In need of reassurance for socializing a 7-week old feral kitten

Hi all,

I'm new to the site and was looking for some positive reinforcement as I am feeling doubtful about socializing a 7-week old, feral kitten. I moved to Cairo, Egypt a few months ago and knew from beginning I would end up bringing in a street cat, as there are so many, and it is actually quite cold here at the moment. Last week I noticed a kitten alone for several hours, and after two days with no obvious mother or colony I trapped him and brought him inside. I have no idea how I successfully trapped her considering I've been having quite a few issues with her extreme aggression from fear.

I have fostered and socialized several kittens in the past in the US, but they were all of the 'scared paralyzed' variety and not the 'scared, I will cut you' type. She's been to vet yesterday, which was an effort as she managed to escape and run around the room for a bit. But she is now parasite free and has had her fist vaccination. She is actually quite healthy and is a good eater/drinker/pooper. I also found out she was more like 7 weeks old, and not the 4-5 weeks I thought, as she is quite small.

I originally had her in a small bathroom, but no matter how much kitten-proofing I did, every night she always managed to get back behind the hollow toilet (and once into an unreachable part of the sink). After a week of frustrations and trauma, as I would have to keep trapping her so I could try to re- kitten-proof, I have moved her to a dog kennel where she has her litter and food/water in there and a hiding spot. But now she is resisting coming out when I bring her food and sit with her. It has only been a week since I've had her and a day that she's been in the kennel. I know this all takes time, but I am feeling really frustrated and worried she won't socialize and will always attack if I get to close. I work from home so I have the time to be patient, but I am currently feeling down about it all.

I am hoping anyone could give me some general encouragement or hopeful stories of their own. Or also any good interaction ideas once she is coming out of hiding for food.

Thank you!

Having them in a dog cage isnt the most usual save in emergencies, but we had forumists who told it was their favorite method of fostering.  Having fostered a substantial number of semiferales in a cage, and could adopt them out to families.  She witnessed a wise usage of a cage could be very useful.  So it can be done, and here, maybe even the very best.

If she doesnt want to come out from the cage isnt so bad.  Apparently she feels it as her safe spot.  Good she HAS a spot she is comfortable and safe with. It will be her starting point, and later on, the point to retreat to if she feels unsecure, scare, or want to just  relax a while.

Let her be in there, and do your work outside.      Essentially as simple as that.

Sit, or even sleep outside. Talk a lot to her in soft, friendly voice. Make friendly noises.  If you like to sing, do sing...   Friendly speaking IS a natural language for cats.

You can do it several days at least, before you even need to think about next step.

Later on, when you let her out, keep the cage as her safe retreat point.

Good she has been dewormed.  Observe you will probably need to do it again, perhaps even several times.

If you can get hold on a Feliway diffuser, it may be a good idea.  If there is no such to buy in Cairo, you can buy from Amazon / E-bay, or have someone send you from abroad.

I think that is the most important for now.   You do have also some experience, and surely, ideas to proceed with!

Good luck!   @CairoKitten  

Kittens are by nature very active and love to play--even feral ones. It would be good if you could take her out of the cage a few times a day and let her run around in a room where she can't get hurt. Provide her with cat toys and try to engage her with a wand toy. I socialized a 3-4 month old feral kitten with lots of play time. It took about 5 weeks for him to come around, and now he's completely domesticated, so it can be done--and your kitten is much younger, so there's lots of hope . Even cats and kittens at most animal shelters are taken out of their cages and played with every day, so I hope you'll be able to find a way to do this. It's also important to try to start petting and holding her, even if it requires that you wear gloves and long sleeves at  first so you don't get scratched up. She is likely missing her litter mates and mother cat, and is lonely and scared. With the kitten I mentioned above, when I took him in, he sat on my air conditioner for 3 days and cried and cried. Then I picked him up and he began kneading me and purring--he accepted that I was his new "mother"--I hope this happens with you and your kitty, too! 

Yes, at seven weeks, she's still not technically old enough to be away from mom. I personally think the crate is a good idea for now. She needs a confined, safe place. In a few days or weeks, she can explore more but for now, she has a place to feel safe.

Always approach her area quietly and slowly. Talk to her in a high baby voice. It may sound silly but there's a reason even big, husky men talk to cats in high pitched voices. Cats hear that better and thus respond. Make sure all your movements are slow and deliberate. Nothing to startle her. You can also sit in the room and read out loud to her - quietly. It will get her used to your presence and voice.

Good luck! She's a lucky kitty, even if she doesn't realize it yet.

