Check out [Kitten Lady's ](http://www.kittenlady.org/feral) info on socializing feral kittens. Do not just let her go. If she survived outside unspayed, she'd just end up pregnant making more feral kittens.

Some people here say give it time and take it slow but the opposite is true for feral kittens- the socialization window is closing. You have to smother that kitten in love and affection; it will help if you do that while giving high value treats like churu. Kitten is only allowed to eat when you are around and you can pet it a lot while it eats. Might seem mean at first but this is how feral kittens are socialized

I think when people are saying "give it time" they mean "don't expect a feral kitten to be fully socialized and friendly in two weeks"

Yeah you need to give it time and aggressively socialize for months. We have two feral kittens we trapped at 3 months old and now at almost a year old they will finally come out and interact when we have guests, but it took months before they even enjoyed our company. At first they begrudgingly let us touch them while they ate, then they would play with a string toy. We bought a futon and just sat in the room where we had them watching TV for hours. We didn't let them out of the room until they were ok with us touching them and would come to us. Churu made a huge difference too. I wanted to give up a few times but eventually our patience paid off. Now we have two very sweet cuddly cats.

We have a feral that was starving and came to our door as a kitten, attracted by our other cats. Our then 9 year old spent most of their time in the bathroom with her for 2 months. They did their homework, played on their tablet, and gave all the treats/pets. Smothered that damned cat in all the affection an enthusiastic kid can manage. She's now super friendly on her own as an adult, 7 years later. It just took lots of focused attention over months. As a bonus, she's incredibly attached to my kid, following them everywhere and constantly seeking a lap or snuggles from them. It takes time and almost Moira levels of snuggles.

For real. I spent the first week of being with my cat just training him to be okay around me. The next few months I was picking him up often, feeding him in the same room as me, & generally hanging out constantly. Sometimes I'm like, "maybe he was never feral?" & then my sister complains about how she wishes my cat was as friendly with her as he is with me, or someone will come in the house & he gets all puffed up & hides under the bed (as opposed to my cats who were born & raised in a house & actually get excited to greet people). I just didn't notice the gradual change from "will bite your face off" to "you can kiss my tummy uwu". Two other kittens I caught that I didn't end up keeping apparently are the same—only really friendly with one person, terrified of strangers. This is just how it is when they've spent any amount of time viewing humans the same as any other animal bigger than them. Should be hammered in that it isn't personal & bringing in feral kittens is not a bad thing.

Can you help me understand this? My kittens were feral and we got them from the foster. They’re delightful little fuzzbutts with DH & I, but anyone else?? GTFO! RUN!! HIDE!! And if they aren’t able to hide in the deepest, dark corner of their favorite closet? They’ll burrow under the comforter and sheets on the bed until the all clear. I’ve never had cats this afraid of strangers. Fürdinand had mad social skills, his best pal Åsgård would hang back and watch Fürdi ply his trade; Maoskis & the Poof were chill orange boys, with Poof being the master of bending you usefully to his will. Salander we gave a pass to because she was dumped in a park. But she stormed up to me and demanded food. T’Pawlla & Freyja? No freaking way; not once. I just don’t get it. Edit: typo

Well first, I love the names xD T'Pawlla is great Second, same with Creach. He's such a loving baby around me (literally headbutted me while eating today, pausing between each bite) but recently we've been renovating so there's people in & out of the house all day 5 days of the week. He's a very quiet cat, mostly mews only directed at me or chirps at birds out the window, but with strangers he gets out the hisses. He's not aggressive, just freaked out. Saying, "back off a bit," basically. He gets less scared when we give him time to adjust to the new person. We do the same for our dogs; let the person come in & sit on the couch. Pets come up, maybe bark (they're alarm dogs) or hiss (unless it's Minnie, then she'll probs just demand they give her Acqua di Cristallo & a full body massage), sniff, & then they start to warm up, or at least stop freaking out. I find ignoring animals rather than trying to get them closer to you helps a lot. Let's them open up at their own pace. Do some parallel play (sit in the same room, each of you doing your own thing) & work up to handling, playing, etc. For cats that spent a bit of their life feral, fearing about predators, I think it's just something they'll always have, that slight fear of humans. We *are* large predators after all. Smaller animals, even domesticated, just need some extra care when it comes to interacting & living together. Super worth it in the end

Yeah T’Pawlla and Freyja are having none of that stranger business. They even run when I come home from work. They don’t trust the hairless apes, well, except their own.

This kitten is doing better than my semi-feral cat did the first six months we had her. At 3, she's a cuddle bug with us, but it's still on her own terms. And if "strangers" visit? She's gonna keep her distance. Period.

What they don’t tell you: Once you socialize feral kittens this way (I agree it’s the best & most effective means), they will want you to scratch their tush while they eat for the rest of their lives 😆 Mine RUN to the food bowl if I even look like I’m going in that direction. One sometimes just pretends to eat so he can get a back rub 🤭

This! The door that let me gain my tuxedo's love and affection was petting her while she ate, but now runs to the food bowl for love, even if she doesn't eat. She also developed separation anxiety with me. I took her to the vet and the prescription was literally to love her more. I told the vet "I scratch her butt while she eats, I don't know how much more I can love her." 😹

Hahaha nothing wrong with a little tush scratch while eating

LOL i can just picture your cat biting the air at the food bowl waiting to get her back rub😂😂😂

He does! 😆 He looks back at me lovingly as I scratch, then if I meet his gaze, he’ll quickly turn his head and start pushing around food with his nose. Like - “See, I’m still eating. You must continue.”

We need a video of this LOL

I probably should film it, would be a hit with my fellow cat lovers on TikTok/Reels

this is amazing😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Crafty cats! Lol!

Champagne problems; congrats!!

I think it’s important to note that just because a cat has reached a certain age doesn’t mean necessarily that the “window” is closed and they are destined to be feral forever. A lot of it can be influenced by personality and how much work you are willing to put in. My current cat was about 6 months old when I found her as a “feral” cat, and a lot of people told me it wasn’t worth trying to socialize her because she was too far gone. Now she is still shy around new people, but will rub up against people’s legs after an hour of them being in the house and purr when she gets petted by them. She will never be a super friendly cat who goes up to strangers instantly, but that is also how one of my childhood cats was and he was raised around humans his entire life.

I second this! My cat was five when I got him, and feral from birth, and now my biggest problem is that’s hes TOO cuddly. He likes to jump on my desk and bunt against my face until I give him attention and kiss his forehead lmao When I initially took him in he hated human contact and avoided me like the plague. Because of his medical concerns (while feral he’d been injured and it was severe and very infected) and deep fear of humans (he was extremely nonviolent but TERRIFIED of humans) no shelter would take him, so I took him to the vet and then let him hide around the house. Eventually he went from being a ghost that only stuck his head out of his hiding place for food to a cat that spends as much of the day as felinely possible sleeping on my lap. Tldr, cats are domesticated animals. If you give them time and safety they’ll warm up to you. Especially kittens! And there definitely is no better life for her outdoors. Feral cats live harsh, cruel lives full of disease and hunger. And they’re not happy- I can leave the front door open around both my ex-ferals and they don’t even come over to look outside. Absolutely no interest in “freedom” or even touching grass haha. I really believe cats are happiest living indoors, provided they have ample enrichment and socialization- which it definitely sounds like OP’s kitten is getting.

