[Katie1504]

Hello all,

I am new to the forum so I hope this is in the right place. On Saturday I took in 2 6 week old kittens. My cousin has a farm and the kittens needed a home. So on Saturday we went to pick them up got them home and let them have a look around and put them to bed. At night they go in a large box so they can't run around the house. Anyway the next day we let them out and of course they were very shy and hissing etc. We spent a lot of time playing with them and my husban has now managed to tame one and we can stroke it etc. She is still a little shy. The other one is evil. She hisses, scratches, spits and runs away. We make sure we get down to her level and play loads with her and we avoid picking her up but even if you look at her she is like it.

Can anyone give me some advice? I know it is only early but I want to make sure she isnt like this forever. These are the first kittens we have had.

Thanks,

Katie

 

[Treaclesmum]

She is terrified, not evil.

Could you shut them in one room rather than a box, they would prefer it. Make sure they know where their litter tray is, though!! And their food and water.

 

[colliemerles]

Hello Katie and welcome to the forum, as your new to kittens your probably not aware but at 6 weeks your little kittens are much to young to be away from mum, may i ask why they needed to go so early. and you say you put them in a box at night to stop them running round the house, is this box big enough for the litter tray and food and bedding,. have you wormed your little kittens, and are they eating ok. they are probably very nervous as leaving home and there other sibblings, it does take time for kittens to settle

 

[Katie1504]

Hello Colliemerles, Thanks for this. I took them because their mum had left them and my cousin couldnt spend time with them as it is a working farm so I thought I was doing the right thing. I didnt know 6 weeks was too early either. The box is hugeeeee it is the one that our rayburn came in so it fits a litter tray, bed, food, water and toys in it. I havent wormed them because i didnt know if I could because they are kittens. They seem to be eating and drinking ok and are very playful around each other it is just this one that seems to really hate us.

 

[Ang2]

If they came from a farm, then I presume they are semi feral and not used to people and handling. Just be patient and they will become confident with you.

You can worm now with Panacur and you can get that from PetsatHome.

 

[colliemerles]

also if you only got them saturday then its all still very new for them, just take it very slow, try not to make sudden movements or to much noise ,just spend some time sitting and talking quietly to them, in time they will feel at ease with you ,and hopefully in afew weeks you will be posting pictures of them asleep on your lap. do they have names,

 

[Katie1504]

They are slowly getting better it is just worrying when one of them is like that I I have never had kittens before. One is called Socks (that is the one that is happy to come up to us) and the other is called Buttons.

 

[welshjet]

They will take time and a lot of it if they havent had much contact with humans.

As regards to thr worming - personally i would leave this for now, they are probably terrified.

Id say get them used to you and knowing that your not going to hurt them then worm them. Build up a bit of trust first as even adult cats hate and fight when worming time approaches.

Just sit down with them in a quiet room, dont approach them, but say just drag a piece of wool across the floor and see if they will play and maybe start interacting with you.

But very slowly is the key and quietly, also build them up to toys such as ping pong balls to chase etc

 

[carly87]

Contradicting the last post, I pjersonally wouldn't wait to worm them, not when there's a risk of intoceception (sp?) if the worm burden gets too high and then you give a strong wormer. They will also not put on weight as well if they are wormy. Anyway, Panacur can be put in food, and as the dose will be so small for these (you need to do 0.5 ml per KG of body weight each day for 3 days), they probably won't even notice it in the food. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[colliemerles]

They are slowly getting better it is just worrying when one of them is like that I I have never had kittens before. One is called Socks (that is the one that is happy to come up to us) and the other is called Buttons.

lovely names,. cant wait for them to settle so we can see pictures of them.

 

[ewelsh]

I am sure in weeks to come you will have a completely different post...

Like babies they will take time to have a routine and it will take time for you to understand they are different little kittens and different personalities.

talk gently to them, move slowly, stoke before you pick them up, play with them which will make you very interesting and fun to be around..

Pop them off to the vets for a little check up and enjoy each day as it comes... they will be bombing round and up to all sorts of mischief really soon...

oh start now to keeping the loo seat down...

pic's would be lovely to see when you can.

 

[Katie1504]

I was so shocked last night when I got home. I was late back and when I walked in my husband was sat on the floor with a kitten (Socks- the one that isnt at all scared) purched on his knee. He said that she had just walked up to him and got on his knee and sat with him watching tv. I need to get a photo next time it happens it was really cute.

 

[Ingrid25]

Thats so great
Don't force buttons to do anything- if anything it will make her MORE scared of you. He might pick up on Sock's brave behavior

 

[Katie1504]

Well last night she came out to play a little bit and then she notices that everyone can see her so she runs away. lol