7 Week Old Kittens

I have just got 2 7 week old kittens from the same litter, they both play together nicely but dont seem to have a very positive relationship with people.

They are extremely jumpy and one hisses at anyone that comes close, how can I help them socialise? I am just worried that if I dont do something while they are this young it will become impossible when they get older.

Steve

Originally Posted by cpa01sjw

I have just got 2 7 week old kittens from the same litter, they both play together nicely but dont seem to have a very positive relationship with people.

They are extremely jumpy and one hisses at anyone that comes close, how can I help them socialise? I am just worried that if I dont do something while they are this young it will become impossible when they get older.

Steve

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Steve....7 weeks is still a bit young to be away from the mom cat. Did you get these 2 from a shelter or a rescue group?? Do you know if the mom was a feral cat??

Katie

I got them from a breeder in wales, I took them in because they had no where else to go and the breeder didnt want them seperated cause they were the only two from the litter.

As for them being from a feral cat, I cant be 100% sure but I dont think they are.

Steve

Originally Posted by cpa01sjw

I got them from a breeder in wales, I took them in because they had no where else to go and the breeder didnt want them seperated cause they were the only two from the litter.

As for them being from a feral cat, I cant be 100% sure but I dont think they are.

Steve

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Steve....if they are from a breeder, I'm rather surprized that 1. the breeder would let them go so early and 2. that they aren't more socialized. What breed are they?

Katie

they are non-pedigree cats and the breeder was looking to home them together. The person I got the cats from had several others (all non pedigree) but it wasn't a big place, I think it was more of a hobby than a profession.

To be perfectly honest I thought that any time after 6 weeks was fine for kittens and the last time I had cats I found three abandoned kittens and raised them, that was perfectly fine. As I ve never bought kittens before I didnt think twice about these after meeting them.

Maybe in hindsight it may have been a mistake but I am looking for advice on how to integrate them into my home now they are here, and the best way to do this.

Steve

Originally Posted by cpa01sjw

they are non-pedigree cats and the breeder was looking to home them together. The person I got the cats from had several others (all non pedigree) but it wasn't a big place, I think it was more of a hobby than a profession.

To be perfectly honest I thought that any time after 6 weeks was fine for kittens and the last time I had cats I found three abandoned kittens and raised them, that was perfectly fine. As I ve never bought kittens before I didnt think twice about these after meeting them.

Maybe in hindsight it may have been a mistake but I am looking for advice on how to integrate them into my home now they are here, and the best way to do this.

Steve

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Sure Steve.....I understand...and yes, it is actually recommended to keep kittens with mom until around 10-12 weeks (just good information for the future). Since these cats act terrified around people...it strikes me that the breeder didn't spend a lot of time with them...which means you are going to have to treat them as if they are feral (not having had much interaction with humans). Best thing is to let them come to you...don't look directly at them and take it slow. They are hissing at you because they don't know what your intention is and they are telling you to back off.

Katie

Will they eventually come round if i leave them then? Whats the right way to socialise feral cats?

Steve

Originally Posted by cpa01sjw

Will they eventually come round if i leave them then? Whats the right way to socialise feral cats?

Steve

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Hey Steve..I took a moment to find a thread that is a really good one...realize that this has a lot of information on trapping kittens, which you don't need. I'll search for some others:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...g+feral+kitten

Yes...I do think these kittens will come to trust you in time.

A really good article I found:

http://straypetadvocacy.org/html/soc...feral_cat.html

Let me know if any of the strategies provided work.

Katie

Here is what I did when I found my litter whether it was right or wrong it worked. Does the cat only hiss? If so you may actually be able to handle them anyway. I would pick mine up and hold them against my chest and pet them while talking to them softly. Most would only hiss when I approached but when I actually handled them they just sat there. The ones that would struggle and start to freak out I wrapped in a tshirt I had worn leaving only the kittens head exposed so they couldn't hurt me or themselves but I was still able to pet them. I also would pet them from behind when they were eating or when I was playing with them. The other thing I would do is leave the tshirt I wore that day on the floor in the cat condo so they got used to my scent.

I don't know where you keep them but I had them in a large bathroom with only a few select places to hide where they could feel safe but I still had access to them. I would spend a couple of hours with them every night holding and petting each one. They became friendly over a month or so and I ended up keeping three of them.

One of the only things I did wrong was not having enough other people come over and handle them. They are shy in varying degrees around strangers and friends. I think it is mainly due to lack of exposure while growing up. They adapt to new people over time but not as quickly as I would have liked.