New to fostering cats and have my first feral kitten.

Hi, I'm new to here and just need some reassurance and advice please.

I took on our first RSPCA kitten 2 weeks ago. She is about 12 to 14 weeks and was very frightened! She came to us with a large cage, I decided to set her up in the living room so she could get use to us. This worked very well for the first week, we could lift her out and hold her for a few seconds, she didn't like it but I was told the more we held her the better.

I also left the cage door open and eventually she got courage to come out of the cage! This worked well and although still very frightened, she would come up to me and eat from my hand.
But after a few evening of coming out of the cage I couldn't get her back in ( don't blame her), so I had to move her into the utility room as I couldn't leave her I unattended in the room!

Looking back now I wish I'd don't that from the start as moving her put her back, she was too frightened to come out of the utility into the room for about 2 days!

But now she as her routine, I feed her in the morning she comes not the room in the evening to play and back into the utility from supper and bed.

The thing is though, I can't stroke her or pick her up, she hisses at us sometimes and spends a lot of time on her own, her choice as the doors are open, If we move she runs and hides, but will come and sniff us if we stil still. What more can I do?

It sounds like you're doing a great job! Don't worry, it takes a while for cats former ferals to adjust. For now, you might want to confine her to the one room and allow her to really get comfortable there, because having a whole house can be overwhelming. Provide lots hiding spaces like cardboard boxes, and she'll be happy!

Here's a good guide for socializing cats and getting them used to human contact: http://bestfriends.org/resources/socializing-very-shy-or-fearful-cats

You can adapt some of the strategies for whatever your kitty hasn't learned yet. Take things slowly, and go at her pace. She'll let you know when she's comfortable with being handled and when she's not in the mood.

Since she's so young, you'll probably be able to bond with her the fastest through playtime. Kittens will play with just about anything. Try batting a little crumpled up piece of paper across the floor in front of her or something like that.

Oh thank you for your reply, I hate seeing her so frightened. I know it will take time, but at the same time just wish she could see what she's missing :lol3:

I want to add, not all cats are fond of being carryied. Many of the shy arent.  So dont take it as a failure, its as its is.  Held her at least a moment, and when you notice she will down, let her.  This way she learns, being carried a while isnt dangerous, you will let her back down when she so wishes.

There IS a trick, to wrap her up alike a burrito. and carry at you heart, singing crooning talking friendly, half an hour a whole hour.  Wrapped up they tend to cease resistance. Its alike the american way of "breaking in a horse", although a thousand times more nice and sympathetic...  This trick is most effective on younger kittens, but can be tried with older too.

Although you probably dont need to use this tric, it seems to go well for you anyway.  Just take it stepwise, using Mollys tips.

Re petting. Many cats, esp the shys, dont like to be petted standing on the floor.  The easiest is to wait till they lie comfortably on a couch or a chair, and at this moment you go forward,  hunch down, and may pet them suprisinglyy long, and they seem to enoy it

Good luck!.

Oh, she will! Cats that go from being outside and cold and hungry and sick to being indoor, warm, safe, loved, and happy, are the most grateful kitties! Even with all the vet visits and medicine and horrible things we put them through, I really do think they understand you are helping them, because they know what it's like to not be cared for. You're right, it will take time, but she will get there!

Oh thank you both, I feel reassured now, as I reply Kitty as come out of the utility (her room) and is running round the living room playing and sniffing at us. :lol3:

I will continue to take things at her pace, let her tell me what she wants.

Hi, just a little up date on Kitty. She now comes from her room, the utility, through the kitchen and into the living room on her own. She comes in every morning and all evening to play. She will come and sit with us but is still a little nervous, the second we move our hand to stroke her she moves.

Any ideas on getting the stroke her? Or will it just take time?
Thank you