Advice for 2-3 week old kittens

katiev

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Dear All,
So I'm grandmother to four kittens and need advice on socialising them. They are all doing well , feeding and are healthy ( fingers crossed) and are about 2 and a half weeks old. Now, I have been briefly picking them up but they seem to hate this apart from one friendly boy who's happy with anything. One is absolutely terrified which I suppose is normal when a massive giant peers down at you!! The mother cat is not too happy , but is very gentle so just puts up with it with a lot of miawing ! Please would you advise on whether this interaction is too early? How long should I be socialising them for, how many times a day? Any other advise for kittens this ages? I have loads of toys ready for them when then are older! I will put a piccy up too.
 

StefanZ

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Dear All,
So I'm grandmother to four kittens and need advice on socialising them. They are all doing well , feeding and are healthy ( fingers crossed) and are about 2 and a half weeks old. Now, I have been briefly picking them up but they seem to hate this apart from one friendly boy who's happy with anything. One is absolutely terrified which I suppose is normal when a massive giant peers down at you!! The mother cat is not too happy , but is very gentle so just puts up with it with a lot of miawing ! Please would you advise on whether this interaction is too early? How long should I be socialising them for, how many times a day? Any other advise for kittens this ages? I have loads of toys ready for them when then are older! I will put a piccy up too.
Nay, its not too early.  Quite the opposite, its time now to begin and  intensify it.  So try and lift them up, gently and friendly, at least twice a day each one...  Perhaps even the mom too, if she lets you!   If she doenst let, begin every session with the friendliest kitten, so the others see this is nothing dangerous.

Mom is protesting a little, by meowing.   Is mom a family girl (yours?  a rescue/foster dumped cat?), or is she a friendly semi-ferale?

Anyway, I suspect moms being hesitant and meowing, adds to their kittens being terrified...  So work also with getting mom more agreeable, if you can.

So do handle them as far as you can near mom, so she sees you and the kittens, and sees there is nothing dangerously happening.

Use lotsa of friendly small noises, talk friendly, sing if if you wish and can.

If the kittens are wriggling much and wants to fly, a trick - used when a fostered semiferale kitten is a little older, but surely can be used already now if necessary - it to wrap it up like a burrito.  AND carry at your chest, perhaps even half an hour.  You are singing softly, talking friendly, making friendly noises...  Do so a couple of times, after it the deed should be done.   Its sort of alike the american way of "breaking in" a horse, but much much more gentler.

  Perhaps wait with this trick one or two weeks, but you do have it as reserve if need be.

Good luck!
 
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katiev

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Hi Stefan, thanks for quick reply!
Sorry , I forgot to add that It's my own cat who was going to be given to Battersea cats home ( I'm in London), she was extremely scared when we got her and I'm trying for her kittens to be calm and happy with humans as I am already sad at giving them away once they are 12 weeks :( I have lovely homes for them all and want them to be socialised as much as they can! It's just I feel so bad picking them up , they are just so scared. Thanks for those little tips , I'm going to try the burrito on the very timid one and will make sure my princess Bella is near when I pick them up. I do always talk in a baby voice to my pets hehehe, don't we all ( I don't have children!)? [emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji]
 

robbie watson

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Your kittens are just lovely. I got my kitten at 4 weeks too, but he had no Momma cat.  I believe you are doing the right thing by sociallizing with them.Pet them all over, so they will get used to your genlte touch. Even their little paws.  Rub their hair into the way it grows, and get them used to be gently stroked on their bellies. So many owners do not do this, so the cats instinct will kick in and they may try to protect their vital organ spots. But if they are used to

it from now, like mine was, he loves to be stroked their.

  Are they nursing? If not, you can get kitten formual at you vets, and tiny tiny baby bottles. If you feed them that way, tho, use a warm (not hot) wet cotton ball to stroke their bellies to ensure feces removal from tiney bodies. Keep them warm, too. I hope I helped some.

   Any more question, be sure to ask. Max is 3 years old now and doing fine.
 

nansiludie

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Also try bringing extra treats for the mother while your tend to/ play with the kittens. It will help to try to get them used to human touch while they are young.
 
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