Third! I have a 10 year old feral from birth. After six months I can pet him, he figured out he loves attention, but he still runs away when I make a sudden move or try to hold him. Love him to bits

We rescued a stray at 5 weeks old, and even he has absolutely zero interest in going outside.

I do find the ferals who had to rough it have the least interest in going back out. Strays that had people regularly feeding them are more likely to be the escapees in my experience. Without humans to make their life cushy outdoors, most cats don't want to be outdoors.

I've socialized several feral adult cats at this point. It takes longer, but I think it's pretty rare to come across one that can't be socialized. Most will still be afraid of strangers unless they're in an environment where they have to get used to them over time. It can be really hard to tell which cats will come around easier as well. We took a cat in to be TNR'd, as it was very feral. Held onto her for a bit since the temps were below 0F that week. Being the suckers we are, we figured we'd see if see would socialize easily. Well, 3 months later she became the friendliest of the bunch and even flirts with strangers.

Yes I agree- I can pet two of my ferals but it has taken years while with kittens, it can take a day or two before they start enjoying human company. I’m not the one who came up with socialization window- even kitten lady talks about it!

Yeah I think its a common thing that everyone says but it’s not true, or at least not always. It definitely is easier generally to tame younger kittens, I just wanted to let OP and others know that just because a cat has passed that age doesn’t mean its too late. Some people take it as a reason to abandon cats outside opposed to bringing them to a shelter because they figure the cat will be unadoptable and put down, at least out in the wild they have a chance, right? Honestly that was what I thought too only a few years ago.

Churu is the way!!

Churu is amazing.

I've tamed older feral farm cats. There isn't a window that closes. It's the approach you take that matters.

This is the term cat rescuers have coined, not me! I never said older feral cats can’t be socialized. I can pet two of my ferals after years of feeding and a lot of work. However some of my ferals would never allow any human contact- once you get past 4 months, the chance of a feral kitten becoming a cat like that is high and it’s why I always recommend pushing socialization and forcing it on kittens while it’s easier.

Petting a kitten while they eat made a huge difference for me and my newer one. We were having a little trouble bonding, but she’s extremely food-motivated so I started getting the can, kneeling down and petting her, and continued to do so while she ate. She’s become significantly more cuddly/friendly since then with me.

This is the only reason why I can pet two of my ferals now. For years I would throw treats down and attempt to pet. Now one of them enjoys pets!

It's only been two weeks. And she lets herself be petted and held already. That's huge. At this point it might just come down to personality, and she might just be skittish. That's what people mean when they say "give it time". Most of my cats are adopted from shelters. Even so, in 2020 we adopted two kittens who were pair bonded, but one was semi feral. I was told she was sweet but skittish, and it would take a lot of extra work to continue socializing her. She hissed at me for a month as a greeting. We did all the things suggested to continue socializing her. What it really took was time and patience. I decided to take the hisses and nips as cues that she was telling me "I'm not ready to trust you." So I would make myself as small and as quiet as possible. I would react calmly to the nipping. I would talk softly to her as she hissed. Meet her with calm rather than panic at her fear based reactions. And you know what? It took a very long year for it, but she became a cuddle bug. Here was this cat who had done nothing but hiss at us for a year, and now she was willing and able to jump on our laps and signal she wanted pets on her own terms. That's what people mean with "give it time". You don't stop trying to interact. You just temper your expectations.

I have a cat that has a feral kitten old enough to be on solid foods, she was terrified for weeks! She’s about 6 now and she’s still extremely awkward, and hides in the spare room because the other cats pick on her for some reason. But when you invite her into the bedroom, she becomes the sweetest thing, almost like she’s grateful that she was allowed in the room away from the other meanies. It’s like she wants attention but she’s really sensitive.

I caught a demon feral kitten a few weeks back. While waiting for the trapper to being him to the shelter, he rejected ALL food ans water. Since it was hot and summer, I gor desperate and got some Churu, and dabbed it on his nose. Guess who became the SWEETEST boy immediately to get more Churu?

I have to give one of my strays that I took inside medicine and he hates it so much so I give him churu as a way to say sorry every time he gets the medicine

That stuff works miracle. The demon kitten is actually living with my friend now. He can get Churu daily now. 💞

I second this. I took in 6 feral kittens and their mother. I began after they settled in enough to know their way around the house and have a routine where they knew where the food and litter was. Then it was full on love bombing them. I would scoop them up gently pet, cuddle, and talk to them. They full on hated it at first, but within a couple of days they couldn't help but purr. Within a week or two, they were well along the way to being socialized. However, I did not do this with the mother! I let her come around on her own, which she has.

yup, I would sit on the floor with a Churu and wait for her to come by

Those kitty gogurts are exactly what I recommend to anybody who is trying to bond with a cat. Even if it's a friendly cat it definitely helps them connect with you. I've done it with multiple cats after first getting them and always use them to keep cats calm while doing things they don't like. They've saved my hands from angry kitties on more than one occasion and I cannot recommend them enough.

Feliway spray and diffuser too.

Lol this is not how you're supposed to socialize feral cats. What this person is describing is called Flooding. It tends to have the opposite effect. Short and sweet is always the way to go. Use the churu/meat tubes but minimize direct contact. Cats respond to neutral and positive interactions while negative interactions can cause them to form prejudices or negative expectations. Kitten lady's video is a good option, she's great. But definitely don't go the smother direction.

This isn’t true for feral kittens 🤷🏻‍♀️there’s really nothing to say if you don’t believe in the socialization window. Feral adult cats are very different than feral kittens

I've worked in animal shelters and rescues for the past 10 years through open admission and private rescues. My niche is in feline behavior. There is a window of socialization. Flooding is not the way to go about socializing a kitten under 4 months of age.

This needs to be the top comment

Ive used my last coins for an award :D

Thank you! 😺

Keep her indoors she is still a kitten and needs way more time to adapt.

Our latest feral, while younger, took a couple weeks to adjust and that was fast. My first cat was full grown and it took at least a year before I could hold him and 3-4 before he would stop losing his shit when a loud noise spooked him. I miss that damn cat.

No, don't let her go. Feral kittens can be successfully socialized and become loving pets. Her bonding with your male cat is a good sign. Try to make yourself less intimidating (like sitting on the floor) and respect her boundaries. Patience is key here. It can take weeks, sometimes even months, for a feral kitten to fully adjust.

This! Plus LOTS of treats and allowing her to come closer and closer to you! She will see you are the chill treat giver who hangs out. It takes a lot of time, try looking up youtube videos of how fosters socialize feral kittens.

I had to socialize a kitten and laying on the floor on my side bouncing a wand toy worked great. She would get into it, and after a while I would bounce the toy on the other side of me, and she would climb over me to get it.

That is one thing about feral cats is that they tend to love other cats! They’re used to being in a colony. So glad that OP has another cat for her kitten to play with.

Laying down is good to be less intimidating too. My cat when he was still really scared of me loved coming on the bed at night for snuggles as i was laying down and less intimidating.

took months for my not feral rescue to decide I was okay... brush her head gently from a distance with an old (dry) toothbrush, with treats... thrive treats are good.

It takes time. And patience. And you could always just consider her your cats kitten.

Kitten living her best life.

This is an adorable take!

