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- May 5, 2019
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This is my option, it isn't the only way to do this. I am not perfect and my way may not work for everyone.
There are various ways to tame a feral kitten and not everyone will agree with how I tame kittens. I have tamed hundreds of feral kittens over the years and I am one hundred percent sure that my way of taming kittens will produce a happy house cat.
I have met many people that say to let the kitten come around on its own and to just sit with them. I am going to be straightforward with this. It doesn’t work. I have seen too many cats that were ‘tamed’ with this method that are either still totally feral, very insecure or only will interact with one person. They aren't adoptable. The slow method simply does not make happy cats. Sure some people may have success with this method but I have had to reverse the damage it has done to too many cats to ever recommend it. If you ever used this method and had success, good for you! All I want is a happy, healthy little kitten. I am not bashing it, I simply would not recommend it.
My method can be a bit scary for people and some people may feel bad because they think that they are causing too much stress on the kitten. You must understand that this fear is temporary and the kitten will learn to trust you as well as every other human they come in contact with. My method forces the issue onto the kitten and puts them in a situation they are not comfortable with in order to teach them that the situation is good for them.
There are two types of feral kittens.
The Angry Feral
These kittens are aggressive, bitey and will lash out at you. They puff up and scream. They can be scary to work with. You may think this would be hard to tame, but the angry ferals tend to be the easier of the two to tame as long as you are brave enough to hold them. They are just scared and once they learn you aren’t going to hurt them they became friendly fairly quickly. They often have a moment of clarity where they suddenly understand and their progress increases.
The Scared Feral
These kittens freeze up when you touch them. They cower in the back and are usually fairly easy to pick up. Despite this the scared feral is usually harder to tame as their fear is more deep rooted and they are more insecure. Scared ferals should take priority as they take longer to tame and progress is slower. Scared ferals become very cuddly but also somewhat skittish and need to be held by several different people because they tend to become attached to the person that tamed them and do not trust anyone else. In my experience tortie kittens are often scared ferals.
Step One. Separate the Kittens
If you have a litter of feral kittens do not keep them together. The kittens will feed off of each other and become more fearful. They will not feel like they need any kind of comfort from you or need you to play because they have their littermates. Separating them will make them have all their attention on you. You can keep them in the same room and allow them to smell each other or even see each other but do not keep them in the same cage. If you have a fairly quiet household I recommend putting the cages in an area that you usually are in so that the kittens can watch you and hear you when you are not actively working with them. This will get them used to indoor life.
Step Two. Holding the Kittens
Each kitten should be kept in a small cage, do not under any circumstances allow the kitten to run freely outside of the cage! Chasing a kitten to hold them or put them back in their cage will make them go back in progress massively. They must have minimal negative interactions with you. Picking up the kitten should be quick as this is a very stressful action for a feral kitten. I recommend getting a rabies vaccine before handling any feral kittens. If you are bitten and go to the hospital the kitten may need to be put down to be tested for rabies. It is much safer for you and the kitten if you have proof that you have been vaccinated.
Always wear a glove, I use a heavy duty snow glove. Using a small blanket or towel cover the kitten’s face. Secure their head by wrapping the blanket around them so that they are unable to bite you or see you. I prefer to wear only one glove and keep my second, dominate hand uncovered. This is because it is extremely difficult to keep a firm grip on the kitten’s scruff with a glove.
Do not walk with the kitten, sit outside of their cage and place them on your lap. Do not uncover their face until they are calm. Even if the kitten appears to relax do not let go of their scruff unless you have a firm hold on them with the blanket
Gently pet the back of the kitten’s head, do not touch the front of the kitten or their neck as it is easy for them to bite you. Speak softly to the kitten and get them used to human touch and the sound of your voice. Once the cat is calmer and you have held them a few times you can temporarily remove your glove to touch the back of their head so they can get used to a softer touch. Always put the glove back on before moving the kitten.
Picking up the kitten and putting the kitten back is stressful so you should not pick up the kitten if you do not have more than an hour to sit with the kitten. It is okay to not have 100 percent of your attention on the kitten the whole time. You can sit and watch a video or listen to an audio book. If the video is calm you can play it out loud so the kitten can get used to the sound of human voices without you actually speaking to them yourself.
Kittens will often seem to be more comfortable with you and the next day will be hissing and spitting at you when you pick them up again. Do not be discouraged by this. It takes time and you are making progress even if sometimes it is hard to tell.
