How do i tame a wild kitten my hub brought a kitten home caught in a live trap its really pretty?

Question

calico cat told my husband i wana tame her she bites scratches and does not trust humans, help me i wan save her from being euthinized... Ive gotten her to were i can pick her up but she still wants to hiss at me and some times bite, her eyes are very untrusting.

Answer 1

Food and treats, let is trust and come to you. Give it a safe warm place to hide and it will check everything out. Is it old enough to be on its own? Put out food and water in a common area like kitchen floor, it will warm up to you once it feels safe. Just be careful not to get biten or scratched too deeply since you don't know where it came from. Happy to hear you are trying to give it a home. Get some cat toys and some yarn to wiggle... kittens can't resist a good play time...

Answer 2

Food goes a LONG way to helping tame down a feral. So does routine. The more the cat hears you talking and moving around, and sees you, the calmer it'll be. They have to know you're not going to suddenly turn and attack them. We've tamed ferals, it IS a long process, but the cats do respond and calm down and start to trust you. It took 2 years on Fred, 4 years on the Buff, and only 6 months on Hudson. Each cat is different but I have to say that food was the great equilizer! The other cats won't be attacked if they don't provoke the new one. If it's a kitten, literally, say under 6 months, don't worry so much. Some of those tame themselves. They just need to know the routine and see you doing the same thing over and over and over. The vet trip (make sure you have a vet experienced with handling ferals, it makes a huge difference!) can be done by using a live trap to get the cat while in the room, keep him in the trap with a towel over it to the vet, and let the vet deal with the rest of the process. Release the cat once he's back home again, back into the room. You can join up with the handicats list or any of the feral lists over on yahoogroups, they can help you. OR google cat rescues for your state and email them for suggestions. Our guys all became lap cats eventually, real lap hogs. Two were full adult males too, so it's possible. You just have to be patient. I realized I reached the turning point with Fred when I absent-mindedly grabbed him by his love handles and slid him backwards so I could get him in reach to pick up and he didn't retaliate! I didn't even think when I did it - this was a cat who hated being touched too! But he decided we were able to be trusted if we did the same things without doing anything weirdly new, and he adapted faster and faster.

Answer 3

It'll take some time and patience but you are well on your way if you can pick her up. Kudos! What ever you are doing it seems to be working. You didn't say how old she is. Depending on her age she may never get completely over it, but chances are she be be a great pet eventually. I have tamed many feral cat's that people said couldn't be tamed. Just take your time with her, be kind and patient and she'll come around nicely. Just don't push her too hard, you don't want to overwhelm her. If it were me I'd isolate her in one room at first too so she won't be over stimulated and frightened. She needs to consider you a "safe zone". Best of luck to you! P.S. It's not true that an older cat can't be tamed..... I have a siamese male that I trapped at about a year old. He was feral in every sence of the word. It took quite awhile but he is one of the biggest lovers now. He does have a couple of issues with certain things (like petting his tummy) but as long as your respect his likes and dislikes he respects you.

Answer 4

I have a cat that was feral. It took about 6 months for him to completely trust us. For the first month I kept him in a carrier & carried him with me from room to room so that he could get use to the house, sounds & rooms. I would talk to him all the time & only pet him for a few minutes at a time. After the first month I let him out for a while during the day & let him socialize with my other animals. I never left him out long though because he would get scared. Feral kittens are taught by their mothers to fear us. Once he got over that fear everything was great. It takes ALOT of patience but it is well worth it. Our Tigger is now 5 years old & is the most rotten, fat, lovable cat in the world. Good Luck. You will be so glad that you did this.

Answer 5

Time and patience are also good. I have three strays I aquired in June of last year. Two tamed fairly easily, about three months ago the third finally let me pick her up without scratching me. She startles easily and hides if anyone besides me is in the house but overall she's a good cat.

Your little girl may never be a lounge-around house cat, but give her time, and remember just because she doesn't want to be held doesn't make her any less of a cat. She may still make a wonderful addition to your home.

Answer 6

Call your vet and ask them about disease, shots, taming and if it is possible to tame a feral cat? You can create a nice bed outside in a protected area and put some catnip, milk and kibbles. Repeat this for a month, and she may start to warm up to you, and allow her to pet you. It will take her time to allow you to get closer, it will be a building of trust. She will probably leave and keep on coming back until she decides to stay if at all. I would not make this an indoor cat right away.

