- Joined
- May 31, 2017
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- 5
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Hello,
A few weeks back my boyfriend found a terrible thing in the backyard. A cat had been torn to shreds, presumably by a raccoon. Nearby in a window well in the yard he found 3 little kittens. We assumed this had been momma cat possibly trying to protect kittens from predator. He trapped the little guys took them in, contacted an animal rescue group who helped set us up with what we needed. They were taken to the vet, de-wormed, etc.
A week later he heard meowing outside the window that the kittens were responding to. The kittens are all black and white and the cat meowing outside was all black. The animal rescue people helped us trap this adult cat using the kittens as "bait" and found she was lactating. They said she was almost certainly the mother and it would be beneficial for kittens to have her around for a while. We brought her in and put her in the kitty condo cage with the kittens who nursed from her for two weeks. After about two weeks mom (feral) was fed up with being in the cage and the kittens seemed healthy, so we were advised to take mom to get spayed and return her to the yard.
The kittens are now about 8-9 weeks old and I am trying hard to socialize them. I no longer keep them in the kitty condo cage, they have been free to roam in my office for about 5 days now. The cage is still in the room with doors open. I visit them for roughly 2 hours a day, feeding them off my finger or putting a bowl of food in my lap and playing with toys. Occasionally I leave the radio on for them. I give them wet food and to really get their attention sometimes chicken baby food (just chicken, veggies, and rice).
They have been relatively responsive to the socializing with food and play and will climb on me to eat and play but still cower and run to hide when I enter the room. I can pick them up when they're tired and hold them for a bit but they get restless and want to leave my arms pretty quickly. They do not seem "comfortable" with me and certainly do not enjoy my presence.
They have yet to approach me to cuddle or feel comfortable with me approaching them (unless they're very sleepy).
I've read that the kittens are at the age where they are growing increasingly hard to socialize and I want to make sure I'm doing the all the right things.
Should I let them roam about the entire apartment? It is a big space (5 rooms and bathroom) with few doors between rooms (only bedroom, bathroom and office have doors and they're on opposite sides of apt) and lots of clutter so I worry I may not be able to find them or even be able to coax them out with food or toys if they have free roam? As it is, the office where they are staying has a tall bed with storage underneath (bins, a drum kit, boxes) where the kittens hide when I come in the room. Otherwise they seem to sleep in an enclosed sort of egg shaped bed I got them. Should I try to keep them in a less cluttered space like the bathroom so that they don't have the ability to hide from me? I chose the office initially because it was big enough to fit the kitty condo cage. The bathroom is small and cannot fit the condo or the scratching post they now love.
Should I isolate each cat for a few days and play with each individually?
Should I be putting them in a sling and taking them around the house with me? I tried this once with a makeshift scarf sling and they hated it and each eventually was able to wiggle his way out so I abandoned ship. If the sling is a good idea, though, I could go buy one or work harder to create an escape-proof one.
I'm torn as to whether or not it's best to have them feel comfortable roaming around the house and give them exposure to more movement or if it's best to try to be more intimate with them before I let them roam freely.
Would appreciate any advice!!
Thank you all!
A few weeks back my boyfriend found a terrible thing in the backyard. A cat had been torn to shreds, presumably by a raccoon. Nearby in a window well in the yard he found 3 little kittens. We assumed this had been momma cat possibly trying to protect kittens from predator. He trapped the little guys took them in, contacted an animal rescue group who helped set us up with what we needed. They were taken to the vet, de-wormed, etc.
A week later he heard meowing outside the window that the kittens were responding to. The kittens are all black and white and the cat meowing outside was all black. The animal rescue people helped us trap this adult cat using the kittens as "bait" and found she was lactating. They said she was almost certainly the mother and it would be beneficial for kittens to have her around for a while. We brought her in and put her in the kitty condo cage with the kittens who nursed from her for two weeks. After about two weeks mom (feral) was fed up with being in the cage and the kittens seemed healthy, so we were advised to take mom to get spayed and return her to the yard.
The kittens are now about 8-9 weeks old and I am trying hard to socialize them. I no longer keep them in the kitty condo cage, they have been free to roam in my office for about 5 days now. The cage is still in the room with doors open. I visit them for roughly 2 hours a day, feeding them off my finger or putting a bowl of food in my lap and playing with toys. Occasionally I leave the radio on for them. I give them wet food and to really get their attention sometimes chicken baby food (just chicken, veggies, and rice).
They have been relatively responsive to the socializing with food and play and will climb on me to eat and play but still cower and run to hide when I enter the room. I can pick them up when they're tired and hold them for a bit but they get restless and want to leave my arms pretty quickly. They do not seem "comfortable" with me and certainly do not enjoy my presence.
They have yet to approach me to cuddle or feel comfortable with me approaching them (unless they're very sleepy).
I've read that the kittens are at the age where they are growing increasingly hard to socialize and I want to make sure I'm doing the all the right things.
Should I let them roam about the entire apartment? It is a big space (5 rooms and bathroom) with few doors between rooms (only bedroom, bathroom and office have doors and they're on opposite sides of apt) and lots of clutter so I worry I may not be able to find them or even be able to coax them out with food or toys if they have free roam? As it is, the office where they are staying has a tall bed with storage underneath (bins, a drum kit, boxes) where the kittens hide when I come in the room. Otherwise they seem to sleep in an enclosed sort of egg shaped bed I got them. Should I try to keep them in a less cluttered space like the bathroom so that they don't have the ability to hide from me? I chose the office initially because it was big enough to fit the kitty condo cage. The bathroom is small and cannot fit the condo or the scratching post they now love.
Should I isolate each cat for a few days and play with each individually?
Should I be putting them in a sling and taking them around the house with me? I tried this once with a makeshift scarf sling and they hated it and each eventually was able to wiggle his way out so I abandoned ship. If the sling is a good idea, though, I could go buy one or work harder to create an escape-proof one.
I'm torn as to whether or not it's best to have them feel comfortable roaming around the house and give them exposure to more movement or if it's best to try to be more intimate with them before I let them roam freely.
Would appreciate any advice!!
Thank you all!
Bless your heart. 
