did. Maybe when you go to feed her in the morning, put the plate down so she can smell it and then open the cage. See if she calms down better. My feral is coming along good. I can finally touch her but she still runs away.  I have been giving her some more freedom but she is scared because my other cat wants to chase her and not be friendly. So her safe haven is in the bathroom. But this process has taken me since November of 2013. If I would of left her out in the winter she might not of made it so I decided to try and tame her and keep her, and its coming along. So try to be patient, and the fact that you can hold yours seems to me that its going to be an easier job. Good luck

I think she is still too young and little to get spayed. Most vets don't spay a cat until she's at least 4-5 months old. She cannot get pregnant prior to 4 months. I just wonder if such a tiny kitten could handle the anesthesia? This is something you should really discuss with your vet. Also, spaying can result in pain afterwards for a few days, and now may not be the best time to do it if you're working on building trust. I know others may disagree with me, and I am not a veterinarian so this is just my opinion, but this is something you should consider and discuss with your vet.  

Please do not believe anything anyone says to you about there being an age limit on taming ferals. When I trapped and adopted Harry, he was 3-4 months old. I put him in a room by himself. It was summer, so I had an air conditioner in his room. For 36 hours straight, he sat on top of the air conditioner crying, and wouldn't eat, drink, or use the litter box. At hour number 36, when I was about to release him back outside, I picked him up. He started to purr. I cradled him in my arms and kissed him and he purred and kneaded me. He has been my happy, fun, affectionate Harry ever since, and had his first birthday last month. A month after I took in Harry, I trapped Mia, his feral sister from a different litter. She was 10-12 months old. She did not handle the spay surgery well because she was so malnourished, and almost died. She had other health issues, as well. I nursed her back to health and socialized her. She is not a lap cat and is still leery of my petting her at times, but she follows me around the house and loves to play with me and the wand toy. She is very happy. Neither of them have expressed any interest in returning to their lives as ferals. I've never regretted the time and patience it has taken to socialize them.

I think you might consider taking your kitty out of the cage and into a room for play time each day. Interactive toys such as wand toys are a great way to bond. She would enjoy having some time to run around and play and be a kitten. I bet that in a month or two, she will be as playful and loving as my Harry.

Aww, she is adorable. I love the pictures of her in that hammock which she seems to really enjoy!

In the US, kittens are neutered/spayed as young as 8 weeks as long as they are at least 2 pounds and healthy. I think it's good that her vaccines and spay are at different times. I think that both vaccines and a spay together are a lot to put the system through at the same time. I know it's unavoidable sometimes, especially with TNR, but if you can do them separately, I think it's better. Thanks for having the patience to socialize this kitty so that she can have a much better life with you.

I realize that with TNR it is sometimes unavoidable to spay a kitten as young as 8 weeks, but in the case of a kitten who has been adopted inside I think it's too young. Spay surgery is basically a hysterectomy. There is pain afterwards, and as with any major surgery, there are risks involved with anesthesia. My ine feral nearly died from the spay anesthesia because she was too malnourished. I think that uf this kitty isn't being released back outside it would be better to have her vaccinated and de-wormed now and spayed in a few months. It's worth a conversation with a veterinarian.

I think I am going to take her to the wellness clinic tomorrow for shots and another dewormer. She has stinky poop, today she seemed to get really upset before pooping also.


I need to get some nerves. She scares the crap out of me when she hisses. My sister in law told me her cat was an adopted feral kitten and he was the same way. My brother said he still hisses at him sometimes, but he isn't serious.

Datagrrl said:

I think I am going to take her to the wellness clinic tomorrow for shots and another dewormer. She has stinky poop, today she seemed to get really upset before pooping also.


I need to get some nerves. She scares the crap out of me when she hisses. My sister in law told me her cat was an adopted feral kitten and he was the same way. My brother said he still hisses at him sometimes, but he isn't serious.

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I think that is an excellent idea.

Yes, you do need to NOT be intimidated by her at all. If using a glove helps, do that. She won't hurt you.

Hissing is her way of showing her fear, meant as a warning learned by mom, but at her age is quite harmless.