Answer 7

You already have lots of response to this, but I have to add my two cents.

The very best way to bring a kitten to trust you enough that you can begin to really socialize and train her is to put her in a cage. Not an itty bitty bird cage, but a larger one, with a wee potty and a nest of rags for a bed and food and water. Drape the cage on every side but the side the door is on with a cloth, and let that front part face a room where you spend a good deal of time. This permits her to observe normalcy, so it doesn't startle her, and to adjust to the normal scents of this environment, and to do it from her own little secure cave.

Every time you approach the cage to talk to her, be gentle in voice and demeanor. Cats are very sensitive to the texture of your presence and the timbre of your voice, and they prefer a higher pitched woman's voice to a lower pitched male voice. Do not open the cage door a lot at first, but let her know that every single time that door opens, there is something good in it for her: food, water, nurturing caresses. When you do pick her up and handle her, say things like, "Oh, Fluffy, you are such a very bad little girl." in a sweet, gentle chiding voice, and look into her eyes with warm nurturing love. Yes, I know it sounds over-the-top, but if you hold and speak to her with the same gentleness and let your eyes reflect it, no matter how she responds the first time, if you maintain that demeanor, she will reflect it back to you. That first little pause from her is the beginning of trust. The next step comes when she comes to the front of the cage to meet you when you open the door. The third step comes when she hangs out at the front of the cage when she sees you. And at that point, you can begin to bring her out of the cage, a little at first and then for longer periods, and then you can get rid of the cage.

Whenever you come to the cage to bring her things or interact with her, and most especially when you set down her food, use her name. She will learn it quickly.

The important thing with a kitten is to remember that she is just a baby. If she hisses and bites, that is because she is afraid. But all babies need mommies. And if you fill the mommy slot, you will gain her trust and defeat the fear. That is why unconditional love and a nurturing demeanor are important. You are replacing something she needs and has lost, and gradually drawing her into your world, so she can survive -- because you love her and think she is beautiful.

I don't know how much of the cage idea is practical for you, but it is the ideal solution. I hope you can adapt it to your circumstances. With most kittens, the process of establishing trust takes just a few days if you keep them confined in a cage or something similar.

The other thing a lot of the responders suggested, that you get her to a vet and have her checked out, is important. She needs to be checked for feline AIDS (not transmissable to humans) and feline leukemia. But if she is healthy-appearing and doesn't have any apparent infections, this is not an emergency need., and can be deferred for a few days. Her biggest issue right now is to learn to trust and to get over her fear.

One last thing. Once she does come around and you have her out of the cage and running around the house, watch the electrical wires. Kittens do teethe, and when they do, they like to chew electrical wires. I don't know if your kitty is beyond this stage or not. Ask the vet when you go.

Answer 8

I'd say lots of patience. She sounds like she'll always have emotional scars, but if you see any progress at all, I'd keep with it. Just show her she has nothing to fear with you and get into the mind set that you need to be something she considers safe and relaxing. It takes a lot of work. Observe her and if you see something she needs help with (like getting down from somewhere high, or getting a toy she's trying to reach, little things), help her with it and it will add to a stronger bond. Don't let her rely too heavily on you though or she will always be miserable.

Answer 9

I would just leave her be for now and get used to her surroundings. Try to be in the same room with her but not at her all the time. Let her get used to having you around and just talk softly to her from afar.. Get some treats and put one near her. When she comes to get it praise her. In time she will feel comfortable enough to get closer to you.. This is what I did with a stray once and the result was worth all the effort it took. He was an amazing loving cat till the end. Good luck with your kitty..

Answer 10

I tried raising a wild kitten once.
But it was too wild. I think my Father
never believed we could catch it.
So he was really surprised when we did.
He made us let it go, it was just too WILD.

At least you can pick the Kitty up.
I would say keep it near and Pet it alot.
But Cats become Independent fast.
Once you ween it from milk it won't
need very much from you. They don't
want, or need affection like a Dog.
I would think a kitten born wild would
become TOO INDEPENDENT.
Good luck