Timid kitten success stories

[MyLeggingsAreNowTight]

Hi, has anyone got any success stories of taking on a timid kitten who eventually comes out of their shell and settles into being a love bug?
We are due to take on a 14 week kitten who is very timid and hides, not seeking out human interaction. She’s not with us yet, and is probably pretty scared at being dumped at a rescue by her previous owner.
Has anyone done similar and did your cat eventually gain confidence and settle? Any tips?

Our cat was very nervous. He's still scared of most things (DH in particular). He's not exactly a 'love bug' but will come and snuggle up at times, and will be picked up and fussed by the kids.

He is also bonkers and likes to play quite vigorous and violent games after tea! The DSs happily encourage this!

I actually like that he's quite nervous- I think it keeps him safe. Away from cars, away from strangers and out of other people's houses (mostly: I've heard the neighbours bellowing at him. Hopefully it'll only take once!)

Aw, he sounds lovely! Really glad he didn’t end up hiding for ever!

One of our boys was very timid. He's definitely loving one on one upstairs in the bedroom at night but still runs during the day if you move towards him. But he's been much better since we started giving him zylkene recommended by our vet. I wish we'd known about it from the start. It calms them down and reduces stress and it's totally natural.

amzn.eu/d/6L6rXJG

We got our cats as slightly older rescues in 2017 (4 yo). Both are now absolute cuddle monsters now with myself and my partner, they remain v wary of strangers and hide under the bed or dash outside if anyone new is in the house. It took one of the cats a really long time though, lock down was a turning point, I was still workout but OH was furloughed and she finally learned to relax and enjoy his company. They are extra cuddly now it's turned cooler, fickle creatures!!

This is very reassuring, thank you! She hid to start with at a 10 minute meeting at the shelter, but warily leaned into my hand and closed her eyes when I gently approached her to stroke her cheek. After a few minutes she came out of her hiding space and was exploring cautiously around the room, so I’m hoping this all bodes well for when she comes home. Other cats I’ve had have been demanding attention from humans as soon as they were out of their pen, so this is something new to me!

Our tiny dkitten didn't leave dd's room for a year!! Took nearly 4 years before she would walk past the ddogs and hold her own!! Wasn't 2kg until 6 months old!! She meows very quietly. Unlike her bestie...

Aw, so cute!

That actually sounds pretty normal. My two came from a rescue and wouldn’t come out from under the furniture for a week. Then they would come out but stay at least a meter away from me. Wand toys are good at that stage. Then, about five weeks after we got them, and three weeks after they were allowed to fully access the house, I came down one morning to find one of them on the couch. It remains his favourite place in the house. He has been with us for three and a half years and is now willing to let the toddler pat him and, remarkably, will also accept being used as a pillow!

I never thought he would be a good family cat but he really, really is.

Our rescue kitten was very timid initially, and hid behind the sofa for two weeks.
she gradually warmed up. She’s very confident out and about and beats up the neighbours cats regularly
she is definitely not cuddly but she likes to sleep on the end of the kids beds. She will happily stab toes if anyone moves though…

It’s normal. Put the kitten in one room that you can shut the door to when you bring her home - don’t just let her roam around or she could get overwhelmed and hide. Leave the carrier in there, open the door but don’t try to take her out of it.

I kept mine in his own little room for a week. On the day I brought him home he wouldn’t leave his carrier and even hissed at me when I approached. So I gave him some space and periodically went into his room to gently talk to him without looking at him or trying to touch him. Later that evening I went in with some toys and played with them on my own without trying to get his attention. After a while he appeared, purring, and that was that. He’s a very affectionate boy.

Thank you. For those that kept them in their own room, did you choose a room and leave them on their own to get used to it? We were considering keeping her confined to the kitchen/diner, but obviously this will get a fair bit of traffic with us making meals, eating etc. The other option is an office/bedroom, but I’m wondering about accidents on the carpet, and wondering if leaving her alone in there is a good idea?

I chose a place where there wouldn’t be much/any traffic, so your office sounds an ideal little safe space for her. I put the litter tray in there obviously, plus some food and water, and covered the floor in blankets just in case. But it was fine, no accidents. I would personally leave her for a bit to get settled, then pop in half an hour or so later and see how she’s doing. I put some ‘cat music’ on for my cat, which you can find on Spotify or alternatively search for Birder King on YouTube.

She’ll be fine on her own, but if she’s responsive and seems ok in your company then of course spend more time with her. My kitten was very scared so I stuck to short visits until he was more comfortable with me.

You could also look up Jackson Galaxy, I think he has some guides to welcoming a kitten.

PS make sure the windows are closed

I put mine in the office/spare room and made a point of quietly going in there on a regular basis (many times a day). A small room is important - cats get stressed if they are given too much territory too quickly. They were in one room for 10 days. It was going to be 2 weeks but they were getting curious so I let them roam into the adjoining room for a few days, and then the next, and then the next.

There were no toileting accidents.

I used wand toys so I didn’t get too close to them. It was very much let them come to me rather than me come to them. A laser would be good too. With a laser you can guide them close to you without them seeing a link (the wand) to you.

Yes, exactly what I did (but 7 days as he was so curious). I also used a feather wand toy to stroke him rather than my hand, that worked well. And he had a scratch post with marbles on a track which he loved to watch.

I forgot to mention - a lot of a cat’s initial exploration may take place at night so you won’t see it. That is perfectly normal. Cats are usually active at night and it is also a quieter and less scary time in a busy household.

When you are ready for them to explore, maybe put some treats or smelly wet food in the next room. They’ll be curious about the smelly wet food so it might entice them to explore. It will also show you whether or not they venture that far by whether or not it has been eaten.