How to Tame a Scared feral cat - Dormouse the Kitten, part 1 of 7
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- Опубліковано 24 сер 2024
- Meet Dormouse, a 4 month old male feral kitten who needs some serious socialization work before he can go up for adoption. In this first video we demonstrate how to handle a kitten who is lashing out in fear and the first steps to gaining trust.
Update for 2019! Here are some great products that we now use here at Kitten School for calming a shy or frightened kitty. All are proven safe and effective to use on cats:
Feliway - This plug-in diffuser mimics natural feline pheromones that the cats can smell and is calming to many cats. We have used this here at Kitten School for years and I think it has helped keep the peace with my resident cats, who sometimes resent the "intrusion" of foster kitties on their territory. The scent is not noticeable to humans and you just plug it in the wall, where it will waft the calming pheromones into the air. Might take a week or so to notice a difference, but many multi-cat owners swear by it! Here's a link to a starter kit including the plug-in diffuser and refill: amzn.to/35s7JNk
Bach Rescue Remedy for Pets - This homeopathic herbal calming formula has been used to help people relax for ages and is now available in a pet formula safe for cats. A few drops in your cat's food or water can help calm him or her in stressful times, such as a trip to the vet, moving, or the introduction of a new kitty into the house: amzn.to/2rlJTnD
Please note, I will occasionally put affiliate links for products that I have used and trust to be of good quality. If you buy these products through one of my affiliate links, I will earn a small commission on the purchase. This support goes towards the ongoing care for the foster cats and kittens who are here at Kitten School and every bit helps. Thank you!
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We had a dog attack a stray cat in the barn. I drove the dog away and came over to the cat who was laying there ready to bite and claw if she could. Figured her spine was damaged. I grabbed a stick and used it to pet the cat's head and spoke gently to it. After a few minutes of hissing at me, she started crawling toward me for comfort. At this point, mom and I was able to take it to the vet. She's part of the family now doing just fine.
Yeeaah❤
madDragon08 that’s lovely.😘
Did you eat it?
Bless your kind soul my good man.
Great story. Bless your heart for giving the cat a new happy life ... I love people , who care for animals
It's funny how many people are complaining about how "aggressive" them socializing the kitten was. Like suddenly the whole comment section are experts on socializing feral kittens. Very obviously their approach worked, as the kitten has become very friendly with them, you need to remember that feral kittens are not like regular kittens. Feral kittens will not just suddenly become curious and friendly, you need to socialize them which may seem aggressive but if the kitten didn't like it you would know
THANK YOU xoxox
@@KittenSchool This is true. they will not come out of their shell and be curious. They will draw blood. I had been bit by cats my whole life, did not know the real pain of a bite until I was bit by a feral kitten. he grabbed on so hard his tooth went THROUGH my finger. it got infected and I couldn't move it for a week. He was not going to become.curious on his own. they all needed to be handled daily against their wishes until they learn you arent going to hurt them.
Indeed. Taming feral kittens basically requires you to substitute yourself for their mommy cat, and mommy cats are *not* gentle with their kittens when they're teaching them. They aren't brutal, but they're quite firm. There are things we have to do to tame feral kittens that replicate what momma cat does and they may look like we're being rough with the kitten, but it's necessary in order to trigger the right instincts on the part of the kitten. For example, squishing the kitten against you to prevent it from freaking out and then petting it is *exactly* what a momma cat does when she wants to groom a kitten -- she squishes it against the ground or against her with her paw and then grooms it with her tongue. So when KS squished the kitten against her and pet it, that's exactly what momma cat would have done -- and puts her in the place of momma cat, which is an important step in the taming process. In the end cats are not people, you have to work with the instincts that are built in to the cat (one of which is the instinct to calm down when being squished and groomed), not with the instincts built into people. Just because something would be wrong to do for a human infant doesn't mean it's wrong for a cat. Cats are cats, not people.
I did stuff like this with my kitten. She was scared. It didn't take long for her to realize she didn't have to be scared, I wasn't going to hurt her. And the pets felt really good lol. I treated her a lot like a dog, and hey it worked.
Every kitten is different.
I have rescued 21 homeless kitties over my lifetime.
I got my cat, Junior, at just a year old from a shelter. He lived his entire life in an abusive home, absolutely no affection given. He was pretty much on death row, he was as feral as it got. Biting, scratching, hissing, peeing himself. I took one good look at him, huddled in his corner of his cage, and decided to take him in.
He spent half a month hiding in a closet in my room, and would barely come out to explore the rest of the house, only for food and litter. I gave him as much space as I could, provided him with the necessary food and litter, and patiently waited. Soon enough he became comfortable enough to roam around the house, but he wouldn't even dare to look at me, one look was all it took to run back to that closet.
Junior was adopted in 2008. It took me until 2013 to earn his trust. That's 5 YEARS. Gosh, I still remember the day that he finally cuddled up to me one night, after some progress consisting of sporadic pets, affectionate talking and kinda playing with a laser pointer. I was tearing up while he was purring next to me.
Now he's just like a normal cat, I can't pick him up for long though, it doesn't seem like he will ever like that and I don't push it at all. He cries whenever I leave the house in the morning and runs up excited when I return, snuggles up for at least the remainder of the day and enjoys his playtime! Please give feral/abused cats a chance if you have the patience, the love that you'll eventually get back is the most rewarding feeling you'll ever feel in your life.
I wish my job was to cuddle with kittens all day.
