Just Rescued A Kitten - Won't Let Us Near Him/her

[Whenderful]

We just rescued a young kitten, maybe 5, 6, 7 weeks old, and have brought him/her in the house as the weather is to be snow and freezing tonight.
We are keeping the kitten in our downstairs half bath with towels, food, water and a litter box. He/she was meowing very loudly and frequently, and has seemed to have stopped being so vocal at this point, approximately 4 hours since he has been in the house. Any time we try to get near him/her or interact, he hisses, growls and even scratches and tries to bite. He is so young. Is it possible that he will not be able to be socialized? Is there anything I can do to help the process? I cannot let him out in the general house, as we already have another cat (4 years old) and do not want to risk a bad introduction before he seems somewhat comfortable with humans. The older cat seems unaffected by the fact that he is in the house and is not acting at all aggressively. Now that we have rescued him from under our front stairs, we would love to welcome him into our family, and I know it has only been a *very* short time, but he seems to have no sense of wanting to be comforted. Please help!

 

[NY cat man]

First, welcome to TCS! Jcatbird is probably a better information source, but I can give you my experience. My wife and I have adopted 5 ferals, and we found that time and patience is what worked for us. We didn't force ourselves on any of our cats, but instead let them come to us at their own pace. I am sure there are many others here who can help you, so don't be afraid to ask. We don't bite- really.

 

[Jcatbird]

He is scared. Are you sure he was the only one? If so he is also lonely. He is probably missing Mom and or litter mates. I am so glad you saved him. Once he understands you are not going to hurt him he should calm down. He will probably settle well in time since he is that young. It’s possible that your other cat might actually be a comfort to the kitten. Sometimes an older cat will act as a foster parent, brother or sister to an orphaned kitten. I would get the kitten checked out by a vet first though. For now let the kitten calm down. After awhile you could put a food treat down and just sit on the floor with the kitten. Let him get used to you. If you have any kind of stuffed toys around, it might snuggle up to that. Make sure it is warm. When the baby is calmer you can try holding a treat out to it. Meat baby food is a great tool. A dish of that is hard for them to resist. You can put some on a finger tip and see if the baby will lick your finger. It may take some time but if kitten still does not trust you after it calms down then use the baby food on a dish to slowly bring kitten closer to you. Each feeding move the dish closer to where you sit.( on the floor so you don’t intimidate it) you can eventually put the plate in your lap. Once the kitten trusts that you can start to touch it while it eats. It may run at first but keep repeating the process. It will lead to the kitten enjoying your touch. I am kind of thinking the baby may want your attention more quickly than you imagine. A baby needs physical contact and unless it is very feral it will crave being around you in a short time. Even a very feral kitten is easily socialized. For tonight just make sure it can’t get into anything unsafe or a tight hiding place, keep it warm, fed and give it water. Get it to a vet as soon as possible to determine it’s age. If it is younger than you think it may need to have a replacement for Mom’s milk. If it eats okay on it’s own that will help to determine age. Keep an eye on him. If he is only 5 weeks he may need attention. I would be interested to know more details about what the kitten is able to do. Have you seen it eat or drink before? Do you know anything about it? Have you seen it before tonight? How did you catch the kitten? The more information you provide the more people here can help you. I think you are fantastic for saving his life tonight! That is awesome! I am sure others will be responding here so please keep posting. We all care how things are going for you, your cat and the baby. I’m glad you came to TCS. This is a great place to get help. Welcome! I will put your thread in my watch in case you post back. I’ll check back.

 

[kittyluv387]

When I adopted my kitten it took him 24 hrs to come around. He needs time. He also should have a vet visit before he meets your resident cat.

 

[Whenderful]

