My Kittens are WILD!!!!

My kittens are 6 weeks old today, I just would like to know if it is normal for kittens this age to scream when they are picked up and will not cuddle?

I am at home 24/7 and spend a lot of time with the kittens, but each time I pick one up they scream blue murder, Ive tried placing them on the bed with me and stroking them but as soon as they feel solid ground beneath them they run away. When they were smaller they even use to hiss at me a little, although that has stopped, unless im in their face with the camera which seems to upset them a great deal, they swipe at me and sometimes scratch me. Ive tried thinking back to when we use to have many cats and I cant remember our kittens ever being this unfriendly, they were always love bugs.

They all are very energetic (which is normal) and so is the mother, I am wondering if they are a little funny because their mum use to bite them from a very early age.

I would love to keep them but my boyfriend wont have it, but I doubt if id be able to find good homes for them if they are a little unfriendly to people..

Does anyne have some advice for me?

Also I woke up yesterday morning and one of the kittend seems to have a sore on her nose, I will post a picture. I dont know if that just happened from an accident, which I doubt beause its not a raw sore, or if it is some kind of disease?

This is the kitten with the sore on her nose


This is bandit, looks like he is playing right? Wrong he is very upset!


This is another shot of him on a different occasion.


Am I being paranoid, will they come around on their own?

ShanghaiC..I've handled kittens that were definately more into play than being held. What you may want to do is treat these kittens as if they were feral:

http://www.vetcentric.com/magazine/m...ICLEID=1768%20

http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/socializingferal.pdf

Katie

Tompkins County SPCA
Feral Cat Series
Socializing Feral Kittens
Kittens who are not exposed to humans early in their lives learn from their mothers
and quickly become feral. However, if they are caught and handled at a young
enough age, feral kittens can be socialized and placed in loving homes.
Remember that spay/neuter is the single most important thing you can do to help
feral cats. It is best to alter as many cats in a colony as possible before you begin
socializing.
Kittens under four weeks old can usually be socialized in a
matter of days, and kittens up to eight weeks old can take
approximately two to four weeks to socialize. 10-12 weeks old
kittens can also be tamed, but it may take longer. Taming
feral kittens over 12 weeks old can be difficult and they may
never be fully socialized to people.
Getting Started
· Kittens cannot be socialized while they are still in their colony. They must be
brought inside and confined so you have regular access to them. If you cannot
do this, have the kittens altered and return them to their colony.
· Kittens can be taken from their feral mothers when they begin weaning-at
approximately four weeks of age. To determine a kitten's age, see our fact sheet
"Basic Kitten Care."
Housing the Kittens
· You will need to confine the kitten(s) at first, preferably in a dog crate, large pet
carrier, cat condo, or cage. If you do not have a cage or carrier, you can keep the
kittens in a small room. Be sure to block up anything they could crawl into or
under and remove anything that could injure them.
· Do not let feral kittens run loose in your house. They can hide in tiny spaces and
are exceptionally difficult to find and coax out. In addition, a large room can be
frightening and hinder the taming process.
· If possible, kittens should be separated from each other to facilitate taming. Left
together, one kitten can become outgoing and playful while another remains shy
and withdrawn. If you cannot separate them, the kittens can be housed together,
but be sure to spend time alone with each one.
· The cage should contain a small litterbox, food and water dishes, and something
to cuddle in like a towel or piece of your clothing.
Socializing
· Food is the key to taming. Make dry kitten food available at all times and give
the kitten a small amount of wet food at least twice a day. The kitten may
hesitate to eat in your presence at first, but be patient. Eventually the kitten will
associate your presence with food.
· Chicken-flavored baby food is a special treat that almost no kitten can resist.
· How soon you begin handling the kitten depends on the kitten's age and
temperament. Older kittens and those who are more feral are harder to handle.
With these kittens, start by offering baby food or wet food on a spoon through the
cage. Once they are used to this, you can begin handling them.
· Younger and less feral kittens can be picked up right away. Wear gloves if you
will feel more comfortable, as it is important to be confident and gentle when
picking up any animal. Wrap the kitten in a towel allowing her head to stick out.
Offer baby food or wet food on a spoon. If she does not respond, dab a tiny bit
on the end of her nose. Once she tastes it, she will soon want more.
· When petting a feral kitten, approach from behind his head. Gradually begin to
pet the kitten's face, chin, and behind the ears while talking gently. Try to have
several feeding/petting sessions (15-20 minutes) with each kitten as many times
a day as you can.
· Progress will depend on the kitten's age and temperament. Each day you will
notice improvement-falling asleep in your lap, coming towards you for food,
meowing at you, purring, and playing are all great signs. Once the kitten no
longer runs away from you but instead comes toward you seeking to be fed, held
and pet, you can confine her to a small, kitten-proofed room rather than a cage.
Siblings can also be reunited at this point.
· Expose the kittens to a variety of people. Everyone should use low voices at first,
and approach the kittens in a non-threatening manner.
Important Tips
· Handle feral kittens cautiously-nails and teeth are sharp.
· Do not give kittens cow's milk-it can make them sick.
· Once the kitten is willing to play, offer toys and use a string (not yarn) or a cat
dancer for him to chase. Do not let the kitten bite, scratch or play with your
hand.
· If the kittens are staying awake at night, try to play and socialize with them more
during the day and cover their cage(s) at night with a towel or blanket.
· Leave a television or radio on (not too loud) during the day so the kittens get
used to human voices.
Tompkins County SPCA
1640 Hanshaw Road · Ithaca, New York 14850
(607) 257-1822 · www.spcaonline.com