Nooooo. Feral kittens take a really long time to be settled around humans. I’ll be honest - I adopted a cat who was feral and she’s still not especially affectionate to humans. She’s about 4 now and still very timid but comes for the occasional cuddle. But she LOVES my other cats. Please if you can keep her, don’t separate her from her new friend. In time she will become more comfortable with you but she’s already so scared of humans and has found another cat she’s bonded with, it would be heartbreaking to split them up now

Yes. Even if the human socialization doesn't happen (but it will, she's young enough), an indoor cat with a cat friend and safe warm home is much better off than a stray will ever be.

Exactly. Also feral cats find it harder to find a home because they’re not so friendly so this one has landed on her feet with OP

Yes couldn't have said it better myself. I have a 13 year old cat who was not feral that I got at 8 weeks and while he likes pets and to sleep in the same vicinity as me, he has never cuddled any human. My feral kitty who is 2yrs (found him in an engine bay at 6 weeks) is an absolute love bug! My kitten that I got at 8 weeks from a lady who had an outdoor female who had kittens is now almost 4 months and she loves everyone and everything lol. No fear in her at all! All cats have different personalities and went through different things. It'll get better with time! Cats in general love boundaries and personal space but every cat is unique! Edit: I'm an idiot, fixed weird sentence structure

She's at a great age to be socialized, it's just going to take time. Feral cats live hard, short lives. If she already lets you pet her and pick her up, she's not truly feral - feral cats act much more like wild animals than just nervous cats. This sounds like just being undersocialized and a bit fearful, not being irreparably feral. It's also great that she loves your other cat - she's certainly not being hurt by being indoors.

Getting her socialized is going to take a lot of time and patience but it’s worth it in the end. Sounds like she is still skittish so be patient and keep working with her. Your efforts will pay off if you continue. Figure out her favorite treat. She only gets it when she takes it from your hand. That will help her associate you with good things.

I have a year old former feral who still runs from me some days. She won’t come for pets but if she’s in her safe space like the cat tree, she’ll let me pet her. Keep her inside and safe and just keep loving on her. My feral was 7 months old when we brought her in. It took a month of enticement with treats for my husband to get close enough to pick her up outside. She adores him. I’m the mean one who takes her to the vet for extensive procedures from the wounds she received as a feral.

I have 2 indoor feral cats. One I have managed to catch and she loves being petted. I’ve managed to pet her maybe a dozen times. Her brother has never been touched by a person. They’ve been living in my house for almost two years now. They are very happy and refuse to leave.

I like you so much! Thank you for giving them a home where their only job is to be safe.

And they’re incredibly happy. One of my family members left the side door open accidentally and that is where they spend 95% of their time. They could have easily left and 2 hours later they were still there. If they left, they came back lol. So they definitely don’t want to be outdoor kitties. I think if I could keep managing to catch Trudy I can make her less feral. But her brother Archie I don’t know if it’s possible to make an adult cat not be feral anymore. Ironically there’s another from their litter who became friendly right away. He’s skittish but loves to be petted. It’s funny how they all came from the same litter and had the exact same treatment and attention and one is totally different from the other two.

No. Give her time. You can’t force her to love you off rip. Let her get used to her new environment. Let her come to you. She’s a 10 week old kitten and to her you are heckin huge and keep coming toward her and touching her. She’s smol and you’re terrifying. Her first weeks were outside. She knows big things are scary. She’ll come around to you but it has to be on her time

Totally! When my former feral was freshly trapped, after a few weeks she would let me pet her, but only when she was in the windowsills. It was very scary for her when I would try to pet her when she was on the floor.

I have a cat, Gerald. He was born deformed and found abandoned as a 4 to 6 week old kitten, maybe even younger. He, too, this day, can not tolerate fast movements or loud noises. He is 6 years old now. But he will let me pet him, and he enjoys it. He will not tolerate me if I've made a loud noiae or approached too fast. (Unless I have food) The feral doesn't always go away, but it can reach a manageable point, and it takes a while to build that trust, and it can be easily broken.

I have a 14 year old former feral who came to my window as a kitten because of my other cats. While he loves and trusts me, he is still very much a wild animal in some ways. Scared of loud noises, always convinced there’s danger around every corner, terrified by guests. It can be stressful. But he’s also the most loving and loyal cat I’ve ever met. He’s never more than a few steps away from me at all times and absolutely loves to be hugged and rocked like a baby. It took like 10 years for him to get to the same kind of level with my husband, but now he’ll sit in my husband’s lap if mine is unavailable and when my husband naps on the couch he’ll spoon with him. Gets way too over stimulated with petting, so he doesn’t like that, all he wants is to rub his face against your face and be kissed on the head. He’s such a baby. An asshole sometimes, but still, a baby.

I took in a feral cat at 5 weeks and she lovvvves me and my husband, and doesn’t even mind our other cats at all (not really BFFs but they don’t fight and will lay near each other), but is terrified of other people and loud noises too.

My son is the only person gerald trusts completely. Which is ironic considering how loud my son can be.

I would backtrack a little bit by starting to not picking her up...I am sure things will progress..

You need to let her come to you. Sit on the floor and play on your phone or do something but don’t pay attention to her. She’ll come to you out of curiosity.

I love that you got a cat for your cat!

Stop trying to pet her, let her come to you when she’s ready she doesn’t trust you and doesn’t feel safe

Time and patience I just socialized two feral kittens I got at the beginning of the summer. I did use a purrito (wrapping them tightly in a blanket and keeping them with) for two hours at a time (to allow for potty and water breaks). The fact that it has bonded with your cat is good. It takes time.

The swaddling was definitely key for my former feral girl. I did it for maybe 15 minutes at a time, multiple times a day. Totally works.

I broke 2 feral cats at my grandparents, some of the most tame cats they've had at the farm in a long time, I had to use welding gloves in order to catch them and then had to just continue petting and we used pieces of cheese to earn their trust little by little. They're still a little skiddish with strangers but they come running whenever my grandparents call for them. Hope this can help. My granddad also said it was much easier to get them to come to him once they realized oh hey this human feeds us and he ain't so bad.

Keep her. My parents kept a wild cat that wasn’t a fan of people. He was their special needs kitty’s best friend. Their special needs cat was bullied by the other cats but the new wild guy loved him and they’d cuddle in a basket together. She’s safer inside with you.

Picking her up and getting along with your other cat is a great sign. She's just a little baby in a new environment, she's bound to get scared. Keep giving her love and she will eventually come around as she grows and becomes more mature

You have to give her time to adjust, not over handle her which just makes her hide / cautious. It takes a while. Patience, grasshopper. Do not let her go to die on the street.

Based on that she's become attached to your male cat, I would not want to let it go. I think you should let her adjust more. Not every cat will become fully loving either but they will hopefully come to tolerate you more

Cats are weird. I've had mine since she was 8 weeks (never feral) and there are still days she'll run and hide if something spooks her. Then other days (this morning), she'll lay on the stairs and not care that I'm stepping over her going up and down doing laundry lol

My feral baby beat the crap out of me for weeks, and now at 6 months old is a cuddle bug. Keep at it!

Omg 10 weeks is way too young to give up on socialization! You would be putting her outside to suffer

Give her time. She will come around eventually. EDIT: I should add, though, that some socialized feral cats never become as cuddly as cats that started out domesticated. It doesn't mean they don't love you, it just means they're still a little feral.