He is scared. Are you sure he was the only one? If so he is also lonely. He is probably missing Mom and or litter mates. I am so glad you saved him. Once he understands you are not going to hurt him he should calm down. He will probably settle well in time since he is that young. It’s possible that your other cat might actually be a comfort to the kitten. Sometimes an older cat will act as a foster parent, brother or sister to an orphaned kitten. I would get the kitten checked out by a vet first though. For now let the kitten calm down. After awhile you could put a food treat down and just sit on the floor with the kitten. Let him get used to you. If you have any kind of stuffed toys around, it might snuggle up to that. Make sure it is warm. When the baby is calmer you can try holding a treat out to it. Meat baby food is a great tool. A dish of that is hard for them to resist. You can put some on a finger tip and see if the baby will lick your finger. It may take some time but if kitten still does not trust you after it calms down then use the baby food on a dish to slowly bring kitten closer to you. Each feeding move the dish closer to where you sit.( on the floor so you don’t intimidate it) you can eventually put the plate in your lap. Once the kitten trusts that you can start to touch it while it eats. It may run at first but keep repeating the process. It will lead to the kitten enjoying your touch. I am kind of thinking the baby may want your attention more quickly than you imagine. A baby needs physical contact and unless it is very feral it will crave being around you in a short time. Even a very feral kitten is easily socialized. For tonight just make sure it can’t get into anything unsafe or a tight hiding place, keep it warm, fed and give it water. Get it to a vet as soon as possible to determine it’s age. If it is younger than you think it may need to have a replacement for Mom’s milk. If it eats okay on it’s own that will help to determine age. Keep an eye on him. If he is only 5 weeks he may need attention. I would be interested to know more details about what the kitten is able to do. Have you seen it eat or drink before? Do you know anything about it? Have you seen it before tonight? How did you catch the kitten? The more information you provide the more people here can help you. I think you are fantastic for saving his life tonight! That is awesome! I am sure others will be responding here so please keep posting. We all care how things are going for you, your cat and the baby. I’m glad you came to TCS. This is a great place to get help. Welcome! I will put your thread in my watch in case you post back. I’ll check back.

Thank you so much for your encouragement! It breaks my heart because I just want to pick it up an love it and let it know everything will be okay and will be so loved in this house <3 !!!
To answer your questions... I do not know anything about it. Today was the first time I heard him crying, and when I went to look, he was sitting on my front steps. As soon as I opened the door, he ran under the stairs. Would not come out when there was anyone near, or if there was noise. Took about an hour and a half, and I saw him again. He had come out to eat some of my oler cats food that I had put out for him. As soon as he heard a noise, he retreated. I had a baby camera that I set up pointing at his exit point from under the stairs and to the entrance to the have-a-heart trap that I had borrowed from my friend, hoping he would venture in there for some food. He came back out, once again after about an hour an a half, but never made it into the cage before he got spooked and ran back under the stairs. Since we are supposed to get 10+ inches of snow tonight, and temps in the teens, I knew I had to bring him in. We removed the siding panels from below the steps and meowed to him (he answered every single meow) and came to the edge where I was able to grab him. I clutched him closely because he really wanted to get away, and got him in the house in the downstairs bathroom where he has been since. Has towels, food, water, kitten food, and a disposable litter box. Has stopped meowing all the time, but has not yet drank the water or eaten the food since being inside. Last time I saw him eat, he was outside. We have been going in there periodically to sit and talk to him--not trying to touch him- but if we get anywhere near him he growls and hisses. Even if we try to offer food only in a dish. Won't come out from under the cabinet we have in there. (Picture below if anyone is able to give me a better idea of how old you think he is!) Our older cat is named Hershey, so if this one decides to make us his forever home, he will be named Reese's because he is orange!

 

[Jcatbird]

Awwwwww! How darling! I am very late answering you. Sorry but much going on here. It’s hard to tell without something to see beside him to use as a scale for size. He looks old enough to survive without mom but please get him to a vet as soon as possible to be sure and kind of get him a check up. You want to make sure he is okay. If you were able to were able to grab him then I am guessing he is not totally feral. He may have been dumped by someone.
I know the baby is hiding and scared but there was a lot of upset for him. We don’t know what he went through before finding you. I am so thankful you saved him. I doubt he would have made it through the night from what you say. Since you did see him eat then we know he can. Very good! I really feel you will win him over after the shock has worn off. I want to just grab him and hold him too! I actually have done that with some but I think he might come around on his own if you just give him time. He is safe now. Little Reese will understand that st some point. If you got him be meowing then try that again. He knows Meow means Mom or siblings. Once the vet clears him for contact with your other cat you might see if that will help him. Try a little warm meat baby food when you can get some. It almost always brings them to you. You are already doing the right things for him. Sitting with him, talking softly and keeping him safe. He already trusts you a lot for a little kitten. His instincts are good! Just keep doing what you are doing. My heart is right there with you. I have pulled in many, many dozens of dumped, stray and feral cats and it breaks my heart every time I rescue another but once they understand you love them and they are safe everything changes. It’s going to be okay. I bet you now have a new family member. Bravo for what you did! I’ll keep checking in and you can also type @ and then my ID or private message me anytime. I wish everyone was like you.

 

[rubysmama]

Whenderful : hello and welcome to TCS. Reese is adorable. I'm so glad you heard him crying and were able to catch him. I hope in time, he and his big brother Hershey will be best buds.

But first, as others have already mentioned, get a vet checkup for Reese. You need to be sure he doesn't have any illness he could pass onto Hershey. And in the meantime, ensure you wash your hands after handling him.