the litter i have now(11 weeks old) used to be same way from 5-9 weeks especially. I know its not from lack of handling them-they just were always screaming to be put down so they could play fight with thier siblings...they are coming around now-coming up to be pet and sleeping next to me. purring non stop..I was worried only as i know now I am keeping them and didn't want them to form thier own pack(22 cats total) but things Are going smooth now with them getting on with all the other cats(youngest in my crew is a litter of 1 1/2 yo oldest is a 16 yo. I say keep showing them you love them/try to expose them to ppl/noise. RJ

We have a now 12 week old kitten that turned into The Ultimate Play Machine at about that age. He was an orphan that we'd had since he was 2 weeks old and he's had loads of attention with me being at home and the kids doting on him but cuddling has just not been his thing. What we have been doing that seems to be working is to really capitalize on those things that he liked (or at least tolerated better). He wouldn't sit on laps but he might sit beside us and play or hang out if he was tiring out. He liked to have his paws stroked lightly but nowhere else back then. And I did find one position that he liked to be held on those rare occasions he likes to be held: cradled like a baby on his back in my arms but only if I'm standing (he dashes off the moment I sit down). We also found he was FAR more receptive to physical contact when he was just waking up or tiring out and nearly asleep plus at odd times when the spirit moves him (ie this morning at 4:20 I felt him flop down on my chest, scoot his head under my hand and start purring ). Or occasionally he'll go cuddle up by the feet of one of the kids in the middle of the night but not when they're awake. He's very social and follows us around all day--just isn't into what my kids call "That sissy holding stuff"

He's not turned into The Ultimate Cuddling Machine yet but our efforts are paying off.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with me, I was more than a little worried as I really thought all tame kittens would love to cuddle, I was obviously wrong.

Pippen & Ryan, thank you, that descibes all my kittens a lot better than I did, although ive never managed a cuddle with any of them... The two girls are the more placid ones, but the boys are just totally crazy. I suppose they take after mum!

I will try a few of the methods suggested by TNR1. im going to the shop right now to get some baby food (they should atleast have that in china) and to seperate one kitten from the litter at a time for some meowmie time I have never seperated them before, except from one room to another, but then they scream and mum cats starts crying, its just not very nice.

Any idea what could be wrong with Little Ginge?

Looks sore... but doesn't quite look like a scratch or bite from another kitten.... I would just make sure it's clean, it's kind of a rough spot to heal I think because the kitten licking it would probably slow healing down?

