New kittens - advice please....

[akaMama]

Brought these two little beauties home on Sunday, they are both from the same litter one boy (black one) and one girl. I wanted two girls from the same litter but seen these two and just had to bring them home.

They are really scared. There was 3 of them but the home they came from also had puppies within a week of kittens being born so think they have been kinda sidelined a bit and haven't had as much socialising as they should have.

They have got free reign of the sitting room and have found a lovely little hidey place behind the settee where they spend most of their time. My plan is to just leave them and talk to them and hope they come to me but they are still really scared. They have been playing with each other and eating when we ( me and 3DS) are sitting around.

I'm getting conflicting advice, am I doing the right thing by just letting them be or should I be encouraging more contact and picking them up (it is so hard not too btw!)

They are 9 weeks old

[Fluffycloudland77]

I would fuss them and gently pick them up, cats can take ages to adjust though.

[SonceyD0g]

We have 2 ginger girls 2 years old now. They were rescued by cats protection with their mother as owner was about to down them all. They had had very little human contact when we got them. Took about a month before we could even touch them but now they are so loving. I think you are doing the right thing. Let them be and they will come round in their own time.

[SonceyD0g]

They were about 8 weeks when we got them

[Awholelottanosy]

Away they are soon cute! I think they just need time to settle in and feel at home. It's early days, I think you're doing the right thing, just being around them and letting them settle in in their own time. Hope they start to feel more comfortable soon!

[SacredHeart]

I've always started kittens (and neglected adults/adolescents) in one room with limited hiding spaces to settle. I then do socialising where I sit in the middle with treats but ignore them and wait for them to come to me.

Once they are more used to me (a week or so) and friendly I open them to the rest of the house. I think too much space can encourage avoidance.

Everyone has there own techniques though. Of course my last kittens I met from1 week so they were already well socialised and used to me so a few days to settle was all that was needed.

[akaMama]

Thank you. They have come out play (with each other) now, currently chasing each round the room ???? think they getting more confident. Won't take a treat off me but early days I suppose. I stick to my plan and hopefully they will come for cuddles soon ??

[akaMama]

So they've been chasing/playing/fighting with each other for an hr now and kept their distance from me as much as poss (I've been sat on floor and setee). Am I running the risk of them thinking they are in the wild?!! I'm seriously not happy with them ignoring me... Sniff sniff

[StrumpersPlunkett]

Ok different from the advice above.
We were guided by the rescue place on adopting a lovely but ferral kitten to have a soft towel round her so she can t leg it and to sit with her stroking her head until she relaxes
Once that has happened keepbstroking the head but pretty much let go so she could leave if she wanted
Initially she ran immediately but within a few days she just snuggled and was the most cuddly cat we have owned.
Not suggesting this will work with all cats
God luck!!

[Jux]

Apparently, if they're not socialised by 8wks old, then it'll be too late. 4week window between 4 and 8 weeks old. Some scientist type on the telly said so. No idea what their evidence is, though.

What I would do is give them a day, then give them a gentle stroke each time they're eating, and pick up a few times. Stroke lots while they're sleeping. You want to get their scent on you and yours on them so things start smelling more familiar to them.

[SacredHeart]

Used tshirts in their sleeping areas are good too.

How were they when you visited them to get them? Were they friendly? If so it could be the change in surrounding. What was the background?

As jux said there is a crucial window for socialising.