# One is getting better, one is getting worse!!



## Sbattan (Jan 20, 2011)

So I have been trying to work with my two female 8 week old feral kittens. This has been a frustrating situation, even though we've only had them for a week and a half.The one kitten, Pepper was an absolute terror when we got them, but she has started to come around a bit. she has let me pet her and has eaten out of my hand. Her sister Molly however, has become meaner since we got them. She attacked my boyfriend the other day, and he wasn't even messing with her, she hisses and spits when you come near her, and now she is starting to be mean to her sister too.

Is this normal, or should I be worried? i am thinking about giving her back to the lady who rescued them, but I feel kind of bad because I didn't want to seperate the sisters, but I don't think this is going to work out.Any advice?


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Forgive me if there are more fact to this story than what I just read. Have you watched the videos by the Urban Cat League and read Kitty Boot Camp that are up in the stickies? They would be a great help.

If the kitten are truely 8 weeks old they should be kept in a large kennel or bathroom with place for them to hide and begin to feel safe. If your kittens are that feral I would start by sitting near their food each time you feed them so they get use to your voice and presence. 

It sounds like you tried to do to much all at once. 12 weeks is usually our cut off point. I had two brother who were 12 weeks. The first couple days you could see them looking out at me from their hidey hole. They gave me that half eyed feral stare. I told my friend I dont know about those two, I may not be able to bring them around. 

I had gotten in 11 other sick kittens with them in an emergency situation. But they did come around part by watching the other kittens feel safe around me and part cuz I did the things they showed in the videos. 

Dont get discourage. Its a journey of learning to socicalize kittens from feral mothers. keep asking question and concerns you have. Shame on the person who gave you these kittens with out helping you in the socialization process.


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

just keep taking it slow and easy, my feral cat tammi was boxtrapped when she was around a year old, she was the wildest of wild things, there was no way she would have been adoptable. she spent her first 9 month with us in a large kennal in the family room, spent many evenings just talking to her for the otherside of the room.. spent a few more nights getting bit.. now she's my evening lap magnet(on her terms) still gets upset at being picked up.. those little ones you have will come around


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

They're still very young kittens, sometimes it can take months or over a year to tame a cat or kitten that is truly feral. Kittens are usually easier to tame but not always. Don't give up, a feral kitten hissing and attacking is a pretty normal thing, they're scared and they lash out sometimes.

Have you read this: Taming Feral Kittens and Cats

That advice seems very accurate to my experience with my feral kitten (it took a few weeks before he'd even move off the couch, a year+ until he was fully comfortable in the whole house) and my semi-feral cat (took a year before she'd even let me pet her!) -- they are now both the most loving cats, sleeping on me every night, etc. but the once feral kitten is scared to death of strangers, and the once semi-feral cat, while very well adjusted, only really looks to me if she wants a lap to sleep on.

When you tame a cat like this, the ones that take longer, you tend to get a special bond with them. You can tell they really love you and they may not like too many other people.


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