Working With Nervous Kittens

Some kittens arrive bouncing off the walls ready to play with anyone, which others are terrified and shaking in their boots anytime you look at them.

 A while back before fostering I worked at a clinic that raised litters of stray kittens. One litter in particular arrived very nervous and were suspected to be "semi-feral." I remember the first time I saw them I was hissed at and I thought there were only 3 (There were 4-- one hid for the first couple days). There was talk about not keeping them because they were too difficult to raise and adopt out, I couldn't let that happen so I ended up spending a weekend working on socializing them. By the end of the weekend they would come straight to the door whenever I approached and the one that hid even sat in my lap! They ended up being some of my favorite kittens I've worked with. These kittens helped strengthen my desire to work in shelter medicine and was my first glimpse at fostering kittens. 

Most recently my foster kitten Hazel was also pretty shy. When I first got her home she didn't come out of the kennel and hissed every time I walked by her. It was less than a week by the time she curled up in my lap to take a nap!

Hazel snuggling with me before going back to the shelter to find her forever home

These kittens were a much more mild case than many of the kittens seen but it just goes to show that a little love and patience can make big changes. More severe cases and true feral kitties take a lot more work! But I have seen proof that even the most feral of kittens can become a perfect adoptable kitten. There are few things more rewarding than seeing a kitten go from terrified to sweet and trusting. 

So here are some general tips for socializing nervous kittens

Be Patient-- My first reaction when I see a kitten is to pick it up and snuggle it and never want to let go. That's okay for some kittens but not for these nervous kittens. What  you perceive as being friendly they may find terrifying. The best thing you can do is sit still and let them come to you. 
Be Understanding-- Look at things through their eyes. These are tiny kittens and you are a very big, intimidating creature. It's possible they have had very negative experiences with humans in the past. They need time to learn that humans aren't bad, and in fact we are just trying to help them. Cats need to be untrusting to survive, it's their instinct. So just be understanding and see where they are coming from. 
Go Slow-- Imagine a giant hand coming down from the sky to pick you up. That's terrifying. You are a giant to these kittens. Go slow and be gentle, they need proof that you are not going to hurt them. It takes time. Don't rush them. 


So that's the basics of what I've learned from working with shy kittens. Please share any experiences you have, I'd love to hear more tips and recommendations!