How Long To Socialize Feral Kittens
They estimate that kittens under 4 weeks old take a matter of hours or days to socialize older kittens take longer naturally and kittens who are 10 weeks or older can also be tamed but it may take much longer and many times they will only tame to the person working with them and remain wild with strangers.
How long to socialize feral kittens. The mom might ve gotten. As a person who is interested in taking care of cats you may come across some feral kittens and it can be a bit daunting. Spayed or neutered it will take a few days after sterilization for that strong urine smell to mitigate but to stop spraying territory marking before it starts it s best to sterilize as soon as possible. If the kittens are eight weeks or younger usually just about anyone can socialize them by following some simple steps.
However there is a gray area in which the personality of the individual cat comes into play. Several organizations recommend not to take a cat from the wildness if they are all grown up already. The best time to socialize feral kittens is within 14 to 49 days of their lives. For example play chase or hide and seek or give them squeaky toys they can bat around.
If you re trying to socialize your kitten start by holding it close to your chest and talking to it for at least 15 minutes a day so it starts to feel safe with you. Between 4 and 8 months of age if there is time and capacity and if the kitten is showing meaningful signs of social behavior the decision may be made to place the kitten in a foster home for socialization and eventual adoption. Remember feral kittens are often hard to take care of but you can learn more about how to take care of feral kittens and the process of living with feral kittens here and here if you want to find out more information on taking care of them. It could take as long as 28 to 56 days to socialize a feral kitten.
Alley cat allies does not in general recommend trying to socialize a feral cat over 4 months of age. Depending on what the cat is working on and what the cat can tolerate the length of sessions will vary. It is during these early days that kittens form bonds with cats humans and other animals. With some time and attention you can work with young feral kittens to help them become affectionate and loving companions.
Feral kittens that are between 4 to 10 weeks old are especially suitable to socialize. The socialization of feral kittens requires a daily commitment of time the duration of which depends on the age of the kittens and the amount and consistency of the time you spend working with them. Even if your intentions are the best you can harm the cat. You should also play with your kitten every day to keep it active and improve its social skills.
Community kittens can be socialized fairly easily if they re handled at an early age 8 weeks or under. During the socialization process you ll want to do six to eight sessions per day with each cat with sessions in the beginning lasting one to three minutes. On socializing older kittens.