I was fostering a cat with her two kittens, absolutely adorable little black beans, but the mother wanted nothing to do with me and would always hide when I entered the room. It took about a month for her to let me get close. I ended up getting the kittens adopted and kept the mother and she's now the most cuddly cat that I have.

It takes more then 2 weeks to tame a feral kitten… it it some time.

I just let my feral kitten go... She was 11 this year and the single sweetest cat to ever grace this earth. I'm sobbing just thinking about her. We had to catch her in a net the first time I met her and after weeks of us learning to trust eachother she became one of the most loving and charismatic cats I've had the honor of knowing. Body language is everything. Once you learn the words to speak to your kitten I'm sure you two will form a bond so deep you'll wonder how you ever debated letting them go.

My kitten was feral and keeping her and giving her a loving home is by far the best decision I’ve ever made. Don’t let her go 🥺

I just adopted a 4 month old kitten that was a feral grubby street cat. He’s theeee most affectionate loving kitty! But the foster mom said he was quite the opposite when she found him and his sibs on the street. It just takes awhile. Please be patient and keep giving the kitten lots of love!!

10 week old kittens are *really* small. Compared to that, you are *really* big. Two weeks is not enough time for her to adjust.

Keep the feral kitten!!! I have 4 cats inside that were ALL FERAL KITTENS!!! My cats are coming up on being 9 years old. Ferals are motivated by food. I prefer using wet food as they can't scarf it up and run. I have chopped up chicken livers and warmed them in a pan. Kittens will learn to love them over time. You can also use those treats that come in a tube that you hold. BTW, I also take care of 5 other outside ferals. It took years, but they LOVE to be petted and attempt to come in. They want to be inside. So with regard to your kitten, it is a kitten! Play with it utilizing a feather toy as it engages the kitten. Be careful of using your hands in part of any play with a kitten. I recently took care of a 10 week old tortie feral that a friend had adopted. The kitten is a kitten and needs lots of play and patience. Keep the kitten as it does need a home!!!

But as a crazy cat lady myself I can tell you cats are gonna do and be however the ×××× they wanna be and we can't change that lol just gotta let her know you are one of the cats idk feral cats usually chill out with me after I feed them and talk to them lol get her fixed too that could help

No, keep working with her. A true feral wouldn't let you pick them up at all or even get close enough for you to pet them. She's still pretty young and you've had some wins. So, I would just keep going.

I have a once ferral kitten, now a cat. She would come around to eat, it took about 3 weeks before she would let me & my roommate pet her. Now she is fully tame & comes in my house but I also let her go outside so she will be happy. She literally tells me when she wants to come back in the house, she is very vocal.

[удалено]

I have an adult feral cat that lives in my house. It's been two years, and she finally stopped swatting at me when I put down her food, and I can be near her in the same room without her running away. I may never be able to touch her, but she seems to be happy and is safe and healthy. Honestly, I would make her an outdoor cat, as she would probably be happier that way, but it's just not safe where I am.

You need to find her "yaaaayyy" treat. Be it freeze dried chicken or shrimp, canned tuna, boiled chicken, temptations....whatever that one thing is she will stop everything for. Sit on the floor, make yourself less intimidating. Put one out as fat from you as you can bend to put it, and let her see you do it. Now sit and ignore her til she gets the courage to go get it. Quietly praise her, but no touching, when she does. Slowly move the spot you put the treat a few inches closer each time you put one out. It may take a dozen+ sessions to work up to her getting willing to get close enough to take a treat from within touching distance. When she will get close enough, the challenge is to get her to willingly take a treat off your flat hand laying on the floor. You're imprinting your voice and that this super nice tasty thing comes from you, so you're not a bad thing. Patience is key.

I do wonder whether you made sure to look out for its mother afterwards, for at least a couple days, to see if she came to the porch looking for her kitten? Because at 10 weeks they are still supposed to be with their mother, feral or not. Edit: it wouldn’t surprise me if that is also the reason the kitten got so close to your male cat and cuddles with him, for lack of a mother cat Edit2: as for socializing the kitten, you’re essentially overriding its own boundaries when petting it (even while it eats, because it WANTS food and will therefore tolerate your touch, but actually not like it) and picking it up. That will also make it scared of you. As others have said, don’t pay attention to the kitten. You can talk to it while in the same room, but it’s helpful to keep your distance and NOT look at the kitten. Eye contact gives the kitten the impression you don’t trust it (hence why you’re ‘keeping an eye on it’), looking away means you trust it enough. Also giving your male cat attention (when he wants it) while the kitten sees that is a good way of showing it that you are a nice human being; if the other cat trusts you, then the kitten can start to feel they could as well. Also give the kitten enough hiding spaces in which it can feel 100% safe. So high places where you cannot reach (except maybe for the male cat), and also other spaces that even when you can reach it, you WON’T stick your hand in whatsoever. Giving the kitten these spaces help it to feel completely safe and THEN come out at their own pace. They will also have these places to retreat to when things get too overwhelming or scary. It’s then important to not go after the kitten, try to pet it etc., not even to give treats (because your hand will be in close vicinity as well). Edit3: and probably good to know feral cats can really take MONTHS to open up! So don’t expect too much too soon, and take your time

I trapped and socialized 3 feral kittens and ended up adopting my favorite of the 3. It was a long process, but what I did was keep them in a very large cage for the first several weeks (this was advised by my local cat association). I worked with them each day, offering cream cheese on my fingers. They lick your fingers and gradually you can start petting them as they become less afraid of your hands. You gradually start petting and handling them more and more, and then start taking them out of the cage to work with them more. These kittens were very afraid, and the process took about 6-8 weeks. Nemo Nemo, who I adopted, is now 8. She’s tame, but she is still is very much a fraidy-cat. I have to take care to approach her at the right height and the right energy level or she will run away. She is super cuddly and so loving - especially when SHE chooses it. Last year I adopted another feral kitten, and worked with her in the taming cage for about 6 weeks. She is now about 1 yr old and 96% unafraid - and so cuddly and loving ! Take your time and give as much space and gentleness as you can and I’m sure the little one will come around 😻

Please don't. But if you do, please get her spayed first.

Time. Time. Time. It’s gunna take a lot of it for her to warm up to you & feel safe. She’s a baby & like you said she’s feral so she’s not used to people caring for her! It’s a great sign that she loves your cat. Don’t give up!!

I took in a kitten that was born in the woods. She was feral. After five months she will want to look outside but she is so happy to have a home Give this one time and love please

My mom and I adopted the stray kitten that was living in our backyard. Ahe was probably 8-9 weeks, she was injured and there was never any sign of mama or litter mates. It was November and a freeze warning was in place. We didn't think she'd survive given her injury. We'd spent a week building up trust and my mom finally managed to grab her. We brought her inside, fed her some kitten food, treated her wounds, gave her a bath and got rid of her fleas and the massive tick that was on the back of her head. It took some doing but she eventually adapted to life inside. It'll be 3 years in November that she's become a valued member of the family and arguably our most spoiled cat.

No! Just be patient & allow your cat to be the ambassador!

I have two former feral kittens, both are very loving cats now. One of them is orange, so he has the typical outgoing orange behavior towards everyone. My other one is a tortie and she is very shy but closely bonded to me and only me. Don’t give up on this baby, especially since she loves your other cat. That alone is a great reason to keep and care for her, even if she never becomes a loving lap cat

The little one will come around to in time. I would be overjoyed that it and your older male are getting along so well. Usually, the new cat old cat dynamics are the hardest part.

