3 11wk old ferals won't stop hissing

[kaylughhh]

I just discovered this page last night and i am taming 3 feral kittens that a mama had under my porch. mom hisses at me but begs me to pet her and will keep me company outside.(i have plans to trap-spay-return)
i caught the kittens 2 wks ago. we had a couple of hiccups but they are now in a sturdy playpen where i can feed them and they can play a little.
i can pet them while they eat, 2 of them will eagerly eat treats from my hand, and i can get them all to engage in some crazy playtime.
but they won't stop hissing and its driving me crazy bc i keep thinking we're making good progress only for them to hiss at my every move.
this is my 1st time doing this and i know that it would easier to put them in a room but i just don't have that option so i'm working with what i got.
am i screwed bc i can't give them a room to themselves?? i work as a vet assistant and my boss told me that i should just give them away to the homes that i've lined up for them and let the new owner handle it but i'm not sure about that being that they still hiss.
i had plans to make a makeshift extension of the playpen that i can sit in and play with them to give them a little more room or should i just keep them in just the pen?
thank you in advance for any help!!

 

[tabbytom]

I just discovered this page last night and i am taming 3 feral kittens that a mama had under my porch. mom hisses at me but begs me to pet her and will keep me company outside.(i have plans to trap-spay-return)
i caught the kittens 2 wks ago. we had a couple of hiccups but they are now in a sturdy playpen where i can feed them and they can play a little.
i can pet them while they eat, 2 of them will eagerly eat treats from my hand, and i can get them all to engage in some crazy playtime.
but they won't stop hissing and its driving me crazy bc i keep thinking we're making good progress only for them to hiss at my every move.
this is my 1st time doing this and i know that it would easier to put them in a room but i just don't have that option so i'm working with what i got.
am i screwed bc i can't give them a room to themselves?? i work as a vet assistant and my boss told me that i should just give them away to the homes that i've lined up for them and let the new owner handle it but i'm not sure about that being that they still hiss.
i had plans to make a makeshift extension of the playpen that i can sit in and play with them to give them a little more room or should i just keep them in just the pen?
thank you in advance for any help!!

and welcome to TCS!

Thank you for rescuing the kittens and fostering them till they are adopted to good homes

It is normal for the mama cat to hiss at you as she is still not very familiar with you but asking to be petted is one sign that her hissing is to tell you that she is the boss. Keep her company and win her trust till you can get her spayed.

As for the kittens, given your current situation, it's ok to keep them in the pen. Expand the pen if you can. It's good that they can be petted while they eat and taking treats from you as this will help them gain trust in you and also easy for them when they get adopted.
again, their hissing is pretty normal as they are still new to you
Try not to make sudden moves as this will put them in a defensive mode. Keep yourself low to the ground. Sit on the floor when you are with them and make yourself small so that you won't look intimidating to them.

Continue the petting and playing with them and spend lots of time with them so that they may loose the fear of humans.

It's only 2 weeks and it's still early for full trust. Remember, love, patience and routines are the rules of the day.

Feel free to ask questions and please keep us posted of the progress and do post photos of mama and the kittens.

 

[kaylughhh]

thank you!
these pics are from me initially gaining everyone's trust

 

[tabbytom]

thank you!
these pics are from me initially gaining everyone's trust

You are welcomed!

They are so lovely!

 

[dahlia]

I have a formal feral that, after 10 years, still hisses at me sometimes. He just does it when he is nervous or thinks he did something wrong. It is just his form of communication.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

You are doing FINE! This is a slow process, even in kittens who were born feral. The hissing is just, "You startled me!" and is purrfectly normal. It will lessen with time. Two weeks is practically nothing at all in this process.

If you can reasonably extend the pen and sit with them, that would be wonderful. If not, sit NEXT to it. Talk to them. The more they hear your voice, the sooner they will begin to relax around you.

 

[kaylughhh]

You are doing FINE! This is a slow process, even in kittens who were born feral. The hissing is just, "You startled me!" and is purrfectly normal. It will lessen with time. Two weeks is practically nothing at all in this process.

If you can reasonably extend the pen and sit with them, that would be wonderful. If not, sit NEXT to it. Talk to them. The more they hear your voice, the sooner they will begin to relax around you.

The extension of the pen was just set up
I have been trying to read to them on a nightly basis and they seem to like it

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Reading is a wonderful way to get them used to your presence and your voice in a very non-threatening way. And I am sure that they ARE enjoying it! Give them lots of slow blinks, as well. It is cattish for "I trust you," and that's the equivalent of "I love you,"