5 month old female semi feral - biting

I have a semi feral foster. I've socialized adult ferals before, but this is my youngest and most brazen.

She was brought to animal control for biting a child and was put on bite quarantine. I got her the day her quarantine was up and was told if she bites anyone else she will be euthanized.

She is currently in a small bedroom with a hiding box, her potty box, and some water. She only gets fed when I'm in the room, 3 times a day. I haven't been able to handle her in the week I've had her as she's so frightened. Then today I had to take her to get shots and the vet had the magic touch and she melted in his hands. She was rolling around and purring and loved being petted. I was blown away as any time I try to handle her she lunges and tries to bite me. Getting her into the cage to get her to the vet got me many scratches and a good skin peircing bite.

When we got home she was just as cuddly and let me hold her and love on her until suddenly she spazzed out and attacked. I got another good bite and a few more scratches. At dinner she wouldn't come close and wouldn't eat. I left 1/4 of her normal meal with her after waiting an hour for her to calm down to see if she would eat while I was there.

I don't know what to do. I don't know why the sudden shift from scared to friendly to terror beast.

Any suggestions?

tinyshelper said:

I have a semi feral foster. I've socialized adult ferals before, but this is my youngest and most brazen.

She was brought to animal control for biting a child and was put on bite quarantine. I got her the day her quarantine was up and was told if she bites anyone else she will be euthanized.

She is currently in a small bedroom with a hiding box, her potty box, and some water. She only gets fed when I'm in the room, 3 times a day. I haven't been able to handle her in the week I've had her as she's so frightened. Then today I had to take her to get shots and the vet had the magic touch and she melted in his hands. She was rolling around and purring and loved being petted. I was blown away as any time I try to handle her she lunges and tries to bite me. Getting her into the cage to get her to the vet got me many scratches and a good skin peircing bite.

When we got home she was just as cuddly and let me hold her and love on her until suddenly she spazzed out and attacked. I got another good bite and a few more scratches. At dinner she wouldn't come close and wouldn't eat. I left 1/4 of her normal meal with her after waiting an hour for her to calm down to see if she would eat while I was there.

I don't know what to do. I don't know why the sudden shift from scared to friendly to terror beast.

Any suggestions?

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Thank you for wanting to help this little one.  At 5 months, I wonder if the family/child had been using their hands to play with the kitten who then didn't understand that hands are not toys.

Here is a great video series on the taming and socialization of feral kittens.  These kittens are a bit younger, but the same principals will work.  The video starts with the rescue of the kittens/mom and then progresses to training techniques.  I have used many of these techniques on older feral cats and they work well.  

Also as for touching/cuddling/petting/stroking, some cats do not and cannot tolerate petting for long.  Static electricity can build up in their body so that the cuddle, touch, pet can then be somewhat painful for them.  I have a cat who is like this.  We rescued him at 10 weeks.  He has never tolerated much petting and will bite if you do not watch his cues carefully.  You want to watch for any swishing of the tail, stern looks, ears going flat or the tail thumping up and down or side to side.  For this reason, I would keep the cuddling, petting, touching to brief moments.  She might tolerate some petting, but keep the sessions very brief.

http://www.urbancatleague.org/TamingVideo

It's not uncommon for cats to experience lethargy and appetite loss for a day after receiving shots, especially the rabies shot. Her mood change may be due to the side effects of the shots.

Has she been spayed yet? Hormonal changes in unspayed cats can cause mood changes.

I agree with Shadow about the petting. Some cats have very sensitive skin and can be over-stimulated quickly. My cat Sonny is like this. He enjoys affection but will paw at me or a give a gentle nip if I pet or groom him too long. I bet this is what happened with your little feral and the child she bit. Anyone who might adopt this cat will need to accept the cat's limitations and learn to recognize and accept her cues when it's time to back off. A cat's need to not be over-stimulated outweighs our need to pet as we please.

One thing that has helped me in the socialization process is play therapy. Provide the kitten with catnip toys to play with in her room by herself, and also try to engage her with a wand toy and a laser toy. I have found interactive play to be a very bonding experience. Thanks for giving this Kitty a second chance. I really hope it works out.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. She settled down a lot and though she'll still give warning bites when overstimulated she's hasn't broken the skin in a week and is very gentle about it. She just left today for a Siamese rescue in another county so she's safe. Thanks again!