New kittens

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Hi everyone!!

I am now the proud mummy of 2 kittens who are between 8-10 weeks old - I adopted them from the RSPCA as they were born outside and needed a home. The RSPCA initially thought they were totally feral but they did start to enjoy interaction so they thought they could be re-homed.

I know it's very early days as I only picked them up yesterday but literally as soon as I got them home they were out the box and that was the last I saw of them. One rammed herself on the kitchen window will and one hid under my bed. I managed to get the one from the kitchen into the bedroom so she could be with her sister and I have put all their bits in that room and shut the door whilst I am out at work so hopefully they will come out gradually. The kitten I managed to get hold off was so nervous she scratched me to bits. My last cat I had was nervous when she was a kitten for a start but nothing to this extent so I'm now worrying they will never get used to us.

Is this common...for them to be that nervous. I heard one of them come out from under the bed in the night to have some food but then she went straight back.

Well, it was an effort but we got them out in the end, was very tricky though and I was a nervous wreck by the end of it.

One of them is quite up for cuddles and strokes and will happily sit on my lap and let me fuss her although I've yet to hear much of a purr. The other one is not up for it at all, I can handle her for about 2 seconds before she starts trying to get away.

I left the cage door open for them today and shut the lounge door so I am hoping they will make themselves familiar with that room whilst we are out.

I think the tabby (Cookie) will be ok, not sure about the ginger one (Marmaduke but may yet change that as it's not really a girls name) but I hope with lots of love and fuss we can bring her round.

They are greedy girls though and certainly do lots of poos, lol.

I suspect that if you've got one you'll get both because Marmie will see that Cookie is fine and will learn from it. At least you can handle her for a couple of seconds - that's really something! It's such early days also so you're doing really well. Many cats are, in any case, standoffish to handling and prefer to visit you on their own terms so that might be the way to go with them both - let them make the running.

(Seniorboy only purrs when he's snuggled up in bed by the way and he's as bonded to me as a cat could be.)