Thank you @StefanZ, @MsAimee and @Ondine for your kind words. Today was a good date with the kitten (we're thinking of naming her Olive) coming out of her hiding spot in the kennel a few times to eat at the front of the cage while I was sitting a few feet from the cage. I even fell asleep for a little nap and woke up to her mewing at me (I think she wanted me to leave while she went to the bathroom). The cage seems to be working and I hope to just keep her in a few days and then let her roam the bedroom the cage is in. I will spend these days looking around the room for places she would get behind and try to block them. I've never had such a smart kitten who can find a hiding place so diligently. Oh, and I am trying to see if I can get one of the Feliway diffusers shipped here to Cairo.

Thanks again.

This is great news!  If she's mewing at you, she's trying to communicate, which means she's adjusting.  In a few months, you will think back and wonder where the wild little kitty went.

So a little update: the kitten has been eating regularly at the front of her cage when I sit quite close. She is still hissing or spitting if she senses I get too close when I put the food or a treat in her cage. But I feel as she is getting quite bored in her kennel. More and more she is meowing at me and yesterday she was sitting at the front of the kennel (about 3 feet from me) and was meowing and even put her paw through the cage. I wiggled my toes nearby and she hissed at first but then seemed interested (only slightly). I am sure her wanting out is just to go find a better place to hide, but I am hoping it may be because she is feeling more confident and wanting to explore. Every morning there are signs she spent the night trying to get out, as the blanket over the kennel is pulled in in spots, and her the structure I have in the kennel for her to hide in is moved around. She's been in the kennel for about 3 full days now, and I am starting to feel guilty of having her in there. But I am also nervous about releasing her to the bedroom she is in, and never having her come out again. The room has been kitten-proofed, but she is so crafty I don't doubt she'll find a place to go.

Any thoughts on when the right time is to take the next step and let her out? 

Thanks for all of your thoughts and kind words.

I want to think and hope, this cage is her safe place, and thus, she just wants some run about.  As MsAimee mentioned, kittens that age are usually full of run in their little legs, liks to explore...   

So now, when she is well into the landing phase,  I think and hope the time nears you can open the cage, and let her roam in this your kitten-safed room.  Having the cage door open, so she can return in there whenever she wish.

Perhaps even best not to wait too long, so she dont come to the point of hateing of this her safe place - being also a prison....

Difficult as cats arent no automatos, so there is always individual differences, and moments of spur.    Meaning also, the intuition of the caretaker always plays a big role in all good caretaking.

Good luck!

It's time to let her out of the cage. I assure you she will not hide "forever." If she chooses to hide under a bed for hours a day for the next week, why the worry? She is in a safe place, and when she needs to, she will come out to eat, use litter box and play. After several days in her room, engage her with a wand toy, and put out some tuna fish or chicken breast beside you and see if she'll come over to eat. Talk softly to her and sit beside her while she eats. No cat likes to be confined in a cage, especially a feral. If she is trying to claw her way out of the cage, this is no longer a safe zone, but a prison to her. Release her in your bedroom and provide her with some toys and you'll see a different kitten in a few weeks. The feral cat I mentioned above spent the first 3 days and nights in his room sitting on top of my air conditioner crying. He did not sit there forever. After 3 days he chose to have the run of the room, and after a week he jumped the baby gate and decided to have the run of the house. Patience is the key!

Great news, our little kitten has been doing really great out of the cage! My husband decided yesterday to open the cage door as she was meowing at him endlessly while he worked in there. She mostly has just been popping out for food and now actually to play with a wand feather toy. She has done some light exploring of the room (very clearly looking for a new place to hide) but does use the kennel as her safe place. Its been really rewarding today to watch her play. Although she is still apprehensive and you can tell she catches herself off guard with being care-free while playing. At which point she runs into the kennel. But will usually come back out. And I have been getting closer and closer while she eats, and I am hoping in the next day or so I can get close enough to touch her. Thanks again for all of your kind comments. I'll post a photo as soon I can get her to sit still

That's great that you let her out of the cage and that she's playing! I bet that in a few more weeks she'll be a happy, settled kitten. She's young enough to be completely socialized within a few months. It sounds like you're doing a great job. 

I'm so glad she's out of her crate & doing some playing---sounds like she's on her way to being a socialized kitty!!! She's so young that, even though sounds like she's a tough little thing, she should absolutely be able to be socialized. The more time you can just spend "being with her," talking to her, etc --the better & faster she'll socialize.

You may have mentioned this -but do you have something in "her room" like a tv or radio? Having something like that on for her softly all the time gets her more used to human voices & sounds.

Keep in mind too that since she's so young, she needs a lot of time using play for excercise and for socialization. Something where she can really expend some energy -like a wand toy like "Da Bird" - will help her bond with you AND get rid if some of that aggressive-oriented energy.

Keep us posted on how she does out and about!!