Hi, I work for a cat rescue group as a volunteer. I've fostered a bunch of kittens, from 2 weeks to five months, with good success. But now I've got a feral kitten, roughly four months old, that was brought in and neutered last night during our monthly clinic. He was supposed to be a catch-neuter-release, but we got talking about him and since he was so little, we decided to try socializing him rather than put him back with his colony. He's in a goodish sized dog crate in my spare room, using the litter box (mostly) and eating dry kitten food and water.
He's even eaten a little chicken baby food off of a spoon that I held through the bars of his cage. When I open the cage to change his water or clean his box, though, he throws himself against the sides of the cage in pure panic. I don't know how to begin socializing him, I'm afraid to do more damage to his view of humans by making a mistake.
I've gotten a little, mostly contradictory advice. Some said to withhold food unless he takes it from my spoon, some said to just put the food in there and talk to him from outside the cage for hours a day, some said to put a TV or radio in there so he gets used to human voices, some say he needs quiet. One lady said to wrap him in a towel 'like a burrito' and hold him for as much of the day as I can, but the poor thing panics when I open his cage door, I have no idea how to get him out and burrito wrapped without hurting him or me.
I've read a couple of articles online, again the information is largely contradictory. Does anyone here have experience with this, can you offer some advice? I could use some help!
Knightrayven
He's even eaten a little chicken baby food off of a spoon that I held through the bars of his cage. When I open the cage to change his water or clean his box, though, he throws himself against the sides of the cage in pure panic. I don't know how to begin socializing him, I'm afraid to do more damage to his view of humans by making a mistake.
I've gotten a little, mostly contradictory advice. Some said to withhold food unless he takes it from my spoon, some said to just put the food in there and talk to him from outside the cage for hours a day, some said to put a TV or radio in there so he gets used to human voices, some say he needs quiet. One lady said to wrap him in a towel 'like a burrito' and hold him for as much of the day as I can, but the poor thing panics when I open his cage door, I have no idea how to get him out and burrito wrapped without hurting him or me.
I've read a couple of articles online, again the information is largely contradictory. Does anyone here have experience with this, can you offer some advice? I could use some help!
Knightrayven