Hi Jesus Christ, this is not my only job. I just make time for it! Big fan of your work, by the way.
I get to cuddle 90 cats and kittens three days a week at the local Shelter. Sit on the floor and have a cat coat within seconds ;-) They all jostle for a space to sit, snuggle, or perch. Try it - your local Shelter would probably LOVE a volunteer to pay attention to the wee ones.
Ur just a guy impersonating god.
@@gsdalpha1358 😮😮😯😯
Me to🐈kittens are so cute😍😍
He's a beautiful cat
This cat look like my cat
He really looks like my cat
@@whatshallireview he
@@rachekmcghee165 yes correct 😀
Must...snuggle...kitten...
The blood is SO worth it.
kitten.....must.......bite....
must gnaw... kitten... furry head... o_o
No. You have to wait, and slowly help him ,
Resistance is purrrr-tile
To those who have voiced criticism about this video: Kindly take the time to watch all 6 videos before you cast judgement on the tactics shown. Dormouse was a kitten on 'death row' at the local shelter; I did not have the luxury of months of time to allow him to slowly come out and start to trust me on his own time. And at his age he was on the brink of becoming die-cast into an unsociable cat. I don't know what it's like at the shelters were you are, but here we struggle to find homes for even the most loving cats and kittens. "Taming" Dormouse was his last chance, and it worked. He is now living in a wonderful home and from the message to that I received the other day by his Mom, is happily at work trying to redecorate the family Christmas tree. An update video on him is coming soon. And this was a cat who was two days away from being euthanized when I took him as a foster. So say what you like; it saved Dormouse's life. ++Caroline
Kitten School....i love cats....even big ones like tigers, lepords, cheetas, lions....unfortunately u can't pet those haha....i prefer getting a house cat gluten free food...not whiskas or the regular stuff....actualy if u want to go full organic food with cats u must get them tarantulas, scorpions and small snakes...out of the question 😁
Okay so you saved a cats life. You did it under the guise of making money on youtube. So that nobel feat is not so nobel.
Does this kind of training work with adult cats too? Or is it that they're too set in their ways after they're a few years old?
Learning Thru The Insanity this video was made for educational purposes to show other people how to tame a cat, youtube money isn’t even that much honestly unless you have over half a million or even over 100k is when you start making real money on UA-cam, this channel has 6k subs, so stfu and quit assuming
Learning Thru The Insanity Learning Thru The Insanity Are you serious? She obviously loves cats and wants to help others to learn about all aspects of Cats. She has 6k Subscribers; she does not post "Under the guise of" / expecting to make money. It may come as a surprise to you but some people just do things out of the goodness & love of their hearts with no ulterior motives. Mabye instead of roaming UA-cam looking to infect others with negativity & discord you could do something Positive/Good/"Noble" yourself.
Look up what the 'Law of Attraction' is, if you don't already know what it is.
"Hi, and welcome to kitten school"
already this is better than 12 years of real school
Thanks John! I think my GPA would have been much higher if we'd had cats in the classroom.
tsundere cat
0:26 Omae wa shinderu. Thank you, your comment made me laugh.
@@roaminrecluse2088 ouhhhhhh....~
It's a tsundere fury neko
"Go away baka hooman"
"Release me, human! I desire to tear up your couch!"
Xale 1231 Uh-oh, sounds like Stewie Griffins' cat
Lol this reminds me of king from the owl house.
Awwwww he doesn't want to love the pets but he can't help himself!
So does a lot of pets, lol. It's no natural ability other tamed or semi-tamed animals do not have.
@trha2222 no that's their social skills
@trha2222 because they're intelligent enough to tell someone apart. Their brains dont have a part litteraly designed for humans
You need to do the ksksksksks thing on him. It's very efficacious.
Hahahaha nice
Or the pshpshpsh thing
Lmao
haha
ksksks gives the impression of a rat. Idk if you're right or not
i call my studio apartment the ‘asocial box’ and its a technique i use to avoid pain and distress
It's a slightly forceful method but a quick and effective one. For all the complaints, I think what's being forgotten is that Dormouse is tamed enough to calmly enjoy a scratch on the nose of all places from a bare hand.
Exactly!! I made a lot of progress with my kitten until I tried picking him up, and now he won't even let me pet him!
I am socializing a feral outdoor kitty with food, talking to him, hanging outside near him doing chores. He's curious and getting closer and closer. I hunt and grill squirrel to supplement dry and wet food and always have fresh water for him. I started calling him Jacobi and using his name with my cat meows and chirrups to him. I made a brush hut with canvas cover and hay and put my t shirts in there with my scent for bedding. It's a courtship...
I love meeting new outdoor cats. Be careful with outdoor cats they may have fleas that are really hard to see. Make sure they get some really good flea/tick treatment to kill the existing and prevent anymore fleas.
William Keith You think hunting squirrels is going to make a scared cat feel comfortable around you? Shame on you for hunting squirrels, period.
Shame on you for hunting squirrels!
You can get some catnip spray that he might like too, as an incentive to get him to hang around. They have it at PetSmart.
Gary Ryckewaert you're acting like it's better feeding cats packaged dead animals that they call cat food. It's no different to hunting squirrels, only homemade food for cats (squirrels) is healthier
Our feral kitten took a year before we could pet her. It's still a bit risky sometimes tbh but we love her. She's fiesty! 😍
I managed to tame and coax a little feral kitten in the course of a single evening once while i was working security, and she never bit me once during the course of that evening. She was wandering around my site looking for food when I spotted her walk past my security office, I went out and watched her for a bit, called after her a few times, and she seemed curious, but too cautious to approach, so, I let her be, and went for my rounds of the site, and let her do the building up up to coming closer to me, she was very curious.
