Hi everyone, and thanks for reading
First things first, a little backstory. Last week I adopted two 7-month old male kittens (brothers) who were feral for the first 3-4 months of their lives. They were then rescued, taken to the vet, and kept crated (and together) for the past few months. Their rescuer/foster mom took great care of them during the time she had them...they are up to date on shots, flea treatments, tests, and were both neutered two weeks ago. Their names are Titus and Lucius, respectively:
Before adopting them I took the advice here on the forums to heart and kitty-proofed a room (my bedroom) for them to stay in at first. They have gradually become comfortable with their surroundings and seem to be adapting very well. They use the litter box, they only scratch on their scratching posts, etc. I typically sleep in the room, and they are happy to chase each other up and over the bed, jump over me, sniff me, etc.
Neither cat has ever scratched or bitten anyone, so I am hoping that's a good indicator that they'll socialize. They were very skittish at first but have become friendly enough to walk around me or jump over me when playing/inspecting, although for the most part they still give me a wide berth when walking around the room. Both cats will eat treats from my hand. Titus (first cat pictured above) will allow me to touch him, but doesn't like it and will pull away after a short time or bat my hand away gently. Lucius (second cat pictured) is far more skittish and will hiss softly whenever a hand gets close to him.
My questions are these: how should I go about gaining their trust and affection at this stage? Should I be attempting to pet them or pick them up, or should I leave them alone and wait for them to come to me? Any suggestions you have would be much appreciated. Thanks!
First things first, a little backstory. Last week I adopted two 7-month old male kittens (brothers) who were feral for the first 3-4 months of their lives. They were then rescued, taken to the vet, and kept crated (and together) for the past few months. Their rescuer/foster mom took great care of them during the time she had them...they are up to date on shots, flea treatments, tests, and were both neutered two weeks ago. Their names are Titus and Lucius, respectively:
Before adopting them I took the advice here on the forums to heart and kitty-proofed a room (my bedroom) for them to stay in at first. They have gradually become comfortable with their surroundings and seem to be adapting very well. They use the litter box, they only scratch on their scratching posts, etc. I typically sleep in the room, and they are happy to chase each other up and over the bed, jump over me, sniff me, etc.
Neither cat has ever scratched or bitten anyone, so I am hoping that's a good indicator that they'll socialize. They were very skittish at first but have become friendly enough to walk around me or jump over me when playing/inspecting, although for the most part they still give me a wide berth when walking around the room. Both cats will eat treats from my hand. Titus (first cat pictured above) will allow me to touch him, but doesn't like it and will pull away after a short time or bat my hand away gently. Lucius (second cat pictured) is far more skittish and will hiss softly whenever a hand gets close to him.
My questions are these: how should I go about gaining their trust and affection at this stage? Should I be attempting to pet them or pick them up, or should I leave them alone and wait for them to come to me? Any suggestions you have would be much appreciated. Thanks!