What kind of glove?

Datagrrl said:

What kind of glove?

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Any kind that fits well so you still have good use and coordination with your fingers, etc.

Winter gloves work good, just to have some protection from possible scratches or bites.

Don't be afraid of her, she is small and is only attempting to keep you away, but can't do much harm honestly.

If you use a glove it will help give you more confidence. She hisses, you put the glove on and grab her butt, soon enough she won't be hissing at you anymore!

LOTS of close interactions with her, and your hubby and daughter are important too!

Wrap her up, at first it's helpful to have another person there to start wrapping, but when I have a really crazy kitten as they can be at first, I put the towel over my hand so that when I grab to scruff, the towel is between her and my hand, I pick up, and start wrapping with the other hand, up high around the face, then once wrapped you can fold it down to expose the face better

It's an excellent way to tame!

Our three cats before our current three were feral. We kept them in a room. We left clothes we had worn to get our smell. Also a ticktock clock to sound like her mom's heart. We made sure to spend a lot of time with them. Let them come to us.

It worked out in the long run. Two cats lasted 10 years and one is still alive at 14.

Good luck.

The vet we went to takes care of lots of ferals. The local TNR clinic. She thinks I am exaggerating her aggressiveness a bit. She kind of made fun of me for being sacred of something that small.

Glinda was great at the vet. I expected much worse. It is a low cost clinic full of barking dogs. She never hissed when we opened the carrier. I took the top off instead of using the front door. She moaned a lot, but DD sang to her and she calmed down.

She got dewormer and her distemper. Her booster is due in three weeks, we are going to spay her then and microchip her.

She seems healthy, is definitely a girl, and is about 9-10 weeks, which fits where we thought she was.

I think I have a strong fear of animals. When we rescued our first dog he bit me, and I honestly think it was because he knew I was afraid. We had him for 14 years and that first day was the only time he ever bit anyone.

I was scratched really bad by a cat as a kid. In my memory the injury covered my whole hand and turned black and blue immediately. I had to take a really strong antibiotic for some reason. I am trying to overcome this, but it isn't easy. I do think I am doing better though.

Okay, not sure if I should start a new thread for this. We have come a long way. She is still in her crate. Mainly because my house is still a construction zone. I have Friday off work to try and clean this up.

She still cowers in the back corner when we open the crate. But we can pick her up or coax her out. She lets you cuddle, but as soon as you put her back she hisses. She is still easilynstartled. Will getting her out the crate help with this?

What should I expect when I let her out? My house is is open floor plan with two beds and a bath. We are keeping her out of our room and our daughter's is a mess.

The bathroom feels like a huge downgrade from being in the center of the family for the last few weeks.

She interacts with us all the time from the safety of her crate, but isn't as good when it is open.

It's def. not time to let her out and about in the house.

You really need to put long sleeves like a sweat shirt on and a pair of gloves and start pulling her out.

The longer she fears, the more it will be set in her brain that she is scared, shy, and semi-feral and the less she will be domesticated.

That said, you could also do nothing really to make her warm up and trust you, because talking in years, she WILL eventually come around and warm up to you with time.

I just want to convince you that she will be even more so if the effort is put into her now, rather than allowing this to progress at her own rate.

You also need to lose your fear of her, she can't/won't attack you. She is small and surely handleable now.

With the first kittens we had... we locked them in a room. And we spent many of hours in the room before letting them roam.

Our new kittens.. we just let hang out in the living room from day one. It has been 2 weeks and they are just starting to really come out and play.
They were fostered really well (our first set 14 years ago were feral) and love to play with our hair, shoe laces, hiding in drawers.
We did find Mew in the laundyroom... slipped under the door so I need to fix that. I thought she was too big.

Sorry, maybe I wasn't Clear. She isn't swiping or hissing when I go to pick her up. I can reach in the crate and get her. It just stinks because she runs back to the far corner.

I have taken to showing her I am not scared of her and that has stopped the hissing when I open the crate, but she still runs.

My problem is that after I handle her and put her back she will hiss at ne as I am trying to stand up or if I pick up something near her crate.

In those situations should I try To pick her up again?