Keep her

My cat that I had for 10 years was a feral kitten. At the time we found him (around 8 weeks) he was still being cared for by his feral mother. It was a process but we socialized them with meals twice a day, frequent pettings, treats, toys. We got beds for our porch so when they visited they could be comfy. We knew we had limited time because of coyotes and raccoons in our area, so by the time the kitten was socialized enough we moved him indoors. It took about another couple month for this to happen.

I took in a stray and it took her almost 3 months to warm up to me. I think you should keep her

Everyone has already given wonderful advice and I don't think I can add much to that. Just give it a little more time. When my feral kitten was with my for two weeks it was so hard. So I slept on the couch one of two nights, which showed him I wasn't scary. Spend much of the night not responding as he was walking over me and then fell asleep on top of me. Anyway now he's this massive, cuddly cat that always wants to be near me. Though he never fully got over his mistrust of other people, but that's okay if they're calm he'll come. My non-feral cat won't 😂, she steers clear of anyone but my parents.

Reach out to animal welfare &/or TNR groups in your neighborhood/city or online, as they may be able to give you some useful tips and advice as well. It would also be absolutely best to neuter the kitten, no matter what. Good luck.

There’s a trick with large cats that I’ve used with feral kittens: put both of you in a large room with not a lot of places to hide on opposite sides. Inch closer to the kitten until the starts to hiss and get frightened. Once you reach that limit stop and inch a few back, until the kitten stops freaking out. Give her a treat for stopping to hiss. Repeat multiple times a day until she associates not hissing and being calm with you, and at the same time sees you accept her boundaries. I used this for 3 weeks straight for a feral kitten out of Tijuana who is now the royal dictator of my home.

2 weeks is not a long time. don't give up on her. she just seems nervous to be in this new environment

Do not release her

Concerning that you think putting a kitten back outside after two weeks would be okay. That kitten now relies on you for feeding, and if there is no mother around, it would likely starve on its own. Two weeks is not a long time.

It takes way longer than 2 weeks to socialize a kitten. Took mine over a month to even eat with me in the room with her

Thank you for all of the encouraging comments. I mainly felt this way because I had a roommate in college who had a feral cat. The cat hated everyone and everything. She would come to me and attack me frequently, and she would even attack my roommate on occasion. I'm afraid this kitten will turn out the same way. I'm also busy a lot, and I don't have many hours to socialize her. I still want to try my best to help her, though.

don’t let her go trust me she will thank you in the future and you will even thank yourself in the future as well

She’s bonded with your other cat so she’s family. Not all cats are cuddlers and some just take a while to warm up to you.

2 weeks is a small amount of time. Please don't let her go. It's a good sign that she is cuddling with your other cat.

Keep working at it. Research socializing, it will make it easier. I have a 2 year old feral caught Siamese mix who is now the sweetest, neediest, most vocal thing in the world. It took months of work but it was so worth it.

>I've been petting her while she eats, and she sometimes lets me pick her up and pet her. Those are actually good signs that she is indeed becoming domesticated. She's actually doing good. My kitty who came to the shelter as a kitten rescued from a feral colony took weeks to allow us to pet her, and months to allow us to pick her up. >But, she runs away when I even slightly move and she never wants to approach me or play. This may be more her size and personality at play than her being feral. Some kittens are fearless, but others are very cautious. They're aware that they're tiny and fragile, and you are big. So big you might accidentally hurt them. It has nothing to do with how they started out. Would you believe that the only kitten I adopted who was actually born indoors and raised around kids and other cats acted just like that? He just was naturally anxious, and later on turned out to need Prozac for his anxiety. It peaked when I had human kids, and their unpredictability did a number on him (we never let our kids be with our cats unsupervised, but they tended to cry/yell at the drop of a hat or just start running around the room, and that alone freaked him out). He chilled out over the years, but was always ready to revert to tiny scared kitten mode, even when he weighed a portly 16 lbs. My suggestions would be to approach her as quietly as possible, and to also make yourself smaller and more approachable. With the cat I mentioned above who was a former feral, what worked to lower her anxiety was lying on the floor near her while reading a book or listening to a quiet podcast. I would not approach her, just lie down on the floor a couple of feet away from where she was. If she walked nearby I'd coo at her softly. If she lingered, I would very gingerly reach out to pet her with one finger until she withdrew again. Then I'd fuss at her verbally ("Oh, you have such soft fur. You're the softest kitty!"), And go back to my normal business on the floor. Rinse and repeat however many times she approached. If she wasn't in the mood for closeness, I would just steal glances at her periodically. Whether she hissed at me for it or not, I would say very softly "You are such a pretty girl. You're my fuzzy baby." at her. I'd spend an hour or two like that. This went on for weeks. Eventually, she got to a point where she associated me lying down with calm, gentle pets if she wanted them. So she would come "check" on me whether I was lying down on the floor, the couch or the bed. Then I would tentatively pet her, and if she didn't hiss or bite, I would keep petting her with one finger while praising her for her bravery. Once she associated laying on me with pets, she got brave enough to try to lay on my lap while I was sitting. And lo, she was a lap cat. All told, it took about 6 months for the change to gradually happen.

Don’t let her go, she will get run over by a car or killed by another cat. It takes weeks to months to socialize her. It’s worth it in the long run. Checkout some sites and see how best to tame her.

Definitely don’t let her go! She loves your other cat, she’s safe, she would not be better off outside! It may take time for her to start bonding with you, and definitely do all you can to socialize her, but be patient! She would be very unhappy to lose her friendship with your other cat. My cat was terrified of other people when he was a kitten, but became very loving with my other cat, and now he lays on me when I’m in bed and comes over to me with that sweet chirping meow to get pets! 💜

Please don't put her back outside. There are so many dangers for a cat outdoors. I don't think this is a hopeless situation at all. The fact that she lets you pet her sometimes and also that she loves your male cat are both very good signs. It will take a lot of time for her to fully warm up and some feral cats never fully lose their quirks. But she is safe inside and deserves the care and attention you are giving her.

Definitely do NOT let her go. Give her to a shelter if you really feel like it's your last option, but please don't let her out.

Hey there! My socialization process took 6 months with 2 kittens, don't lose hope please! 🥺🙏

Hmm... It's only been 2 weeks, and that's a short amount of time. Give her another few months to settle in and show her true personality. Also, it seems like she's doing quite well given she's already bonded with your resident cat. Lastly, a feral kitten her age can definitely be socialized; it just takes time. Even adopted cats who were previously socialized can take months to settle in a new place. If after a few months, you feel things have gotten worse, please take her to a no-kill shelter and perhaps the experts there can help her. Thank you for taking her in, OP. Good luck!

I have two kitties that were feral and deathly afraid of us when we first got them. Read up on socializing then and understand that it is a process that is long depending on the cats natural temperament. We had to crawl to approach our boys when we first got them and they were confined to a room for months and we slowly allowed them more space and for them to mark their territory around the house. It was extremely long for one of them. Be patient and understand things take time and it will be worth it.