Didn't take longer than maybe two or three rounds of my site before she was coming up to within about 10 feet of me to get a good look at me, that point, I figured maybe she's ready for me to meet her half way, so, I finished my round, then picked a spot, and sat down, and let her do her thing, a couple of churry little calls at her, and a few nice slow trust blinks in her direction, and she finally came close enough to give my hand a sniff, and shortly after that, she crept right onto my lap, and let me scritch her head a few times before her skittishness got the better of her and she hopped off and wandered away again.
Next time i went for a round, I brought a little bit of turkey breast with me for her to nibble on, and by the end of that nightshift, I had coaxed her into the security office with me, and decided I was gonna take her home, and either keep her for myself or take her to the humane society if my landlord wasn't ok with it. Sadly my landlord wasn't a cat person, so she ended up going to the humane society, where I'm told it was discovered that she was heavily pregnant. Found that a bit odd, she didn't look like she was carrying kittens, she didn't even look old enough to have kittens. But last I'd heard, she had been adopted, and all her kittens had survived and been given fosters.
Never did manage to come up with a name for her, my eldest niece wanted to call her "Tina"
What a great story! You made a huge difference in "Tina's" life by treating her with such kindness and taking her in. I'm glad that she and her kittens were able to get homes. If everyone took even a little responsibility, as you did, for getting a cat spayed/neutered then we'd have so many less homeless cats. Thanks for the comment! xoxo
I remember these feral kittens that were in this cement yard behind my house. This one finally worked up the courage to approach me and let it touch her and it was priceless. Her ears straight back, eyes wide open, making this weird growling/purring/chatter sound while convulsing not knowing what to make of being petted. Needless to say I was her new best friend after that moment.
I just man handle them up to my chest and pet them until they start purring.
Works every time.
Phillip Habsburg this worked omg tyy
Not for me!!
I tried that and got bit all the way to the bone. :D
I want to try this but I don't wanna lose all the progress I've made already :(
how much blood do you donate to the cause with this approach?
Thank you for the informative video. I’ve just picked up my 8 week old Maine coon last night, spent the evening with him on the sofa then he was scared when I introduced him to the kitchen & got himself stuck down the side of the washing machine & went really crazy when I tried to get him out. I got battle scars now 😬 He would not eat a thing last night but this morning after some love, he took some food from me & is now coming to me when I call him & giving me love back. ♥️
Hi Paul! How wonderful you have a Maine Coon! My cat, Malou, is part MC and she is my lover girl. I'm glad to hear that your kitty is getting more comfortable in his new home. Sounds like you have a buddy for life! Thanks for the nice comment! *Caroline
Kitten School I think I can agree that I have a buddy for life, he now comes and snuggles up to me & is purring his little heart out......♥️ I also had a half Maine coon before him who still lives with my kids & when I visit he still has the same love for me as when I lived with him. They are a lovely breed, we are very lucky to have them in our lives 🙏
So you tame a cat by petting him, that's nice
Thank you for doing this video on an actual feral kitten. Almost all the videos I have seen have been with kittens under 9 weeks.
I fed a cat that hung around my apartment for a few months. At first I couldn't even get within 50 meters without her running off. She was so scared when we first caught her. she tried to climb the walls. Luckily my roommate had just moved out so I had a nearly empty room (excluding the mattress they left behind). I spent so much time just playing on the computer in that room, petting her, feeding her, and we've made so much progress! She still gets spooked if I move too fast, but now instead of spending most of her time in her hiding box (a box I turned over and put a blanket over to give her a safe spot) she joins me on the floor mattress to nap. I feel so happy to have her. It was great timing because I caught her (cat trap) a week before the winter storm happened. I have no idea what she would have done under all that snow and ice.
1:14
"Go slow."
That's the fastest patting I've ever seen.
wow really? then go out more
That’s about how fast a mom would lick their kittens
Ikr
I didn't expect to see these kinds of tactics in this video! I fostered 8 kittens back to back a few years back and stumbled into this strategy with the last few of them. One kitten in particular was supposed to go to a family with children so my wife and I was purposely overbearing with this kitten (within reason of course). He started out hissing at us but he ended up not going to that family, they backed out. I was kind of happy they did, because he ended up being the sweetest cat I've ever known. I miss you Crookshanks
I appreciate what you do to save the lives of these kitties.
I bought 4 feral cats and after using these techniques on them for about a week they have become the most lovable kittens I have ever met
thank you for your service to these animals. Getting them to a point where they can be adopted is a noble thing to do.
Thank you for the nice comment! When I help these kitties, in a way I am helping myself too. So it's a win-win situation.
Dormouse should be the definition of adorable!!! That first shot of him inside the cage, I was like: "Awwwww"
He is SO beautiful right? I just fell in love, even after he bit me! Thanks for watching.
+Kitten School gorgeous
i got a tear in my eye(whilelaughing) when doormouse nudged up to the petting hand after "biting" :)
Reading the comments is a real eye-opener. I never knew there were so many cat specialists.
