- Joined
- Nov 22, 2021
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Hi all. LONG message ahead. I have fostered many kittens, most right off the street, but all have somehow been friendly (though a few have been very shy). I now have a trio of 3 in a playpen in my bedroom that are very shy (1 was straight up wild) that I am not making progress with. I am hoping someone with a lot of experience can weigh in. I have asked the rescue I work with but they are so overloaded no one has gotten back to me. I do a lot of googling, reading Kitten Lady, etc.
These cats are like little old cats. They lie in the playpen, but they do NOT play. They don't interact much with one another, and they don't tumble around. I never see them sleep b/c they are afraid when I walk in and I assume that wakes them immediately. Or perhaps they are so vigilant they really don't sleep at all. They show NO interest in toys. They are about 9 weeks now.
I am not used to ANY of this.
I am able to hold 2 of the 3. Both have fallen asleep in my arms and 1 started to purr for me. Yet when I put them back in the playpen they are scared, run when I walk by, hiss, etc. The 3rd is the real issue; she is TERRIFIED of me. At first, I didn't know what to do with her. She is underweight, and won't eat if I'm near, so petting her while she eats, feeding with a long spoon, etc don't work. I need her to eat bc of her weight.
I started putting her into a very small soft sided kitten carrier. I bring her to the couch and sit with her (I put food in) quietly. After she's done eating, I open 1 side of the carrier and slip my hand in (with my knife proof glove!) and start to pet her. I will keep my hand on her for at least an hour, petting and cuddling. She tolerates it, though it may simply be terror, I don't know (she's all black, and it's dark in there so it's hard to see her reaction). The other day, I took off the glove and she actually groomed my hand for a few secs!
YET whenever they go back to the playpen they are terrified again, hissing and hiding and running, even avoiding food. I live alone, their room is very quiet, and my cat rarely bothers them.
Please do not suggest I let them leave the playpen. They will hide and not come out even for food, and also, my house is not well set up for that so I can't risk it.
Does this sound normal? It's been 10 days and I know that's still early but I'd expected more progress since I can touch all of them in 1 form or another. Why are they reacting with terror not 20 seconds after being pet for an hour? The boldest one is starting to look like he might want to explore (though BARELY which is also new to me) but I am limited in letting them for reasons I've already stated. He may also simply want to get away from me; it's hard to tell.
If you have concrete anecdotal info for me, something that I can't google on my own (I'm a librarian, I have googled!), and are willing to share, I would be so appreciative of your help. I feel extreme pressure to get these babies ready for permanent homes, and will keep with it, but the anxiety is killing me b/c I have never seen kittens react this way. Thank you
These cats are like little old cats. They lie in the playpen, but they do NOT play. They don't interact much with one another, and they don't tumble around. I never see them sleep b/c they are afraid when I walk in and I assume that wakes them immediately. Or perhaps they are so vigilant they really don't sleep at all. They show NO interest in toys. They are about 9 weeks now.
I am not used to ANY of this.
I am able to hold 2 of the 3. Both have fallen asleep in my arms and 1 started to purr for me. Yet when I put them back in the playpen they are scared, run when I walk by, hiss, etc. The 3rd is the real issue; she is TERRIFIED of me. At first, I didn't know what to do with her. She is underweight, and won't eat if I'm near, so petting her while she eats, feeding with a long spoon, etc don't work. I need her to eat bc of her weight.
I started putting her into a very small soft sided kitten carrier. I bring her to the couch and sit with her (I put food in) quietly. After she's done eating, I open 1 side of the carrier and slip my hand in (with my knife proof glove!) and start to pet her. I will keep my hand on her for at least an hour, petting and cuddling. She tolerates it, though it may simply be terror, I don't know (she's all black, and it's dark in there so it's hard to see her reaction). The other day, I took off the glove and she actually groomed my hand for a few secs!
YET whenever they go back to the playpen they are terrified again, hissing and hiding and running, even avoiding food. I live alone, their room is very quiet, and my cat rarely bothers them.
Please do not suggest I let them leave the playpen. They will hide and not come out even for food, and also, my house is not well set up for that so I can't risk it.
Does this sound normal? It's been 10 days and I know that's still early but I'd expected more progress since I can touch all of them in 1 form or another. Why are they reacting with terror not 20 seconds after being pet for an hour? The boldest one is starting to look like he might want to explore (though BARELY which is also new to me) but I am limited in letting them for reasons I've already stated. He may also simply want to get away from me; it's hard to tell.
If you have concrete anecdotal info for me, something that I can't google on my own (I'm a librarian, I have googled!), and are willing to share, I would be so appreciative of your help. I feel extreme pressure to get these babies ready for permanent homes, and will keep with it, but the anxiety is killing me b/c I have never seen kittens react this way. Thank you