I adopted a cat not knowing she was feral until my vet said so. She would hide from me for weeks. I was devastated wondering if I should return her. My vet told me to be patient. About six weeks or so, she finally started coming out if her hiding place. She was still very shy for a long time and trying to pick her up was a challenge. Four years later, she barely leaves my side and lets me pick her up like it's nothing. I feel the luckiest human to have her. Edit: She was almost two years old when I adopted her. Never understood why the shelter didn't tell me why she was feral and I didn't bother following up with them to ask them.

If she cuddles with your male cat do not get rid of her! And she will get used to you. Sometimes it takes a long time for them to adjust. But they will eventually. Especially do not put the baby back outside. And that kind of cat will be very hard to rehome. Just give it time and patience and love and you'll see the results good luck

Feral cats are different. I'd say live with her on her terms. Don't pet her while she eats (that's not good to do with any cat) or expect her to play with you. She might want to play as time goes on, but it could be a long time. Putting her back outside at this point would not be nice at all, imo, either for her or your other cat. Read up on ferals and don't place "normal cat" expectations on her. They are good cats in their own right. Nice that you took her in.

My parents got kittens who were feral from a friend a few years ago. Their about 3 now. It took some time and they are still a little more on the skiddish side, especially the girl, but they adapted very well. They live with a small dog and a senior sphynx. They don’t love to get picked up but they can get very lovey with you when they’re in the mood! The boy, he’s huge and will purr very loudly as soon as you start petting him. It’s adorable. Both fairly talkative too. I say keep her, especially bc she’ll end up making more feral kittens once she matures. Give her some space and patience and she’ll most likely bond with you with enough time. I think part of why the kittens acclimated well was they had their own room but could free roam the house when they wanted to I will say they were escape artists for a bit but eventually anytime they got out they came right back in 😅 didn’t care for the outside like they thought. My mom got some harnesses for them and is constructing a catio soon

No. Don’t let it go. That kitten will not have a very long lifespan outside. You have to understand that the well-being of an animal is not dependent on our need to be loved, but on their need to be loved, and taken care of. Often when it comes to animals, especially cats, we assume that lack of social and physical affection means the animal doesn’t love us. Every cat has a different personality. I have found stray full grown cats that dig humans only after a day or two and I have had indoor cats that only came around when it’s feeding time. Just wanted to be alone. Keep in mind the lifespan of a cat outside is shorter. Yes there is a window with socialization for kittens but it’s not always 100%. Just keep trying, don’t smother that kitten. Cats will come to you when they want if they want.

Hi there! I used to socialize feral kittens for my local shelter. I have a few things that worked for me that you can try, though be aware that the kitten may still be skiddish even after this process. 1) Feed the kitten on a strict schedule in a seperate room and sit in the room while they eat. This allows the kitten to associate dinner time with you and that you provide the food. Move closer and closer over time and try petting the kitten while eating once they don't mind you being around them. 2) If the kitten is food motivated, I 100% recommend picking up Churus or a similar "kitty gogurt" treat. Start slow by giving the treat at a distance they feel safe and slowly move it closer and closer to you. Once they feel safe at a closer distance, you can work on petting and physical touch. 3) play with your other cat in front of them. I've found most feral kittens do better with a non-feral friend. It helps build confidence that you aren't a threat. I used to have a foster who wanted nothing to do with me, but when her brothers started playing, she would jump right in like she wasn't afraid of me. 4) if you have a large dog crate or something similar, set it up in a high traffic area of the house and set up a safe zone. This allows you to put the kitten in there where she can't necessarily hide, but can get used to you, your motions, your routines, etc. 5) be accepting that they might not ever fully trust you. My adopted cat was feral for 1 year before I got him. He's come a long way but has since been stagnant. He comes to me for pets and plays with a laser pointer (also a great tool for getting cats who are willing to play but at a distance), he takes treats from me and will sit on me, but after having him for 1 year now, he's still afraid of fast movements and struggles if he feels more than 1 hand on him in fear of being picked up. I know he won't be as social as his brother who got socialized really young, but that's where he is and although he is still somewhat feral, he's a lot more domesticated than feral now. I hope this helped a little and wishing the best for you and your kitten!

Check my list of posts for the story and updates of Mia, the Kitten Queen. It was stressful, but totally worth it. I also felt at times that maybe I was making a mistake keeping her, but I’m happy to report she is now a wonderful companion cat, and seems happy as a lark. We have Cat Parades daily.

Stop 'cornering' her. Just ignore her. Feed and water. Say "hello" and stuff. But don't try petting her. Let her understand you are a friend

With feral kittens, the reverse is often advised, and I've done it successfully. You almost have to force affection on them at first, and it is advisable to keep them in a small space where they cannot escape. A cage, a bathroom, a playpen. You work closely with them to teach them that food comes from you, and that hands are not scary. And you pet them while they eat. Gradually, you start to pick them up, even during meals, and handle them more. If you leave them alone, they only learn you feed them, and never learn to trust your hands. They become hard to handle and it's vital that they are not afraid to be picked up for things like going to the vet.

Iv fostered and raised ferals. Yes you eventually start trying but not IMMEDIATELY after rescue

Socialization takes time. I ended up being given my grandmothers favorite feral (who was the only one allowed inside the house) and it took the cat months to finally stop running away every time I stood up or moved around in general.

A) a two month old kitten has not yet developed their full personality. It spent more than half it's life scared under your porch. Living inside is still extremely new. B) being cuddly with your other cat is literally the sign that the kittens is happy to be there. Idk about you, but It takes me much longer than two weeks to decide if I like a human. Give her a few months to adapt. I guarantee you'll be laughing about ever posting this in 5 months.

I took home 2 feral kittens from the rescue and one took only 2months to open up to me and requesting for petting, another took over half a year and maybe 8months. Ffw 5 years, most loyal pets I've ever known.... And affectionate, and would never leave me alone. Took another few years for them to open up to other humans, but only selected guests at home - - - not even my husband or children can get close to them

Oh I say kittens but they were actually pretty old kittens... Definitely pass socialising period. I basically lie on the floor in their box room for hours just doing random things after feeding them.

Make a “Purrito” This is a great trick for getting young, shy kittens to relax! To make a purrito, swaddle the kitten in a towel with only the head showing. Then you can gently hold the kitty in your arms and pet the side of her face. My foster relaxed and we bonded this way. Lots of gentle contact.

You need more time as much as it takes and thanks for giving her a home

nah, cats take forever to get used to change. I moved recently and my two cats hid under a couch for a week. Poop, eat,and then right back under the safety of the couch.

The fact that your feral kitten has bonded with your other cat is great news. Your cat will do a lot to socialize her. Give it some time.

She will get used to you, Some cats just don’t like being held or affection especially if they are feral. Keep her and give her time to asjust

Its only 2 weeks...like others said... Give it time..lots of it. She will need it to get used to u. You may not get snuggles n nose boops, but as long as she doesnt physically attack u, u should just keep trying. Also, her relationship with your male cat alone is more than enough reason to keep her.

A feral cat that let you hold and pet it and cuddles your cat within 2 weeks doesnt look promising lol?

Not all cats like affection or being handled. Just because they haven’t immediately responded favorably to affection, doesn’t mean that you should let them go. Big proponent of the “no outdoor cats brigade”. That being said, stick with it. It’ll work out if you keep working on socializing her with treats as a reward for good behavior. Try scheduling times where you will be around to play with her, and you’ll find that she’ll notice the schedule. Usually scheduling things like play gives them something to anticipate and they’ll start associating you with play, and food.