My cat was found with another stray/feral female, co-nursing their litters of kittens. She was taken to a feral sanctuary with her kittens. When she was done nursing, they realized that she had a really sweet disposition and sent her to a no-kill shelter where I adopted her. They estimated her age to be around 18 months old. I don't know what her life was like before the nice ladies at the sanctuary found her, but I assume she was abandoned by someone. She still has feral tendencies, but is one of the sweetest cats I've known. I think she sees me as her Mom cat. If I'm sitting down, she's in my lap. It comforts me to know she feels safest when she's there. She is still a biter, but never does it hard. She's just weird. Even adult cats who have had a wild past can become sweet house cats. Just depends on their personalities.
Bless you for taking care of this little kitty
When I get my own apartment and steady income, I have decided to foster kittens to elderly cats. These videos are very helpful!
Gabriella, you will love being a kitty foster mom...it brings so much happiness to my life! Thanks for watching and I am so glad you are enjoying the videos.
Good for you and God bless your efforts I hope everything works out wonderfully for whatever Little Darlings you bring in
Love what you do. I have done the same for years, bless your heart. Those babies just need love and to develop trust. They become so loving with time.
I was looking for a good video to help me with befriending a local stray cat who needs to be rehomed. When I first saw someone reach into that cat carrier with no gloves, it made me think the video wouldn't be good, but then I saw you immediately tell the viewer that gloves are important.. glad to see safety being promoted on UA-cam!
I'm not posting this as a recommendation, just a story. When my cat was alive and still a kitten, I would play with her all the time and she would claw the shit out of me. I knew if she was scared and wouldn't terrorize her, but she liked to play rough and I rarely protected my hands. I'd regularly have large scratches healing all over my arms up to the elbow, but honestly I didn't even care. She was so happy when she was playing, it outweighed the pain. I know it's not a very responsible way to handle a cat (especially an outdoor one like her), I'm just telling it like it was. I miss her.
What a kitter-bud. He just didn't want to admit he enjoyed it the whole time lol
They just need lots of love. A friend in Texas, has a ferrel cat. It took months, but she was spoiled with love from me. It was beautiful, to see.
Keep an eye out...a Dormouse update video is being premiered later today. He's even MORE beautiful now all grown up!!!
Love it when a kitty gets rescued!
This is fantastic! I've always believed that ultimately, cats adore the loving human touch! Great work!
Thank you Valerie! It didn't take long for Dormouse to understand how nice strokes and chin scratches can be. He is so happy in his new home, and I'm so happy for him! Appreciate the kind words and thanks for watching.
@@KittenSchool We have a fluffy stray/feral male cat in the woods and the other day I noticed him sick with busted abscesses on his head so I tried to trap him to help him. Checked the trap, discovered an identical fluffy kitten instead. I can tell this adult male is the father of one of my indoor cats, btw, so this kitten is her sister. She isn't as aggressive as Dormouse because she is more apt to freeze when scared but she does spit and hiss at times too.
As beautiful and fluffy as she is my gut told me I need to tame her before I take her anywhere to be rehomed lest she be written off. I had her in a large kennel in an open area of the house where all my cats kept her company and I did much the same thing you're doing. She will purr and relax when I brush her so I thought I could let her out in the house. She wasn't hiding from everyone as long as you didn't get too close but 2 days out of the kennel and she has reverted to hissing and even just now attacking me for picking her up. Back to the kennel, right?
OMG how cute and lovely he is....
As a life long cat lover (and student of human psychology), I've found that if you mimic some of the cat's behavior it will relax them. When you pet a cat, you should use only one or two fingertips and pet them slowly in short 2-3 inch strokes. This mimics cat grooming, and cat's groom themselves to relieve stress. Another tip is that you should speak to them in a high pitched voice. If you have a musical ear, try to match the pitch of their meows with your own voice. I've found that I can calm down instantly this way, even if I've just met that kitty.
I'll try that. I have found combing with a flea comb works better than petting. I've seen cats that will not allow themselves to be touched will allow themselves to be combed.
omg ! thank you SO much. my feral kitten went from bitting hissing and hiding to playing , loving , and purring. yall these series of videos WORK ! shes my little simese angel now all in a matter of 3 weeks ! 💘
Thank you Sophia I am so glad you enjoyed the videos and that they helped with your kitten. I love my Siamese, Sing Sing!
3:00 *CUTENESS INTENSIFIES*
Very nice but Dormouse seems to know what's up more than the narrator acknowledges. Warm petting, attention, treats, all good
My past cat was feral. It took some time and patients, but, she was an amazing friend.
Ty for the vid
I always shake my head at how much work goes into domesticating feral cats especially when compared to dogs, but then I realized today that while it might not take as much work to win over a stray dog rescued from the streets they are great deal more work to maintain than cats that have been fully socialized so I guess it's something of a trade off on where the work has to be done.
C'mon now. I know you mean well, but coming at a cornered feral cat with your hand from above? You're asking to get bitten. Closed hand from eye level, slow movements, soft eye contact with lots of slow blinking and wait for it to come to you.
Yes you're right! I didn't allow Dormouse to relax enough before I reach for him. But part of these videos is to show mistakes as well as successes. Thanks for your comment!
Kitten School I learned that they think they are being attached if you reach for the top of the head to pet them, and that has to be socialized out during their formative weeks. Here it didn't look like that was a problem which surprised me. Either that, or I need to take lessons from you because that would mean I can do even better for my cat.
i attack the cat with a hug
They may like her quicker if she wasn't so rough when stroking them.
@Chris Dynamo It doesn't look rough to me. It definitely looks firm but that isn't necessarily bad. Different cats prefer different things. One of my cats enjoys really rough scratches on his back and the other prefers very gentle petting of her head.