Here's a TCS article that might help you determine his age:
How Old Is My Kitten?

Good luck with him. Please keep us updated on his progress.

Oh, and here's another article for when it's time for Reese to meet Hershey.
How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat

 

[Kieka]

He looks a little older, maybe the 10-12 week range to me, but scale is tricky. Feral kittens can be a little older then that appear, especially if they already got separated from Mom. I would take him to the vet to get checked out as soon as possible. After that I would treat him like a feral socialization case.

The first step with that is not letting him hide. In most cases this means setting him up in a crate or kennel for a few weeks. Which really isn't a bad thing. I did it with Rocket and it was the best decision for her. It gave her safety in a smaller area but exposed her to the activities of the house. We set if up in the corner of our dining room and would purrito her out several times a day. As she got more comfortable, we let her roam around the room but never under furniture or into hiding spots. She did have a little pop up tent in the crate to really hide and once we got rid of the crate we kept the tent for those insecure moments.

This website goes more into it, https/www.alleycat.org/community-cat-care/kitten-socialization-how-to/

 

[maggiedemi]

I tamed Demi in three days by petting him with a long-handled duster. On the 3rd day he let me pet him with my hands.

 

[Whenderful]

Soooo....update! It's a girl! We took Reese's to the vet this morning. She appears to be pretty healthy for a baby. They estimate that she is approximately 7 weeks old, and weighing in at a might 1.2 lbs, lol. Have to keep her quarantined for two weeks, however. She bit me yesterday in the middle of the rescue (she was terrified) and as a result, we have to be very, very careful with Rabies. If we see any changes in her neurologic behavior, we have to bring her to the vet right away...and me to the doctor. They do not feel that is likely, however. Because of her size, if she was bitten or attacked by a rabid animal, she likely would not have survived because she is so little. No obvious signs of any fights or scuffles either. All good news.

But wait...here is the BEST news! She was still hissing and growling this morning when we went to check on her. She was crouched in a corner where she couldn't move, so I just spoke to her gently, and started petting her very softly with just one finger. She continued to hiss and growl, but i persisted...cautiously. Eventually she turned around, stopped growling, and then LET ME PICK HER UP!!!! In a matter of minutes she was purring! The poor thing had never known love, or a safe touch before. Once she could feel safe, and that we were not going to harm her, she turned into a completely different kitten. She still prefers to hide under the cabinet when she is put down, but I have a very good feeling that will be short lived.
So here's hoping to a smooth transition for my big guy, Hershey, and his new baby sister, Resee's!

 

[Jcatbird]

Awesome, awesome, awesome news! I am so glad you posted this. I was really hoping it would go this way for you. This just made my day! Mark yesterday on your calendar as her “Gotcha day!” I could just tell you had a way with her. She knew to trust you. Kitties are so smart! This is happy news for everyone here! Please keep us updated. Also, we love photos....... hint, hint.

 

[Whenderful]

Here is a photo of our latest 'flavor', Reese's!

 

[rubysmama]

Oh, she's just totally precious.

 

[maggiedemi]

Yay! I'm so happy for you. It was the same way with Demi, once he knew that I could touch him without hurting him, that was the breakthrough.

 

[Whenderful]

Oh, she's just totally precious.

She's a Ginger! Just like your Ruby!

 

[kittypa]

You got this.

We rescued a six week old. It was four days before she would eat with me in the room. It was 10 days before we could touch her.

I rescued two four week old kittens. The next day they thought I was their mother.

What a HUGE difference that two weeks makes.

 

[Jcatbird]

I love the photo! That is so cute! Hershey’s and Reese’s bowls! Reeses’s already looks calmer. She’s looking right at the camera instead of avoiding looking towards you! That is rapid progress. You have already done a super job with this baby. You keep making my day!

 

[rubysmama]

She's a Ginger! Just like your Ruby!

Since I adopted Ruby as an adult, I always love seeing pics ginger kittens, as it gives me a clue as to what Ruby might have looked like as a baby cat.

 

[kittypa]

Since I adopted Ruby as an adult, I always love seeing pics ginger kittens, as it gives me a clue as to what Ruby might have looked like as a baby cat.

One of the two four week olds I found. This is a week or two later.

 

[azpops]

Here is a photo of our latest 'flavor', Reese's!View attachment 262474

Reese looks like he's in one of them Transfer Rooms in a spaceship, looking real worried, and thinking; "I don't see Mr. Montgomery around, you're not gonna beam me somewhere, ... are you?" ...


He's too darn cute!

Pops! ...