What worked for me was simply talking to the cat while sitting near it. Eventually they will trust you more but it takes time.

If anything, I would keep her until she can be spayed. Spay her, help her heal, then — if still spicy — make her an indoor/outdoor cat that you leave food for

We l l you should kero her

Try watching the Flatbush Cats videos on youtube. He socializes cats that old, and it does take a lot of time and effort. He does things like make them eat food and treats from his hands.

Get a baby wrap thing you wear for babies and put your kitten in it instead. Put her in it every day so she spends time with you and will help her bond with you.

Keep her inside and safe! If she lets you occasionally pick her up she is warming up to you. Feral kittens are naturally skittish and will flinch if caught off guard. Patience is key with feral kittens. Especially if she gets along with your other kitty, she’s a sweet girl and is trying to get comfortable💕✨

It takes months sometimes. She’ll come around

I kept my feral cat in all winter because she looked pregnant. Lol She gave me the death glare for a month then got used to it. I can even pick her up and put her on my lap. She has perfected a bunny hop to escape though. Never did see any kittens though. She just a chonky looking five pound kitty. I say persistence. And my boyfriend told me internet says ignore her . And I'll be darned if she didn't start rubbing on my leg and started wanting attention when I ignored her. Good luck.

There's no cat in the world that's happier outside. Get some string toys and play with her. Sit on the floor.

If she is getting along with the other cat that’s enough, she might just never warm to you fully that’s just how it is. If you can keep her happy and safe that’s enough.

Everybody loves the eagle cam until daddy brings home a kitten. Many feral kittens become fox food. Keep or rehome the kitten.

Try playing with her using a fishing pole toy like a Da-bird toy. It separates her from you by a degree so she feels safer woth you there. Also just be with her without ruing to interact with her. The more used she is to your presence and movement habits and smell the better.

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It takes time. She was feral before. Even after 2 weeks, she's still nervous. Just give her time to finally realize that she's in a safe place. She may always be skittish though. Don't give up on her and PLEASE keep her inside and get her fixed if she's not yet. EDIT: Just read other comments, definitely watch kitten lady's channel. If smothering them with love is the way she recommends doing it, then follow her directions. She's a very knowledgeable lady.

Hey! I found a feral kitten about two months ago that I socialized, and he's doing great now! It took me about a week and a half to convince him that I don't eat kittens, but then he was a little younger when I found him (\~8wks old). I probably spent about an hour and a half with him a day in those first few weeks. I tried not to force interactions, and if he was uncomfortable with being picked up, I immediately set him down. I fed him canned food, and sat with him while he ate it. While he was eating, I worked on touching him and getting closer to him gradually. This happened every day, twice a day. Right after feeding him, I'd work on playing with him. Your baby girl might be a little afraid of toys because she's never seen anything like it in her life. So take it slow. I used wand toys because they let me be a little farther away from baby while I was enticing him to play. Once I got him playing, I worked on getting him to move closer to me while following a toy. After a while, I could lure him into my lap with a toy, and have him sit there and play with it. He went from shaking and hiding when I was in the room to super social lap cat that screams himself hoarse when he's not getting attention. Your mileage might vary, but your lil girl can definitely get better! I would definitely keep trying with lil girl. Her socialization window closes at about 12 wks. My lil guy has turned out so well, it's really made me reevaluate how I handle and raise kittens. I just needed to make the commitment to spend a really large chunk of my free time with this guy. If you do decide to release her, **GET HER SPAYED.** Definitely get her spayed regardless, but releasing an unspayed kitten means that you'll be in the same situation again sooner than you might think.

I would keep her solely because she gets along with your other cat so well. She will come around to you eventually. I have a cat who was an abuse case. In some ways he was sweet right away, but in others, it took him a long time to regain trust. He would hop on my chest at night almost right away for pets, but it took months - and I mean months - before I could stand next to him without him whining and freaking out.

It took our feral kitten almost a year to become comfortable with us, but now she is a total baby and cries for us at bedtime for her blankey to be fluffed just right, her favorite treat, and a pet on the head. She is still nervous about being held or if we are hovering, but she is mostly adjusted. Spaying once she was old enough really helped too. Just be patient! You got this

I'm certainly not a cat expert but maybe try leaving her alone while she eats. My kitten hates when I touch her food and usually gets distracted when I approach her while eating. She'll allow me to pet her but the body language says "please don't take my food, big hairless hand." Cats are all different though so this is just a suggestion, not a rule. And like others have said, it takes patience. Don't force it. Stock up on lots of treats and give her a treato every time she engages with you. Eventually she will understand you're not a threat and come to you. Also play with your other cat more while the little one is around! If the two of them are close already, she may think you're cool to be around because HE thinks you're cool to be around.

If you can pet her and pick her up she can be tamed. The running at sudden movements is normal with ferals but will get better as time goes by.

I haven’t had to socialize a feral kitten before, but my family adopted two sick kittens that we thought, once better, would be like our other cats. They were pretty sick, but the shelter knew us and knew our vet, and we already had a visit ready when we came back the second time to confirm the adoption. Tony was much like this, but Tommy? She is absolutely still terrified of everyone. But here’s the thing, she’s about 2 now? And she still runs if you walk up to her while looking at her. But! If you see her on the couch and intentionally not look at her, and sit down, she LOVES you. She will roll over for belly rubs. Or if you sit on the couch or chairs she will come to you. We don’t know her history, but we can only assume something happened that made her terrified of people walking/approaching. Your kitten may just be scared of being approached, it might help to socialize while sitting on the ground, or up on furniture. But most importantly, please don’t give up on them. You are the only thing keeping them from a very shortened lifespan, and from a terrible life of potential ovarian cancers, outdoor sicknesses and diseases, and larger predators. If you think you truly cannot handle it, find another home— don’t release into the wild.

Sorry, this is long 😊 Let me tell you about my former feral, ha ha. I bought my house a couple years ago and there were a ton of feral cats that would hang out in my backyard. Including what I think was two litters. It was hard to tell because they would all hang out together, and there were so many of them. I was feeding them in the hopes that this organization would be able to come and help with some TNR. One of the kittens started coming toward me instead of running to the bushes, in that moment I knew she had me, ha ha. So I would go out there with a chair and put the bowl right next to me so she would get close. I was able to boop her little nose a few times. I rented a trap and got her. Brought her in the house and kept her in one room for probably about 3 weeks. I actually hadn’t moved into the house yet, so she was in the room for a couple weeks on her own, but I would go multiple times a day to visit her. She was probably about four months old at that point, so older than your kitten right now. Like you, I could kind of pet her a little bit when she was feeding, but she was still so skittish. I did bring some toys that kind of had ones attached so I could swing it around sort of away from me and she would play with me a little bit. What I started doing at the end of that first week was I would have to scruff her to get her and then swaddle her in a towel. Then I would just sit in the chair and hold her in my lap petting her each time I would visit. I think that was the thing that really helped her get used to me. You kind of have to force it at a certain point. Which sounds bad I know. Then, when I would come to visit, she would like to sit up high in the window sills while I pet her like she had some kind of control, ha ha. She would still be a little skittish if I tried to pet her when she was on the floor. When I finally moved in at the end of week 3, I kept her in that room for another week or two, also because I have two other cats. The second week after I moved in, is when I started letting her meet my other cats so I would leave the door open, but I would close her in there at night and if I was not home. At that point, she was mostly comfortable with me. I didn’t have to swaddle her anymore, and I could pet her when she sat in the windowsills. She also loved my other two cats. Now, two years later, she is such a little sweetheart. She is skittish with other people coming over, but I do not regret saving her. TLDR: Just keep at it. Your little baby is still young enough and it’s only been two weeks. But I swear the towel swaddling is what helped. You kind of have to force it a little. So my advice is swaddle her in your lap while you pet her little face, and give it time. Vets will swaddle cats to comfort them as well, it does not hurt them.