To me, these feral cats really seemed to enjoy the petting.
i had a very young feral kitten that couldn't do much in the way of scratch or bite because it was so tiny.. but it would just mainly hiss and disregard me. she had a little sibling who was a love-bug right from the beginning and the feral one would stick to him/her like glue. so i could play with it when i was also playing with the lovey one. but if they were separated it would be a problem. so tragedy happened and the lovey one passed away.. the feral one had gotten used to me enough that it didn't hiss and stuff but it still kinda just disregarded me. at a certain point (i feel like a week or so later) i guess she realized it was just her and me now.(and that whole week i had been showering her with love and care because of my sadness) and then suddenly she became the most incredible loving cat to the point where she would never leave my side. she slept right up against my face at night and would follow me like a dog. we had a REALLY intense bond because of the loss of the other kitten and she lived with me for over 20 years. that cat was my cat-soul-mate and i still miss her even years after she passed on. now whenever i post random youtube comments about her on cat videos i always make myself tear up dammit lol.
Josh Venning awwwww. Angel. You are. “The ones we love never truly leave us” - thank you for sharing
Nice work. I got my forever feral kitten six weeks ago. The fine folks at the shelter had done a lot of the preliminary work, so my job was easier than yours. I'm so happy I took the chance with Bella. I think she's glad, too. Thank you for your video.
Adorable kitties!
I make myself as small as possible and hold out a hand with my index finger extended in a curl. A little jiggle of my finger and soft words spoken along with a little kibble makes the most stubborn kitty very receptive.
Feral kitten less than six weeks old when I found her in my garage. In a house with a dog that hates her and a human with allergies its two weeks and she's sitting on my lap watching me type. It wasn't easy, while trying to get her to trust I had to give her baths daily until my allergies were ok with her. she spends the night with a sleeping human every night. She has to go in a room for a few hours daily so the dog can have free run of the rest of the house so that we don't get aminocity. They are up to a few short supervised visits with each other daily where I give the dog lots of treats so she knows the kitten is a good addition to the family. Kitten, now named boo boo, is calming down tons but still needs socialization.
Hi Phoebe! It sounds like you are doing the right thing and that the new kitten is starting to adjust with the dog. I bet once the kitten grows up the dog will respect her more...but for now supervised visits are wise. Check out the latest video I just uploaded today about working with fearful kitties and giving them treats of meat baby food via a plastic syringe...it has worked wonders for my two current foster kittens who are both working on their socialization skills: ua-cam.com/video/rU2NKRe98Wc/v-deo.html you might find it helpful working with your own kitten. Thanks for the comment!
A feral is different from a house cat. If you come across a scared house cat or even stray who has been socialized around humans to a degree, the closed fist below their eye level, slow blinks etc can work and are a fantastic tools for getting close to shy and scared kitties.
With a feral, I'm pretty sure it's a bit of a different ball game. That cat/kitten might never come to you. Unfortunately, you have to kinda force socialization and desensitize their fear. You can only do that through exposure. Teach them that yes, a big scary beast is touching you, but nothing bad happens, sometimes you even get treats and the pets feel nice.
While it would be best to let a cat come to you on their own terms, in certain cases, such as with ferals or traumatized cats, that is not always an option, or even the best course of action.
Sometimes exposure is the only way to get someone used to something, so long as the utmost care is taken to make sure it's not too much too fast. It's actually the same for humans when it comes to fears. That's why you wait until the cat relaxes before you take the steps further. Let them get used to the level of touch you are giving, then do a little more. Maybe an extra 5 minutes, maybe petting their cheek, whatever that cat stays relatively calm about. In time, they learn that nothing bad happens.
I think even compared to ferals, while they are clearly terrified and defensive, it must be very hard working with cats that have been abused and hate humans because of it. It's one thing to not trust something new, it's another to learn to trust something that has actively harmed you before.
Kitten School = You are awesome. Thank you for taking the time to make this video and post it! So many people tell you you CAN'T habituate a feral older kitten. I just did my first (I live in Kenya!) and she is amazing. She even lets me put her on her back and purrs and it has only been three days...Thanks for caring about these babies!
“I always respond to aggression with affection, when it’s safe to do.” Wow, if humans treated each other like that, you might actually get world peace one day.
My family has had cats since I was 12 years old - and I'm now retired, so I've had a lot of cats teach me over the years the right way and the wrong way to please cats. This is what I do to socialize a new cat, and it's always worked well for me:I have a long low cat cage that I set up on trestles in the keeping room. That's the busiest room in the house as I spend most of my time in there. I put the new cat in there, and let my cats get used to the newcomer. Newcat also gets used to them. Of course, there's a lot of hissing and spitting at first. Then, the cats move to the curiosity stage: " Hey new cat, what's your name? What are you doing here? Are you staying with us forever? etc etc. Eventually they start playing - sticking paws into or out of the cage, rubbing on the cage, pushing toys out or in, etc. By the time I let the new guy or gal out, they are friends with my cats and with me and my husband, and there's no fighting or fur flying. The new cat gets used to me just because I'm usually spending most of my time in the room, and will even sleep in there when a new cat arrives. I just do what I do and incorporate the new cat into the fabric of our lives. We've woven a pretty cool cat tapestry that way.
