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24-01-2009, 09:41 PM
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Advice on 5mth old semi-feral kittens
Hi all,
We adopted a couple of male ginger kittens from the RSPCA 3mths ago when they were 12wks old. They were found aged apprx 8wks on the roof of an office block and we were told they were semi-feral as they hissed and lashed out if anyone went near them, but they slowly seem to be getting more sociable....  They will wait about a metre away from us when it's feeding time and will play with toys on a stick and will climb on me to take food from my hand  - but if I try and stroke them they run away. They will also spend most of the day under the sofa - though on an evening they will both play together with me in the room and sometimes lie on the opposite sofa from me.We know that trust takes time - but could do with some extra advice !! Sorry there's a few questions  - Should we wait till we can stroke them before we take them to the vets for "the snip"? Or is the sooner the better? - Will they become any friendlier after neutering? - At the moment they're restricted to the living room and kitchen - should we open up the rest of the house yet? We're scared we'll never see them if we do! Thanks in advance.... Rob. 
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24-01-2009, 10:02 PM
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Re: Advice on 5mth old semi-feral kittens
I took two ferels from the CPL i cant help with the snip as mine were already done, but it took mths to get them to come anywhere near to us, i used to sit in middle of room with treats and they would come to my hand to take it then run and hide, they are now 4 years old and one is like a big baby we can do anything with her the other one we still cannot stroke, only when she lets us which is one stroke and she is gone, they are house cats they dont go out at all as we were advised this in case they went back ferel, also they are soul mates and one will scream if she cant find the other they dont s cratch or bite but neither like beng picked up, and are very well behaved if we need to take to vets, we have taken lots in the past but none have been your cuddle cat but all loved to bits , we too kept them in two rooms and even now they spend a lot of time in the spare room together, its great you have taken them as a lot are pts as no one wants them.
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24-01-2009, 10:05 PM
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Re: Advice on 5mth old semi-feral kittens
good questions, now it all depends upon the valuables and what damage that they could cause else where in the house. So this question only you can answer,
As for over time becoming more friendly, it is possible just give them time and cuddles with in reason. Time is of the essence here, good luck and it would be nice to have some pictures of the wee ones! 
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25-01-2009, 10:56 AM
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Re: Advice on 5mth old semi-feral kittens
Thanks for the responses so far....
Thankfullly all the valuables are already kept well out the way and they've learnt curtains are a no-go ! Ha ha ha. Hopefully they will eventually come round a bit more... just not sure if neutering will help them settle or put their socially back a couple of months. Just had a thought - should we try stroking with a brush first and see if they see that as less threatening ???  Clarke let me touch the top of his paws while eating last night, and I've learnt his back is to be avoided - should I try his head/shoulders next ? Clarke is the lighter one and seems to be the most adventurous.... Bruce is the darker and moodier one and watches everyone suspiciously  Have attached some piccies...
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25-01-2009, 11:01 AM
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Re: Advice on 5mth old semi-feral kittens
I would neuter, the hormones are the things that might make them even more independent.
You could try some Rescue remedy in their drinking water, and a feliway diffuser to help relax them. You can buy them from your vet or [cheaper] online.
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25-01-2009, 01:32 PM
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Re: Advice on 5mth old semi-feral kittens
Neutering them both may make them slightly more trusting, it certainly seems to work that way with males more than females.
It sounds as though you have come a long way with them both already I think the trick with gaining their confidence further is to do it on their terms. If you sneak a stroke when they are eating a bit of ham or treat from your hand or when they are both curled up asleep, the trick is not to look at them or if you do face them close your eyes. Its what other cats do, eye to eye contact to a cat can be seen as a sign of agression, so if you avoid that until you have their trust completely it may help smooth the process a little.If you want to make the trip to the vets as painless as possible without a battle, I would put their carrier in the corner of the room with some nice comfy blankets inside, with the door open. Add a few treats in there from time to time. If you can get them sleeping comfortably in there you may find that when the morning comes for their snip you simply have to close the door rather than have a fight to get them in there.
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 www.saikousiameseandorientals.com "Love a lot, trust just a few and always paddle your own canoe" "Who is the greater fool - the fool themself or those that follow them"
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25-01-2009, 01:45 PM
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Re: Advice on 5mth old semi-feral kittens
They are a seriously cute pair!
I have a 5 - almost 6 - year old cat that was a feral kitten and for a long time he would not let anyone pick him up. The first thing he did when I went to see him was bite my finger! My son said we had to have him! he is now very much an outdoor cat and a grumpy old man but he adores both my sons and will let them do anything with him. My youngest (16) carries him around like a baby. I agree with Saikou - if you can get them to think that the carrier is a nice place to be it will be easier to get them to the vets. And I think getting them done now would be good for them too. The vet should be able to deal with them if they are agressive at all. my vet's arms are constantly covered in scratches Good luck with them both. They are adorable and I love their names
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25-01-2009, 05:48 PM
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Re: Advice on 5mth old semi-feral kittens
with bracken we more or less waited for him to come to us, a couple of time i was right down on the floor on his level so i wasnt towering over him, speaking softly and holding my hand out for him to come to
obviously it varies from cat to cat and ours learnt to trust us pretty quickly, less than two months after he was hiding under the sofa terrified of us, he now lets us stroke him, actually coming up to head bump us first and we can sometimes pick him up and carry him !
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27-01-2009, 08:50 AM
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Re: Advice on 5mth old semi-feral kittens
Thanks for the great advice and words of encouragement - it's really appreciated.
Looks like Im going to have to try and book them in for the snip asap and see how it goes. Pet carrier is now next to their bed in the kitchen but I think they're a bit wary of it at the moment. Managed to get some feliway spray so have tried a little squirt in the carrier to see if that makes it anymore appealing. Thanks again..... 
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27-01-2009, 05:39 PM
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Re: Advice on 5mth old semi-feral kittens
Yeap have to agree you need to book them in for the snip sooner rather than later otherwise they will start spraying and once they start its very hard to get them to stop
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