how to tame a wild kitten?

[spish]

yesterday we found 3 kittens in our barn, im guessing they'd either been dumped, or were born feral and made there way to shelter. i managed to catch 2 but the 3rd dissappeared. i put them in a secure enclosure for the night until i figured out what to do with them.

anyhow this morning i go out to feed them and ones escaped...no sign anywhere. but the little tom cat is still there, miaowing and howling. so im guessing i have a new cat.....

but he's petrified and tries to bite/claw me everytime i go near him. he's hissing and spitting and making a racket out there.

i know it will take time and patience but is there anyway i can help him calm down and become handleable?


the little male

him and his 'sister' before she escaped

 

[jjthink]

First, you are so good for wanting to help them. Thank you.

In addition to what you've mentioned (time and patience), love, food........
It can take weeks or more but will work.
Food and water out for the escapees will hopefully bring them back as well. They're missing being with one another and are so scared.
Dissolving fear is a project but such a rewarding one when everyone calms down and becomes happy and trusting.
Have done this plenty of times, and with the most feral cats anyone can possibly imagine - and it always works.
Once they see that their human has no intent to harm, and just cheerfully and patiently goes about tending to them, they will start to relax.
If you can, best thing for now (and at least 2 weeks) is to keep the little guy in a nice sized secure dog cage out where he was with the others, with his creature comforts in the cage (litter box, food, water). Put food and water outside the cage as well to get the others back......
There will usually be hissing and growling and such when you go to change the food, water and litter in the cage but it's okay...just hum and talk sweet talk whele you're doing it and in time kitty will relax. You can put a drop of Rescue Remedy in everyone's water for its gentle calming effects.
Please keep us posted.
JJ

 

[jjthink]

p.s.!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just reread - what do you mean by secure enclosure that captured kitty is in now? (but other kitty got out of it?). Is this a cage or a room?

By the way, he is as cute as cute can possibly be

 

[teach1rusl]

What jjthink said...lol. Both of my younger cats were feral barn cats at one time. My female was a bit tamer, because I'd been taking tuna and canned cat food over to them after I'd discovered them - I was trying to lure them to me. I'd just sit there in the barn for 30 minutes at a time. Thankfully the female was VERY food motivated. The male though came kicking and screaming by the time I decided to bring them to the house...lol. It was all just fear-based though. He tamed down very quickly once we had him in the house...within a week for sure.

If you have a live animal trap, you should really try to get the others, even if it's just to take them to a shelter. Two female cats can produce a BUNCH of kittens within a year...much less several years.

Good luck with your new kitty!

 

[btxchick]

I just went through all of what you are going through! I went out of my way to get some cats for around the property and they were all nice and spayed/neutered and vaccinated. Then a mama cat shows up with her 4 kittens! We ended up trapping them in live traps and kept them inside in a big dog crate with a litter box and food/water. I read some suggestions on line and they worked for me. So I'll share them with you because it does take a lot of patience ( I don't have a lot of that) but when it works it is worth it.

1. start out with a pole or something that doesn't hurt when it gets bitten. We used the end of a broom. It went through the cage and prevented us from getting clawed to death. Just start petting them with that so they can get used to touch. It took a while for them to get used to the pole, but after a while they enjoye it and tried playing with it all the time.
2. I then moved to petting them gently while they were eating, at first if they stopped and noticed my hand, they would run away. After a while thought they didn't mind. You'll have to gage your kittens reaction to what your doing, all are different personalities.
3. Once used to your hand and perhaps they start coming to you to be pet, I tested the waters on picking them up and setting them in my lap. They are somewhat skittish ( is that a word? you know what I mean) but if I made them stay, for short periods at first, then longer and longer they took to that well. I pet them fairly rough around the neck and head ( kinda like a mom or sibling would) and they seemed to be calmed by that. It's the "smother them with kindness" method and they had no choice but to like it!

Out of the 4 kittens I was working with, 1 was really easy and LOVED to be petted and cuddled, 1 didn't mind and eventuall would come up to me and hang out, 1 stayed in the back and would cooperate with my attention but didn't seem to enjoy it and the last one (named nasty) would have none of it and remained ....well....nasty, hissing and striking. We took them to the SPCA to the feral cat program and got them spayed/neutered for free and a rabies shot.
They were put back outside and they all stuck around and the 3 that were the most receptive are getting friendlier and friendlier and come around to sit on my lap or just get attention. So I think it was successful, the nasty one hangs around but still wants nothing to do with me, but that's ok!

Hope this helps! I know it's long. Good luck with your Kitten

Anne

 

[spish]

my son has just spotted another all black one in the workshop, he says its a lot smaller than the other one but extremely fast. we have a live trap so have set that up in there

wish us luck!

 

[BarredRock971]

I did this too! I found a kitten and his mother that were feral, but now they are so sweet!
I would give them a room for themselves for a couple weeks, or a dog cage, and for a little while each day, just sit in there with them, and talk to them. When they get used to you doing that, you can get a string and play with them a little. Then you can start to pet them. Just be patient, and they'll come around.
Good luck!

 

[Imp]

I have taken in several wild and feral cats, from 2 weeks old to about 2 years old. All have calmed down rapidly. The smaller ones (smaller teeth & claws) I just handled frequently. They all calmed down in a day or so. The older ones took a couple weeks. I tried with one 8 year old for several months, she never tamed down, and I ended up letting her out for both our sakes. She is now happily living in my shed.

Imp

 

[BlackBart]

I used food and slow movements around a feral adult cat. But when I gave him Temptations and Catnip, he was my friend almost over night.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
same here.. I use a hands on approach.. and rub their faces a lot.. it mimics momma cat grooming them.. i've had ferals settle down within an hour or two.. the main thing I found is that once they start to purr.. their heart is all yours