Extra Tips.
When feeding the kittens stay nearby so they can start to associate you with food. Wait a minute after giving food to see if they will eat it with you near them every day. If they are fearful of eating with you around sit farther back and do not look at them.
If you have a litter of kittens focus on one kitten. Once that kitten is tame play with the kitten in sight of the feral kittens. Cuddle the kitten around their feral siblings. Place the tame kitten in the cage with the feral kittens so when you open the cage the tame kitten will walk up to you. A tame sibling will help their brothers and sisters feel more comfortable and will make taming them much easier. Feral kittens are much more likely to forget about you and play with a toy if their tame sibling is playing with you.
Signs that a kitten is getting more comfortable.
Purring. Be careful, sometimes kittens will purr out of fear. If they are purring in your hands but being aggressive or fearful in their cage they may not be purring from happiness.
Slow blinking. This is when a cat looks at you and blinks slowly. This means that the cat trusts you. If a kitten does this do it back to them. Whenever you see the kitten you should slow blink at them even if they do not do it themselves.
Repositioning. Kittens often stay in the position you put them in when you hold them. If the kitten starts to move but doesn’t attempt to get away from you they are trying to get more comfortable and are starting to understand you are not going to hurt them.
Step Three. More Freedom.
Feral kittens are often too fearful to play with toys or other kittens. When they start to show other signs of being comfortable show them a toy. Allow the kitten to get used to it and sniff it. Then slowly move the toy. The movement may frighten the kitten so stop moving it often so they can sniff it again. Keep doing this in small sessions while they are still in their cage. Leave the toy in their cage so they can choose to play with it on their own. When a kitten plays with a toy with you this is a huge step and you can expect a lot of progress very quickly.
When the kitten does not require being scruffed or need a blanket and comes up to you when you open their cage you can give them more freedom. Pick a small room in your house will little to no hiding places. The bathroom is usually a good place for this as you will have to visit the room several times and bathrooms are typically very small. Provide toys and visit the kitten often. They may be fearful the first few days. If they start being aggressive or freeze up when you touch them return them to their cage, they aren’t ready yet. When the kitten is happy and playful and acting like a regular kitten you can allow them to go into the rest of the house.
If you have any questions on how to tame a feral kitten or something here was unclear please do not hesitate to message me.
There are various ways to tame a feral kitten and not everyone will agree with how I tame kittens. I have tamed hundreds of feral kittens over the years and I am one hundred percent sure that my way of taming kittens will produce a happy house cat.
I have met many people that say to let the kitten come around on its own and to just sit with them. I am going to be straightforward with this. It doesn’t work. I have seen too many cats that were ‘tamed’ with this method that are either still totally feral, very insecure or only will interact with one person. They aren't adoptable. The slow method simply does not make happy cats. Sure some people may have success with this method but I have had to reverse the damage it has done to too many cats to ever recommend it. If you ever used this method and had success, good for you! All I want is a happy, healthy little kitten. I am not bashing it, I simply would not recommend it.
My method can be a bit scary for people and some people may feel bad because they think that they are causing too much stress on the kitten. You must understand that this fear is temporary and the kitten will learn to trust you as well as every other human they come in contact with. My method forces the issue onto the kitten and puts them in a situation they are not comfortable with in order to teach them that the situation is good for them.
There are two types of feral kittens.
The Angry Feral
These kittens are aggressive, bitey and will lash out at you. They puff up and scream. They can be scary to work with. You may think this would be hard to tame, but the angry ferals tend to be the easier of the two to tame as long as you are brave enough to hold them. They are just scared and once they learn you aren’t going to hurt them they became friendly fairly quickly. They often have a moment of clarity where they suddenly understand and their progress increases.
The Scared Feral
These kittens freeze up when you touch them. They cower in the back and are usually fairly easy to pick up. Despite this the scared feral is usually harder to tame as their fear is more deep rooted and they are more insecure. Scared ferals should take priority as they take longer to tame and progress is slower. Scared ferals become very cuddly but also somewhat skittish and need to be held by several different people because they tend to become attached to the person that tamed them and do not trust anyone else. In my experience tortie kittens are often scared ferals.
Step One. Separate the Kittens
If you have a litter of feral kittens do not keep them together. The kittens will feed off of each other and become more fearful. They will not feel like they need any kind of comfort from you or need you to play because they have their littermates. Separating them will make them have all their attention on you. You can keep them in the same room and allow them to smell each other or even see each other but do not keep them in the same cage. If you have a fairly quiet household I recommend putting the cages in an area that you usually are in so that the kittens can watch you and hear you when you are not actively working with them. This will get them used to indoor life.
