New Kitten Advice

L.Jenkins

So we've just got a kitten today. She came from a litter of rather wild kittens and a Tom for a mother. The kitten we have, is the runt of the litter and quite shy/very nervous.

Since arriving home, we put her down to explore the house. When we went to pick her up and check her eyes, as she has a cold, she bolted behind the washing machine. We haven't moved it in an attempt to frighen her any further. Is there anything we can do to coax her out without causing any distress or will we let her to come out on her own time?

jimf

turn down the lights cats being more nocturnal creatures will relax a bit more

put food down at a distance that will make it come out but not two far from what it now feels is a safe place and as little noise as possible

she will come around in a few days try and coax her to come to you a little at a time

and speak to her in very low timid voice

had a mad kitten a tom 3 years ago could not get within 50 yards of him he now owns the couch and the chairs suppose were lucky we still have beds

good luck it will be worth it in the end ten times more affectionate than any dog

OwaynOTT

Would also be a good idea if you pretend she isn't there for a few days. Also found leaving on a talk-radio, low volume, helped with our last wild kitten Dreben.

jimf

ask your vet for opticlox eye ointment great for sore eyes in cats but make sure it
can be used on kittens

also have it spayed asap then no problems with mammary glands or feline aids contactable from infected roaming toms who are major carriers

Themadhouse

I would try and get her from behind the washing machine and either set her up in a bedroom up stairs or in a crate in a quiet area of the house. She will take some time to come around if she hasnt been socialised properly.
I am assuming she is very young, 8 weeks? less?
Once you have her little space set up with a tray, bed, food, water etc, you can leave on a radio. If she is very young consider a heat pad for her, especially if she is the runt.
Time, patience and love and she will come around.

snowgal

I always find the best thing to do is act like you've had them for ages. I think they pick up on owners anxieties or worry. Just let her potter around and in and out for a few days, let her come to you instead of the other way round. she'll soon be flying around the house with bundles of energy and fun!

lamicrom

I've taken in a ton of stray and feral cats & kittens in my time. All the above advice is great. Best thing really seems to be to just let them explore and settle at their own pace. The frightened ones do eventually come around but it could take a bit of time and patience with them but well worth it!

Keeping the room they are in dark and quiet is great, it will help them feel much safer. Especially with a scared cat/kitten, their ancestral instinct will be the hide and stay put for hours until it is safe to wander again and for a cat, this will be under darkness. You could lure the little one out with some food, wet cat food is best as the smell will attract him (maybe even a bit of tuna), just a little bit is all you need as a little kittens tummy is tiny! Just place it in front of the washing machine and walk away, he will come out when he is ready. Once he is out, it's best to just ignore him really and let him do his own thing at his own pace. I usually kind of tip-toe around with the more fearful cats, so they get used to my company but they don't get alarmed by any sudden movements or loud noises or anything like that.

You can talk to him in a low, soothing voice too. Don't make direct eye contact with them, this is considered a threat in cat language, so best to just avoid full eye contact until he feels much safer. It is good though to look at him and blink softly, this is a sign of acceptance in cat language! You will often see cats who are friends do this with each other, or mommy cats to their babies!

Sometimes I just sit on the floor and the cat/kitten will get curious and start to approach me. Little by little I will start to reach out with my hand and maybe wriggle my fingers and they get real curious and start to approach and smell and bat at my fingers, this point is a great break through usually! After this, you just keep on building little by little each day until the little guy is settled, after that the house is his and you're his servant, lol!

If you have any other animals, it is best to maybe keep them separate for a while until the new guy settles in and the others are ready to accept the new arrival.

Hope this helps and I'm sure the new addition to the household will bring hours of fun!

Pumpkinseeds

Play is a great way of building trust. Especially with the dangly toy on a pole toys. When you play it helps if you sit down on the floor, it makes you smaller and less intimidating to the cat.

OwaynOTT

Slow blinking is the way to go.

boomerang

All great advice and in addition I would confine her to just one room for now, without much furniture that she can hide behind. A bathroom is ideal. This speeds up the socialisation process considerably, which will make for a much more relaxed and happy adult cat.

She might also need a course of antibiotics for the cat flu. I'd definitely have a vet have a look and he/she can also advise you on worming and diet. These stray babies don't get a great start so they can be delicate little things while they're kittens.

Oh and one other thing that works brilliantly for taming little feral kittens: Luncheon Roll! They can't resist the smell! Start by throwing little scraps of it to her, then reduce the distance you throw them, then finally offer them from your hand. Really builds their confidence in a very gentle way.