Originally Posted by pondwader

Looks sore... but doesn't quite look like a scratch or bite from another kitten.... I would just make sure it's clean, it's kind of a rough spot to heal I think because the kitten licking it would probably slow healing down?

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I agree, at first I thought it was a scratch or something, but when I looked closely it looks like something our next door neighbors dog has, he has a sore like that o his nose and around his eyes, but they havent even been outside? No one else has had contact with the dog either, so I dont know.. will send a pic to my vet.

I really have no idea... but it could be the start of skin allergies.

Also, my kitty Bandit got like that once out of the blue... I noticed the skin on her nose was all peeled off, like she had hurt herself falling or something. It healed up perfectly.

oooh, thats a horrible way of describing it, gave me the chills.

Did you take bandit to the vet? or did it just heal up on its own. It looks painful but it does not seem to bother her one bit???

PS; I sent the picture to my vet, now I am just waiting to hear from him. Will let you know if it is serious or not.

are the kittens kept in a cage at night? looks like something my amy had-she rubbed her nose raw from pushing it in between bars on a travel cage(she was about 4 weeks when I got her so couldnt let her roam free) my current litter bites thier siblings alot on the nose-they both open up thier mouths and go at it so I keep seeing little sores on them...especially the orange cause hes the only light collored one on the face. RJ

I am glad you are doing your best to tame these kittens. When I foster, I go into the kitten room and sit on the floor. Then I join the play. Get a feather toy, or long string, or even a straw from a cup. Drag it along the floor, and the kittens will chase it. Then you are the fun person who comes and plays, rather than the scary person who takes us away from Mom.

Remember not to leave the toy with the kittens. They can chew them up and get hurt, so they are only for when you are with them!

Also try to watch for when they have just finished a rowdy play session to pick them up to cuddle. They will be more receptive to quiet cuddling if they are tired. If they are afraid to leave the ground, start by lifting them a few inches off the floor so they can see they won't be hurt.

If Momma won't let you play with them, try taking her out of the room. Then she can't interfere with you, but the babies are still in their comfortable place. I think all kittens cry when they are put in a new area...

My kittens are not really wild, they have been with me since birth. I spend a lot of time with them but they just do not seem to like being picked up or cuddled. The mummy cat is my cat Neve who is a lot like her babies, she likes to play but never cuddles. If you pick her up she will try and get away immediately. She also has a tendency to bite, if you bend down to pat her she wil instinctively start biting. She had this habit when I got her but I certainly didnt help matters as I used to play with her using my hands and toys all the time. I stopped since ive been on this site.

I looked for some chicken flavoured baby food at the shop today, but they only had a few flavours, chicken and mushroom, Tuna and pork with pork livers... Are these flavours OK? This is a heinz brand, im not familiar with it?

Thank you again.

My kittens are not in a cage, they stay in my daughters room, which is small enough.

Originally Posted by ShanghaiC

My kittens are not really wild, they have been with me since birth. I spend a lot of time with them but they just do not seem to like being picked up or cuddled. The mummy cat is my cat Neve who is a lot like her babies, she likes to play but never cuddles. If you pick her up she will try and get away immediately. She also has a tendency to bite, if you bend down to pat her she wil instinctively start biting. She had this habit when I got her but I certainly didnt help matters as I used to play with her using my hands and toys all the time. I stopped since ive been on this site.

I looked for some chicken flavoured baby food at the shop today, but they only had a few flavours, chicken and mushroom, Tuna and pork with pork livers... Are these flavours OK? This is a heinz brand, im not familiar with it?

Thank you again.

My kittens are not in a cage, they stay in my daughters room, which is small enough.

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You know....Gayef is our resident baby food expert....I would think anything that is strictly meat would be ok...not sure about the chicken and mushrooms. Are there any other vegetables or other ingredients in any of them?

Katie

With baby food check the ingredients list and make sure there is no onion added to it. Some brands add onion powder and that can make some sensitive kittens sick. In the past I stuck with Gerber plain chicken baby food, but whichever brand you buy just be sure to check the ingredients. Good luck with your babies.