Rescued two stray kittens

Hello all! Brand new to the forum. Hopefully you all can give me some advice on a couple things. As a new cat parent, this is completely new territory for me!

Husband and I rescued two 8wk old kittens last Wednesday. They are sisters. One of them (Pippa) is definitely more afraid than the other and even after 5 days still hisses at us when we try to pet her, pick her up, love on her. Is this cause for concern? How do we help her acclimate?

The other one (Kate) started sneezing last night after she fell asleep under our couch. She has been sneezing off and on ever since then. Should I be worried that she is sick? She is still acting sweet and playful, so maybe I'm just paranoid? Could anyone give me some advice on whether or not this is worth a trip to the vet?

Thank you for any advice for this first time cat mom!

Hi, Welcome to TCS!!

Have you taken the kitties to the vet yet for a full exam and vaccinations as needed? I'd get the sneezing checked out on Kate- find out what's causing it.

For Pippa, she may need time to adjust. try giving her treats and play with her with string toys on a stick (never with your hands). Play with both of them until they tire out.

I am sure more people will pop in with more ideas and advice Oh, and post photos, we love photos!

Thank you for your reply! That is very helpful. I will most likely take them both to the vet in the morning. Otherwise I will be anxious until I know nothing is wrong!

And those are good thoughts for Pippa- she does love to play, so we will continue to draw her out that way. It's amazing how different their two little personalities are!

And here is a photo of the two of them. Now you see why I couldn't take home just one of them...

Cats are susceptible to allergies just like us.  You mentioned that she was sneezing under the couch where a lot of dust can accumulate.  Do either of you smoke?  Sneezing isn't normal so I would say addressing it at the regular kitten checkup at the vet is a good idea.

I think your more timid kitten will come around with time.  Everything is still so new for them.  Hissing at you means she is very frightened so just keep talking sweetly to her and move slowly around her.  Once she figures out that only good things happen to her when you are around she'll stop.  I recently had the same sort of situation with two kittens.  One was outgoing and afraid of nothing and the other was a Mama's boy fraidy cat.  He's the sweetest one now at 10 weeks.

Enjoy this age with your new kittens...how quickly they grow.  That is an adorable picture!  Mine are never that still!

Good luck with your new kittens!

The best advice I can give for the skittish one is to always let her make the first move and let her come to you as much as you can. If it means scheduling extra time before the vet appointment to slowly approach her or coax her with food  or toys for 30 minutes, it's probably a better idea than risking frightening her further. It's always important to move slow!

Also a sleepy kitten is less likely to put up a fight. Try getting close to her as she sleeps but don't disturb her. hopefully she should become more comfortable sleeping around you that you might be able to pet her, and eventually you might be able to place her in your lap while she sleeps. I think this is good bonding for a kitten to feel comfortable with people...

Thanks this helps! Funny you should mention her sleepiness as making her less likely to hiss etc. I just stopped by my house at lunchtime and checked on them and she was fast asleep when I opened the door. I went to pet her and she snuggled right into my hand so I picked her up and she was more snuggly than I've ever seen her!

The other one was still sneezing though I hope I'm not waiting too long but I plan to bring them both to the vet in the AM.

Hey everyone thanks for your input! Kate has a little cold and so she and Pippa are both on antibiotics. They're both warming up to us more and more too. Thanks for easing my mind!!

lulube11e said:

 
Hey everyone thanks for your input! Kate has a little cold and so she and Pippa are both on antibiotics. They're both warming up to us more and more too. Thanks for easing my mind!!

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I've only just seen this and the picture of your gorgeous new little friends..

How lovely that they're settling in so well.

Kittens are resilient little critters! Glad to hear things are getting better for them. I'm sure they will settle in with your family just fine! Give it time!

<3