How To Socialize A Feral Kitten With Other Cats
Feral kittens will likely try to attack bite or scratch you.
How to socialize a feral kitten with other cats. The golden rule is that if they are struggling with actually getting into the process of taming and socializing you should definitely make sure. They are feral and they can take some time to adjust. Don t throw it away. To begin place your hand flat on the floor palm side down.
It is during these early days that kittens form bonds with cats humans and other animals. It could take as long as 28 to 56 days to socialize a feral kitten. 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. If catnip does nothing for your cat then fret not there are other substances you can try.
Soak up what pee you can before properly cleaning the spot and lightly bury the pee soaked paper towel in the other. Then there are two options for the kittens depending on age. Clearly the latter is the better choice but it will take some work on your part. Put poop in one box.
1 spay or neuter and return to their original environment or 2 socialize to the point where they are friendly enough to be adopted into good homes. Acclimate the feral cat to your hand. To do this successfully you will need to follow some simple steps. Usually feral cats tend to bond with one singular human so if you want them to be more used to other humans you can call friends and family in and then you can have them work with the kittens handle them and from there see what happens.
Avoid contact between the cat and your children in the first phases of the process. Feral kittens should be checked out by a veterinarian and tested for diseases contagious to other cats before you bring them home. What you will need for the socialization process. The best time to socialize feral kittens is within 14 to 49 days of their lives.
We often receive calls from people who have a feral cat who just had kittens. While many cats do find some stress relief from the use of a spray or plug in product called feliway synthetic hormones that mimic the friendly scent. These products can help calm and comfort cats using essential oils or extracts or by mimicking natural feline pheromones. Keep the kittens isolated from your pet cats wash your hands and wear a smock or change clothes between handling visits to protect against the spread of disease from the kittens to pets or from pets to the kittens.
There is no exact answer to how long it takes to socialize a feral kitten but it could take more time and skill to socialize kittens older than two months. Wear gloves at all times until the kitten is fully. Cats can form strong social relationships with familiar individuals and particularly between kittens in the same litter and between kittens and their mother. Create a calm environment.
However in feral cat colonies kittens may often be nursed suckled by more than one lactating queen and this in itself may help in the formation of social bonds at a young age. However there is a gray area in which the personality of the individual cat comes into play. Let her come to you and allow her to bump into your leg arm or hand. Clearly they aren t vaccinated and you re at risk of getting an infection or disease if they catch you.
Alley cat allies does not in general recommend trying to socialize a feral cat over 4 months of age. With the scents in the proper places feral kitties typically very fastidious about their bathroom behavior will almost always pick up on this cue. Still wary of more human interaction the feral cat will need time to adjust to your hand. With feral kittens you should take time with them.
On socializing older kittens. Indeed kittens may also try to suck from non lactating.