Hi there! Sounds like you have a great system going there! Your cat cage tactic is similar to my "social box" method, where I put a kitten or cat in a cage in a busy area of the house so they get used to being around everyone. I think it really works great. We are still trying to acclimate my boyfriend's cat to my 7 cats (we just bought a house together) and it has been a bit o f a bumpy road, but we are making some headway. It just takes patience! Thanks for the comment! **Caroline
Any way you can get your feral/semi-feral/scared cat to see you as a friend, source of food and affection, caregiver, etc.hepls break down the barrier of fear and resistance!
hihi so so much fun and cute :)
@Aurelius skooma*
it just goes to show that with cats even if they're wild ones like this as long as someone gives them a home and loves them it will love them back like we love our parents, cats are only babies in my eyes, they're all so innocent deep down and love to be looked after and have a parent take care of them even when they're old, i have myself an old cat who mainly likes being outside and getting her inside can be a nightmare at night because forcing her just the tiniest bit will make her hiss, however put some food in there to let the cat know it's safe to come in and worth it then the cat comes in and calms down purring enjoying a bowl of cat food, then you have to respect their privacy and wait for them to lay down and get all cozy, then make your move and what i do is i put my hand near her cheek and she sniffs it and then rubs the side of her cheek on my hand, but the entire time she looks extremely vicious too, but you can't help that because some cats do look like that, however the fact she's an old feral cat makes her much more aggressive than a younger one, she's very defensive but she's a cuddley when she's calmed down, makes me laugh because sometimes she does her deep growl while having her head gently stroked with two fingers, then it will soften... and soften... then be like õ_ô this is good.
Key with Feral Kittens, understand they are scared. Be patient and show them love, affection, kindness, and patience. They actually tend to turn around pretty quickly when you do this. Be active with these things, don't just leave them alone for too long because while they might get upset with you around, it's actually better to spend a lot of time with them. Because the repeated interactions is what shows them it's safe and they actually like the affection. They just need to understand it's okay so when they relax and trust you, they can get very attached and loving♡
Excellent advice, Lana!
Why not let him come out as his own pace rather than reach in and forcibly remove him. Cats are curious. If you allow them to be that and see there are no risks, you'll gain their trust faster. This approach is pretty aggressive.
You are right; ideally, you would let the cat come out on his own. But this little guy had been in a transport crate for hours at the shelter by the time I got him home and I needed to get him out to give him his medicine (not shown in video). Sometimes you just have to get in there and get them. If you watched any of the follow up videos you'll see little Dormouse has blossomed into a trusting, loving kitty. We had some rough times at first, but with love, patience and lots of treats I won him over. Thanks for watching!
Bullshit.
it's all about the attitude. If you wanted to give the cat medicine, and the animal is hostile and doesn't know you, approach with a steady (but gentle, don't harm the cat or I'll come after you) hand, don't act like you're a stalker. Even if you get scratched, it really doesn't hurt that much, don't allow it to take control, suck it up. It sensed your hesitation and saw you were insecure. If you acted like I told you, the cat would never behave like that again and would be submissive next time. In time you can develop a healthy relationship based on trust, rather then based on fear (by fear I mean both ways - you fear the cat's tantrums and the cat fears your retaliation)
Not really... They are curious but they won't just stop fearing you. You need to somehow show you are frendly.
Exactly this! When you force yourself on them like whoever made this video, some giant creature sticking arms in their face, they lash out because they are nervous.
I have never met a cat who did not want to smell my finger to determine whether I was friend or foe. I am always shocked at how many people do not offer cats that opportunity to make its own decision. I agree with Gunk - I think your initial approach to the cat would be seen as a threat.
Teddy Tretyakov-badkov I always let cats and dogs smell my hand when I meet them for the first time.. And then it's up to them whether they like me or not.. ☺
thats what i said
Offer the leg of your glasses to small, it's less threatening.
This is good advice for fearful socialized cats, but this kitten is feral. Ferals are going to see humans as threats even if they smell like tuna-chicken potpourri because they have no experience with them. Offering your finger is a good way to get it bitten.
Autumn M. Agreed. I have been trying to socialise a feral cat for over 2 months. If I had offered him my finger to smell in the first month, I wouldn't have got it back in one piece. I had to start using gardening gloves to put down his food as I had so many cuts and bites, my work colleagues were concerned I was self harming! He is much calmer now but will still bite onto my foot or the back of my leg. I have a whole series of distractions now (clapping, throwing a ball, whistling) to get him to release but it will be a few more months before I can wear a skirt or walk barefoot around him.
String playing does wonders to break the ice.They can't help themselves and are having fun before they know it. Cats are my favorite people!
Socializing takes time. Especially with feral or scared cats. What works with one doesn't necessarily mean it will with another. I like watching as many instructional videos as I can to help with my fosters. I don't understand why some people are so judgemental and choose to dislike something that's just one way of doing it. Especially the people who aren't even fostering to begin with.
Thanks for the comment Jane! I have accepted that there will always be negative comments if you have any kind of presence on social media, it doesn't bother sensitive little me anymore. Haters gonna hate!
Hurray for you 🐈. Ignore the jealousy
Totally identical to my female Sheegwa. Deep pink and brown nose, same tabby fur.
Did you name your cat Sheegwa from that children's TV show Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese Cat?? :D
ok
I just took in a stray male cat about a month ago.
I have been lucky.
He took to a cat box almost immediately.
I give him some good cat food.
and he loves me very much.
After I feed he will jump up on my chest and thank me and ask me to pet him.
I am so lucky to have this cat.
