Playful Kitten Runs When I Try To Pick Her Up

[Lisa Fajardo]

About a week ago, we adopted a 9 week old kitten. She was the shyest of her siblings (they were abandoned). She was super shy, would hide and not come out, etc. I have spent all my free time with her, and she now loves to roam the main floor of our house, play with us, loves belly rubs and licking my face, and doesn't hide. The only problem is that she tries to go up the stairs and jump down, so she needs to be in her crate when nobody is around, and she runs whenever I try to grab her! Once I catch her she purrs and loves belly rubs but the process of catching her takes forever! How do I change this behavior?

 

[Oscar&Copper]

Neither of my kittens want to be picked up while they're playing. Playing is serious business! My 14 week old only now started letting me pick him up when I wanted to. Can you block the stairs off instead of crating her?

 

[Lisa Fajardo]

Neither of my kittens want to be picked up while they're playing. Playing is serious business! My 14 week old only now started letting me pick him up when I wanted to. Can you block the stairs off instead of crating her?

Unfortunately no, we have tried and she jumps over it.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

To have her come to you,
You.must.become.kitten.prey.

Grab a trailing string toy, or Da Bird or somesuch, and attract her attention.

Then drag the toy after you on the floor as you turn around and trot away. Most kittens' hunting behavior gets triggered by things like this, and she'll "go for the moving prey", and hopefully follow you.

After a minute of that, pull out her favorite treat from your pocket and get her to smell it. Then try picking her up with one hand -- the treat in your other hand as she is still smelling it, and put both the kitten and the treat(s) inside of her carrier or crate. (You can also add in the loves and belly-rubs before the carrier entry if she's not too distracted by the treat.) Don't let her eat the treats until she is in her carrier/crate.

Repeat when needed to set up a pattern you both recognize and love.

Make it worth her while to be crated or put in the carrier, if you see what I mean.