How long can kittens live without heat?

[evnshawn]

Originally this post was asking how long kittens can live without heat, but since then, Pepsi has moved them all under our bed with her, so that's okay.

Now my question is about socializing. Pepsi was a feral cat till about three months of age, and though she has gotten to the point of loving her people, she is still scared when she sees our arms or legs moving toward her, and she's scared of other people regardless. She loves to be on the bed with us being petted, though.

So now that she has moved the kittens under our king size bed, we can't reach them. We really, REALLY want these kittens to be well-socialized. Not only will that make them easier to place, it will also make their lives less stressful.

Any ideas about how we could go about this?

 

[mrsd]

Talk and sing to them for now, so they will get used to your voice. Also, put a smelly shirt under the bed for them to smell your scent.

Eventually, the kittens will start roaming from underneath your bed, and there will be plenty of opportunities to touch and hold.

 

[evnshawn]

Wow, thanks! Great suggestions. With any other cat I wouldn't even be concerned, but it's Pepsi, and she's kind of a spaz. Given the chance, she would train her kittens to be afraid of people, I think.

Though honestly, I think she has really progressed for a cat that was feral until three months of age. She is such a sweetheart (loves to be on the bed with us getting petted) and doesn't have a mean bone in her body. And she's a good mommy so far. But still, if I could change her personality so that she was less fearful, I would do it in a heartbeat. Poor baby.