Month-Old Abandoned Litter of Four

Title sound familiar?

Yeah, I had a day-old litter of five before. People keep dumping boxes of kittens in the park in front of my house.

If anyone remembers the last thread I had, I'd like to say all five of those cute boys found homes! (my kitty boy-band disbanded. I still get emotional over it.) I never got around to posting an update because I was in the middle of exams and between that and caring for a litter my hands were full!

If you told me when I was 17 that I would spend several months in college with a bottle-feeding kitten in one hand and a chemistry book in another, I would have told you to hop off. 

My rambling aside,

I have found a litter of four! Well, more like one of the neighbors brought them to me. I've gotten a reputation since bottle-feeding the first litter of kittens as being something of a kitten-whisperer. I've taken them to the vet and they're all healthy overall--three girls and a boy-- and have been dewormed and checked for parasites as well as scheduled for vaccines next month. When I was given them they were incredibly dirty, very thin and VERY hostile. Spitting, biting, scratching, hissing---the works. It's been about a week and a half since I found them, and while I've managed to fatten them up and 3 of them are now quite tame with passing moments of nervousness, but one of the girls remains incredibly hostile.

I don't know what to do, the others have come around--admittedly the male only came around a couple days ago and he went from being the most aggressively hostile to by far the neediest, whiniest, clingiest baby in the litter.

I don't know what to do for the remaining semi-feral female. It seems like no matter how much space I give her and treats I slide her way, she won't warm up to me at all.   

She did sit on my shoulder today while I was sitting silently in the room with her and her siblings, but she still hissed and clawed at my face if I tried to look at her and swatted my hands if I tried to touch her. It's very peculiar behavior! She's so hot 'n cold.

Any tips/tricks for getting her to like me?

First, thank you for taking the kitties in! 

Secondly, speaking of no experience with ferals, but I suggest not touching her.. but talk to her a lot. read out loud to her.. let her get used to the sound of your voice. treats when she comes near you.. I'd let her set the pace.

I'd love to see photos of the kitties!

I can never say no to kittens tbh. ;_;

I talk to her a lot, tbh, and she looks at me whenever I do, but she seems more terrified than comforted. Like, the others have gotten to the point where if I just walk past the room they're in and say "babies", they'll all start meowing at the door.

I actually just took a buncha pics of them anticipating such a question! They're all in my lap, even the scaredy-cat, as I write this, in fact. C:





The one under the table is the one who doesn't like me in spite of getting so comfy on my legs. 

Also, we have been calling the bab with the half-orange face Deathstroke 

They're so young that she'll come round! At that age, you can wrap her in a towel and carry her around for 10 - 15 minutes at a time till she gets used to physical contact. We had a little spitfire at the shelter last year that really worked with. After a couple of weeks she was demanding to be picked up and held. Another one was dubbed The Beast because she bit whomever got too close. The one thing she really liked was batting at balls you rolled in her direction, so we did that several times a day, following up with dried meat treats. She ended up being cuddly, too.

Yes, I agree, friendly human sounds and crooning is a mighty tool.  Their momma does so.  Later on, a friendly tom courting a lady...  So its a potent help and language the cats understands... 

I second also the trick mentioned with wrapping her in alike a burrito, and carry around at your chest, talking, singing, making friendly noises.  Even half an hour.  After a couple of such sessions it should be done.

This you mentioned she sat on your shoulder IS a promising sign.

I agree with those above who say make a kitty burrito and carry her around.  The best time to get her used to being handled is when she is very small, because the bigger she gets, the harder it will get.  Waiting more than a couple of days to start "taming" her isn't a good idea.  These guys were obviously feral and not used to humans, but you have gotten them young enough so you can turn that around.  The difficult one may always have that disposition, but getting her used to being handled and not being able to get away is the best way to give her a chance at being a pet in the future.  If it doesn't work (and I know one little black demon boy it didn't work on) you can always reintegrate her into the outdoors life once she is vaccinated and spayed.  Until then, just keep desensitizing her to touch.

Once again, the advice is given, and by those I respect most.  I'm now just along for the ride, being a fool for a kitten!

Excellent advice has already been given but I would add that "grooming" with tiny strokes from a fine-toothed comb to imitate her mother's care is another good way to reassure your wild girl. Behind the ears and between the shoulder blades are typically the areas tolerated the best. My heart breaks for the mother cat whose babies were taken from her much too early and I hope that somehow, the cat will sense that her little ones have been rescued by a TRUE ANGEL!!! If only we could have more wonderful people like you in our world, it would be Heaven on Earth!! Bless you for all that you do

Thank you all for the great advice! While she still doesn't seem to particularly enjoy being touched/held by me, and she has yet to purr like her siblings, she's at least not terrified of me anymore! She more like tolerates my existence now and has stopped hissing lately. 

I hope she might eventually come around to actually being affectionate, but regardless of that she'll always have a home with me as I have recently moved to a bigger house and have a very large yard to keep these four babies in after they have been vaccinated and spayed.