About new kitten?

He is gorgeous!

My 2 were true semi ferals and needed the towel and enforced cuddles treatment. Carried them around in the hood of a reversed hoodie for about a week... it seemed really cruel but it was the only was, as they were nearly too old.

The younger of the 2 (by maybe a week or 2) is now MUCH more confident with humans than her brother and will come out for visitors. Smaug (the older one) is terrified of everyone except me and DH. But he's currently asleep on my hip.

I recommend kitten lady (on youtube/insta) for socialisation help

OMG, I love him! I love black cats!

Just to validate the 'let him be' advice - I had a ginger and white kitten who was exactly the same. I thought we'd lost him (although rationally it was not possble - but I'd looked everywhere) until I saw him creep out from underneath a bookcase to eat. We let him be and after 5 days of being invisible, he gradually got so used to us that he would sleep in our bed and climb our legs if we didn't pick him up!

He died a few years ago, aged 21. so please be reassured - you are making great progress, and he will be fine!

He’s beyond gorgeous. I wish I could rescue all the cats in the world.

Looks like what you’re doing is working and he’s going to be ok. Enjoy. Be prepared for when he walks up your legs, when you’re only wearing a dressing gown. Ouch. Yes I do speak from experience.

He's just scared. Did he have any siblings? He should have really been adopted with one or them as single kittens don't do that well.

Oh he is SO cute!

I love black cats!

Ahh good morning little cat , he looks like he's wearing a very intricate grass head-dress.

I am disguising myself as a plant as I've heard tales of this thing called "Vet" and "Castration" which might be on the horizon

Our cat was a barn born kitten. She has always been a little shy and is very much an outdoor cat (until winter!). She sleeps in the caravan we have for storage most of the year. She tolerates a bit of fuss but lets you know when shes had enough.

This is a complete contrast to a very well socialised kitten we had who was friendly and settled immediately. No hiding even on first getting home. She played and slept on my shoulder from pretty much arriving and loved human company.

It is what you have to do for ferals and semi-ferals (which is how OP describes her kitten).

Yes, it seems to go against all our instincts when it comes to cats but there's only a very small socialisation window for these cats and at 11 weeks this kitten is already very much at the end of that window.

You have to get them used to being handled and touched before they're too old and remain in that semi-feral state forever.

I had a litte black kitten just like that. Would hide under the oven and in all sorts of mad places. I don't think yanking them out and forcing contact is the way. All I can say is 12 years later and the cat likes to sit in my face, so don't worry!

Sounds cruel but we blocked the hiding place but made sure they had quiet time in a comfy quiet place (utility room for us) where their food, water, litter tray was. Can you do this, limit their space to a smaller room? They do need to get used to both you and a much larger space than an animal shelter pen which is very small and all he’s known.
most importantly don’t worry. But IME the most docile and loving family cats have really hands on families from the get-go. It’s win win for you and your kitten.

Very true.

It's an important distinction though - we've had three domesticated kittens raised in a home as well as two semi-ferals raised in barns and the two are very different and needed very different approaches lol.

@cinnamonfrenchtoast I know, but owners who don’t have experience in socialising kittens may not know what a semi-feral or a feral is in terms of behaviour.

I've gentled many unsocialised kittens and always just leave them to it at the start, then slowly building up contact. Rescue lady is very wrong.

I would move one of those feather toys around it’s likely he won’t be able to resist trying to swat it

OP herself describes him as semi feral.

@cinnamonfrenchtoast you are correct about the advice for semi-feral and feral kittens, but I would say just because he has been born in a barn/farm, that doesn’t mean he is semi-feral or feral. It seems the kitten is coming out now which is great news 🐱

He is gorgeous! I’m a fosterer specialising in nervous cats. Definitely let him hide so he feels comfortable. Entice him out with play, this is a great way to bond too. And of course, plenty of delicious morsels. Have you tried slices of chicken? They go mad over the smell.

When we first bought DKitten home (at 8 weeks) he spent about 48 hours behind the sofa. He’s currently fast asleep on top of me, after spending his morning being wrapped up in s blanket by small children, so I don’t think letting him get on with it and settle in on his own terms has done any harm!

OP I've done the kitten thing 3 times in the last 18 months.

They always hide in the first few days.

She was not given ridiculous advice - she was given excellent advice.

We're not talking about a domesticated kitten raised in a nice family home who's just a bit nervous - this kitten is semi feral, and there is an incredibly short window of socialisation to get them used to humans before it's too late. At 11 weeks old, this kitten is right at the very edge of that window.

You can't treat semi-ferals in the same way you treat domesticated cats. They're a very different kettle of fish and when they're kittens you have to ignore the hissing, spitting and growling and keep socialising them, no matter how "wrong" it feels.

Our most recent semi feral was a hissy, spitty mess when we got him - but we ignored him and picked him and socialised him anyway. He's thirteen weeks old now and absolutely fantastic.