Trying this on a fully grown feral cat and it's to the point where I can pet her enough to get a very antique car engine style purr. However, she is still a feral cat and still wants to be outside living her happiest feral life. The only reason I'm socializing her at all is to show her that me (her food provider) is not going to hurt her every time I come into the bathroom and also to give her at least some company and mental stimulation while she's healing up from her spay surgery. I'm not attempting to make a pet out of her, but if she gets to the point where she'd actually let me pet her once she goes back outside I'm not going to complain.
Spoiler: Dormouse learns to hold the door and becomes Holdor.
I have a young feral cat right now and these videos are very encouraging! I have a question- did you give Dormouse breaks/rest periods in between petting? What is a good schedule?
Doormouse looks so adorable. He looks so innocent.
Hi! I just wanted to thank you for your 6 part training of Dormouse. 4 wks ago my husband and I adopted a 6 mo. old feral kitten which we were told by the rescue society that she was just very timid. After 2 days with this terrified and wild little one and a phone call to the rescue place, did they further investigate and realized she had lived the 1st 4 mo. of her life on a farmers property with her mother and 3 brothers before she was captured.She behaved very much like Dormouse. So, sooner than return her to the shelter, I started researching everything about feral kittens and came across your excellently made videos, which I followed in my training of Gracie. I bought a social box ( dog training cage) and brought it downstairs so she could be part of the family, introducing her to our 9 year old cat in small stages and safely initiating her to new rooms. In 4 short weeks she now has the run of the house, loves my husband and me and is up for playing and purring all the time! You have a very kind and gentle approach which makes all the difference to the success of training. I am so glad I found you on UA-cam! With sincere thanks.
*DORMOUSO! I've come to bargain!*
Dr.Leather Glove
What is that from? I have heard people refer to "Dormou" a few times!
@@KittenSchool from Marvel, Doctor Strange to be exact.
What about using catnip and/or some other calming spray before initialing first contact? Also I would "coreograph" my movements into slow movements so the kitty doesnt feel there is attack coming and relaxes in my presence....what about use of classical music? Kitties apparently love it....
Hi Marina! Great suggestions. I do sometimes use a pheromone spray to help relax my cats, it works better on some than others. And music is good too. There is debate on what kind of music is most pleasing to cats...that might be a good future video!
Those green eyes.❤️. If you can pet them, you can tame them.
I always found food a great peace offering. Feed the cat and stay very close to the food - make sure the cat sees that you dispensed the food and you'll be fine.
What I did was feed it until he trust me. Although it did took about 2 week for it to fully gain its trust
Food is the key! I am so glad you had success with your kitty. You have a friend for life.
ahhh, it's just painful seeing you move your hand towards him, from above, all those times!
Mantis Toboggan doctor...
JadedGems indeed. You need to check out my virus video. It'll keep you safe.
Appreciate all of your compassionate work with cats. Please give this one a better name.
Hi Shawn! Dormouse's adoptive family decided to keep his name, so he's still Dormouse! I love the name, but it's been so interesting to see that people either LOVE it or HATE it. Thanks for the comment!
Kitten School Thank Goodness for what you do! Doormouse is SO CUTE! What a pretty FACE he or she has! It's WONDERFUL to see the frightened kitty come around and accept human affection! Thank you so much for all your hard work, patience, and love! Your commitment to these beautiful little creatures and their future well being is truly the BEST thing we, as humans, can do! I love you for what you do!
Thank you Michael and appreciate the kind comment SO much!! xoxox Caroline
My girlfriend had a social box. I had to break up with her.
Brandon Pegg I like trains
Brandon Pegg hm
That one smells less like trout though
@Brandon - 😂🤣😄😅😆
Brandon Pegg hahhahahahahaha
"Despite himself... I think he's enjoying it." LMAO this line sounded like something a sexual predator would say.
Dormouse is so ADORABLE.
Can you not taint this channel of innocence please - . -
When i was 12 i found an abandoned 6 week old kitten stuck up inside the bottom of a truck. I played meowing kitten sounds on my phones to get her to come out where i could reach her. I grabbed her with my bare hand and pulled her out. I got scratched and bit a lot, but it was worth it. On the car ride home she sat on my lap and hate half a can of wet food. After she was full, she wanted nothing to do with me and tried to get away, so i had to hold her while she scratched so she didn't get loose and disturb my dad, who was driving. At home she was still scared, but was warming up to me and letting me hold and pet her without being agressive. I introduced her to my other rescue kitten who was the same age. As soon as she saw another cat she became very excited and she wanted to be with her. They became best friends. The kitten I had had for a while, convinced the feral one to trust me, and by the end of that day both kittens were sleeping in my bed with me cuddled up on my chest.
I also have a cat that used to be a feral kitten, I just spend hours sitting next to her cage until she becomes comfortable with me. She's now a mother of 3 adorable kittens and is an important part of my life
Hi Anthony! Thanks for sharing about your kitty, she is so lucky to have you. You took a chance on her when she was a wild kitten and it paid off. Wish more people were like you. Lots of love from Kitten School!
@@KittenSchool Thank you so much for the lovely reply, keep up the good work :)
Can I have him?? He is soo cute!
Tom Meng sure
Squish that cat
Cats love to be squish
Dormouse is SO CUTE!! He has the best looking eyes!! He seems to be adjusting VERY quickly. He's gonna be just fine! What a beautiful cat he is!