Step Two. Holding the Kittens
Each kitten should be kept in a small cage, do not under any circumstances allow the kitten to run freely outside of the cage! Chasing a kitten to hold them or put them back in their cage will make them go back in progress massively. They must have minimal negative interactions with you. Picking up the kitten should be quick as this is a very stressful action for a feral kitten. I recommend getting a rabies vaccine before handling any feral kittens. If you are bitten and go to the hospital the kitten may need to be put down to be tested for rabies. It is much safer for you and the kitten if you have proof that you have been vaccinated.
Always wear a glove, I use a heavy duty snow glove. Using a small blanket or towel cover the kitten’s face. Secure their head by wrapping the blanket around them so that they are unable to bite you or see you. I prefer to wear only one glove and keep my second, dominate hand uncovered. This is because it is extremely difficult to keep a firm grip on the kitten’s scruff with a glove.
Do not walk with the kitten, sit outside of their cage and place them on your lap. Do not uncover their face until they are calm. Even if the kitten appears to relax do not let go of their scruff unless you have a firm hold on them with the blanket
Gently pet the back of the kitten’s head, do not touch the front of the kitten or their neck as it is easy for them to bite you. Speak softly to the kitten and get them used to human touch and the sound of your voice. Once the cat is calmer and you have held them a few times you can temporarily remove your glove to touch the back of their head so they can get used to a softer touch. Always put the glove back on before moving the kitten.
Picking up the kitten and putting the kitten back is stressful so you should not pick up the kitten if you do not have more than an hour to sit with the kitten. It is okay to not have 100 percent of your attention on the kitten the whole time. You can sit and watch a video or listen to an audio book. If the video is calm you can play it out loud so the kitten can get used to the sound of human voices without you actually speaking to them yourself.
Kittens will often seem to be more comfortable with you and the next day will be hissing and spitting at you when you pick them up again. Do not be discouraged by this. It takes time and you are making progress even if sometimes it is hard to tell.
Extra Tips.
When feeding the kittens stay nearby so they can start to associate you with food. Wait a minute after giving food to see if they will eat it with you near them every day. If they are fearful of eating with you around sit farther back and do not look at them.
If you have a litter of kittens focus on one kitten. Once that kitten is tame play with the kitten in sight of the feral kittens. Cuddle the kitten around their feral siblings. Place the tame kitten in the cage with the feral kittens so when you open the cage the tame kitten will walk up to you. A tame sibling will help their brothers and sisters feel more comfortable and will make taming them much easier. Feral kittens are much more likely to forget about you and play with a toy if their tame sibling is playing with you.
Signs that a kitten is getting more comfortable.
Purring. Be careful, sometimes kittens will purr out of fear. If they are purring in your hands but being aggressive or fearful in their cage they may not be purring from happiness.
Slow blinking. This is when a cat looks at you and blinks slowly. This means that the cat trusts you. If a kitten does this do it back to them. Whenever you see the kitten you should slow blink at them even if they do not do it themselves.
Repositioning. Kittens often stay in the position you put them in when you hold them. If the kitten starts to move but doesn’t attempt to get away from you they are trying to get more comfortable and are starting to understand you are not going to hurt them.
Step Three. More Freedom.
Feral kittens are often too fearful to play with toys or other kittens. When they start to show other signs of being comfortable show them a toy. Allow the kitten to get used to it and sniff it. Then slowly move the toy. The movement may frighten the kitten so stop moving it often so they can sniff it again. Keep doing this in small sessions while they are still in their cage. Leave the toy in their cage so they can choose to play with it on their own. When a kitten plays with a toy with you this is a huge step and you can expect a lot of progress very quickly.
When the kitten does not require being scruffed or need a blanket and comes up to you when you open their cage you can give them more freedom. Pick a small room in your house will little to no hiding places. The bathroom is usually a good place for this as you will have to visit the room several times and bathrooms are typically very small. Provide toys and visit the kitten often. They may be fearful the first few days. If they start being aggressive or freeze up when you touch them return them to their cage, they aren’t ready yet. When the kitten is happy and playful and acting like a regular kitten you can allow them to go into the rest of the house.
If you have any questions on how to tame a feral kitten or something here was unclear please do not hesitate to message me.