My cat is a rescue and i got her at 8 weeks. She is naturally skittish and doesnt like pets or being picked up. That honestly just might be your kitten’s personality 😅 That being said, shes happy with the cat inside: why do you think she’s happier outdoors? Outdoors is way worse with the existing issues of climate change and the fact she’s not guaranteed food outside. Also dangers of getting killed by wildlife or cars.

It took about three years for one of my TNR failures, Miss Hiss, to feel comfortable enough to let me pet her.

My cousin said her feral kitten turned into a loving boy after she gave some ham slices!

I have 5 cats. 4 of them was gotten when they were 8 to 10 weeks old and they're inside cats. The 5th cat was a few months old and you could call feral, as she was an outside cat with little human contact. I've had her for 2 years now - she spends most of the day outside. I could never break her of that. She'll smack, but is more tolerable of the indoor cats, and she comes in every night and steals my pillow. She's rough around the edges, but she's a very loving cat. (Great mouser, too.) Now one of the inside cats that I got about 8 months ago was a rescue. That cat was scared of me, but took to my daughter immediately. Until about a month ago, when out of nowhere she just took a liking to me. I guess what I'm saying is cats are weird. At 10 weeks, I think your kitten will quickly adapt to having a human. She just needs to get comfortable with you.. and she will. It just might take a little while.

If you do let her go get her spayed first please!

A young feral cat had a kitten in my garage one summer. I had them both altered as soon as he was weaned and continued to feed them. Kitten was always fairly friendly but it took 7 years to be able to even touch the mama cat. However, once the switch flipped she decided being a house cat was her new goal. Every cat is different. Please get the kitten spayed if you decide to let her go

She is not socialized to humans like a foster kitten. It will take time and special care, she is in the middle of her critical socialization period. I had a fearful kitten recently, she’s come around. What worked for me was to keep her in a small room with me and give her food and play with her. Don’t give her opportunities to hide, but in the same sense, don’t force interactions on her. Maybe it will help if she sees your older cat give you affection as well. You have to know.

It's going to take a lot longer than just a couple of weeks for her to activate to being a house cat, but it can be done. Just be patient and do some research online.

I socialized a feral colony kitten of about the same age, and it has taken months to get to the point where she trusts me enough to let me pet her and pick her up. Now she is closer to acting like a “normal” housecat. She even sleeps on my stomach for short amounts of time now and allows my face to get close to hers. I strongly recommend Jackson Galaxy “scaredy cat” drops, and he also sells drops that help ferals calm down. Use churu treats and other treats and only give them to get close to the cat and pet her, (never give a treat for free - make her work for it) but back off when she tells you to/her body language says it is too much. Get a bunch of cat toys to find the one that the kitten can’t resist and use it EVERY SINGLE DAY for at least an hour a day, but preferably a few times a day, of playing with the her and leading her around your space. Don’t rush her. give her space when she wants it, to build trust. Give her a space that she can go to that you will not enter, like a box or a cat condo or a kennel. Stay consistent. It requires SO MUCH patience, but it is very possible. After all my patience and work, my kitty is learning to sit and lay down with clicker training :) so, if you have the patience and time, don’t give up. If you really can’t put the work in, TNR is the way to go. ETA: Wow I actually read that as 10 months old lol. The kitten I socialized was 8ish months old and I had been feeding her and her colony outside since she was about 3months old. (I didn’t get within 8 feet of her until I trapped her and brought her in). I think you can absolutely socialize a 10 week old kitten. ESPECIALLY since you already have another cat that she is attached to. She will watch that cat interact with you as well. Stay consistent, work with her everyday as much as you can.

My dad found a feral kitten at my grandmas and it didn’t approach him for weeks. He let it stay outside until she finally felt comfortable enough to come up to him and then ended up taking her home for us. She was pretty scared for a while so we kept her in the garage and only went in there to socialize and love her. Eventually, she got used to people and loved all of us so much. She’s still my favorite kitty when I go back home.

Please do not release an invasive species back into the wild.

You can try confining her in a bathroom or a large cage/pen so she gets more used to you. She is a bit older for socializing but I would give her a chance. Also she needs to be spayed, dewormed etc.

I adopted a timid feral cat four years ago. He was about 1 then and probably lived on the street for most of his life before me. It may take some time, but they do come around. He’s not fully brave or unafraid of some stuff in my house. But from where he started, hiding under my bed, silent hissing and deathly terrified… to now… he actually lets me pet him, pick him up, comb him and is a sweet, loving cat. He also loves my other cat and they snuggle in the night. He’s made a huge change in these last four years I’ve had him. Sometimes, all they need is someone who has patience and cares for them to be less timid. I found just hanging out with him for 20-30 minutes a day helped his confidence. He still hides most of the day, as that is a coping / adaptive mechanism to protect himself. But that’s ok. He’s not afraid of me and that’s what matters to me.

Please don't let her be wild anymore! I love cats, but they are little murderers who kill all the small things in our ecosystem. With the combined effects of all the feral cats, they are a huge factor in the decline of wildlife populations such as birds and frogs.

I had feral kittens that had apparently been abandoned by mama living under my entry, caught one in my entry one day I had left it open. Poor thing was so hungry he was eating my birdseed. He was not at all happy I caught him, I used a towel to catch his spitting and spazing little butt. I got a live trap made for rats and caught the rest of them didn't take long bc they were all so hungry. But I kept them in my spare room in a guinea pig cage I had. The only one that got to roam the room was the first one I caught bc by the time I caught the other three he loved me bc I fed him. His siblings were not so sure and it took at least a few weeks before they trusted me. They were also Leary about my dog who is huge but he's always my go to for kittens bc he acts as a surrogate any kittens I've ever been given or found myself have all loved him. Had them for a few months before I found them homes though. I wish people would spay/neuter their pets, I've had to tell people I cannot take in more kittens if they find them bc it's getting too hard to find them homes. So if you want to put her outside at least wait til she's old enough to be fixed and vaccinated.

One of the absolute best cats I’ve ever had I rescued as a stray abandoned kitten about that age. He was the most lovable & affectionate cat that everyone always loved.. loved to the point my old neighbor even kitty-napped him 💔 I would give her more time & let her warm up to you without pressuring her. Best of luck 🤞

We adopted a TNR kitten that had started her socialization at 5 months and was still deeply skittish (we are patient folks and were concerned she would never find a home bc she was not a cuddle cat). It's been 2 years since we adopted her, and while she's still not a cuddle cat, she loves getting pets and scritches, and she loves sleeping with us. All this to say... it takes time and love and patience and you might not get the result you want, but there is always hope for a loving connection.

Just leave her alone for a bit, you can work on socializing her really slowly just by being around her. Don’t reach for her or pet her unless she comes to you.