Hi Mike! Be sure to watch the follow up video on Dormouse 8 months later, showing him all grown up and so happy in his new home! ua-cam.com/video/l6ZTFqbpLlc/v-deo.html
Thank you! I can hardly wait to see Dormouse again, all grown up and happy in his new home!! He truly is a very special little kitty!
A stray kitten came into my house, covered in feces and blood. She was aggressive but still weak, so I'd cleaned her up, fed her, and search youtube on how to calm stray cats because I planned to keep her. Your video was the first one I came across, I was shocked, the resemblance between the kitten in the video with the one I have is uncanny 😂
Kitten school....lemme reach in the feral's cage with my digits exposed......lmao
Yeah I know, it was very very stupid. lmao
Krimson 1798 Well atleast learn to spell and offend a person who tried to help people in the internet.
spelling with words don`t matter as its not how real people talk to one another
just nope Did you even read his/her message? He/She was offending a person who tried to help.
What kind of a name is doormouse lmao
I think it's cute
Immortalle Better than Larry David's version
Immortalle It's dormouse. A small brown species of mouse native to Europe. One is a character at the Mad Hatter's tea party in Alice in Wonderland.
Says someone named Scrooge :p
'me watching this video'
me: MOM GIVE ME GLOVES
You are an angel helping all these cats and kittens
I've had four feral kittens and never done this. I waited for them to come to me in the house and sniff me before I touched them. You don't use gloves because they need to sniff you for goodness sakes.
Well.. the first stage seemed to be to get the Kitten to stop trying to bite. it seemed to 'sniff' quite a bit after it lost the urge to tear the hand apart. I think that what was accomplished in a couple of days was amazing myself. Its the end result that matters thought, right?
There’s a huge difference between adopting and fostering
For one thing, you sure as hell don’t want your fosters wandering the house unchecked
None of this looks right, too aggressive toward the kitten
SYNERGISTIC123 not really, petting can be done roughly, some animals prefer it rough as long as it's not uncomfortable or painful
This is a joke right??
Aldor PeaceKeeper exactly they should let them sniff the persons hand and pet the cat alot more smoothly
Makayla Davis that works for socialized cats, but letting a feral sniff your hand is a sure way to get bit or scratched.
Aldor PeaceKeeper How do you handle your rescue kittens?
Recently, I found a grown Tuxedo cat. He used to have an owner because he had a pink collar. So, he used to have an owner, and ran away or was abandoned. He used to come and go at my friend's house and has ran away each time someone comes near. I recently tried feeding him, calling him, letting him smell me. Today, he's getting back to his house cat life and becoming less scared of humans since I started petting him just a few days ago.
I am pleased to say that the feral kitten that I took in a week ago's progress has gone extremely well! She has fattened up, and she even learned to use the litterbox! She has already begun to warm up to us and the socialization of her to the old cat we have has gone well too! We have dubbed her skitty, and have rested on the idea that she will live with us for years to come! This video helped me because she was a difficult case for me and I needed to turn to someone who had more experience, as I'm only 16 and have been fostering feral litters for only 4 years.. Thank you for posting these and helping me to get this difficult kitten acclimated!
Thanks for the update and I am SO glad that Skitty is doing great! Give yourself a pat on the back for working hard and believing in her. She'll only get more and more comfortable from here. One of my older cats, Creature, was so terrified when he was a kitten I never thought I'd be able to hold him. Now, he's the first on the bed at night and insists on sleeping right next to my pillow. Keep us posted on Skitty! xoxox Caroline
Sht, I woudn NOT recommend people pull a cat out like that, you never know how dangerous it can be, every cat is different.
What if it attacks YOU ?
I understand in this particular video series it worked but again, every cat reacts differently.
I would rather give it food and water inside the cage, let it eat and come out on its own and then slowly approach it with a string or something elastic and try to play with it, try to get some reaction and then slowly progress to petting while feeding and then let the cat approach you.
You clearly don't know what you're talking about. She did nothing wrong at all.
You are an idiot.
It's a cat not a tiger
hehe :)
Begone
tried that social box on my X total fail oh man its been like 20 years I wonder if I should let her out,,,,,,,,na
I'm currently trying to tame a feral kitten I adopted from our local SPCA (full disclosure, I didn't know he was feral, they just told me he was shy, and I felt really bad for him cause he looked so sad, so I had to adopt it). It is going VERY slow for us. I don't have a cage/social box for him, so we kept him in a smaller bathroom that has a covered shelter for the first part of his stay here. He hisses every time we come close to him, but once I start petting him he instantly starts to purr very loudly. I even had him come and eat some dry kibbles off of my lap and he started to stay outside his shelter more and more. We decided to expand his living quarters a bit after about a week, and let him go into an adjacent bedroom as well, but this made his personality revert back 100% to feral kitten. He hides under the bed, hisses at us, won't come out for anything other than play time with a string, but won't let us touch him whatsoever. We decided to reduce his living quarters to the bathroom and a closet again to see if we can improve his mood. It's been extremely frustrating, and my arms are all scratched up, lol... I just hope he starts becoming comfortable with us soon, going back to work in a few days and I won't have as much time to spend with him...
We also have an older cat who is NOT happy about having a new cat in the house, so we're dealing with that as well (they haven't officially met yet, as we're taking everything really slow, but she smells him and has been very moody towards me as well since he moved in)
My grandma yesterday caught a kitten in a trap and put her in a nice dog cage, and have been trying to tame her to get her fixed. Every time we try to pet her gently she sits on her butt and hisses and screams, so we are taking it easy with her.