Re-homing 3 very shy oriental kittens

[BibiBlocksberg]

Hi all,

I currently work at a local cattery at weekends.

The lady who owns the cattery also owns and breeds siamese/oriental cats.

Found out last week that she has three oriental kittens (well, just over a year old now) who, despite her socialisation efforts have remained very timid and fearful of human contact.

They have been shut away in a bedroom of the main house together for some time now. They are healthy & will run around like little maniacs playing but as soon as a human enters the room they huddle together in their basket with eyes like saucers, trembling & hissing if you get too close.

Anyway, long story short, the cattery owner has not a spare minute in her day to help these kittens become less fearful of humans so I offered to try instead.

Thing is I've to realise that these three will need far more than I can provide (an hour after work each night, sitting with them quietly/talking softly/blinking/offering tasty tidbits etc)

They need to be in a home environment with someone who has the time to help them adjust to normal life and build up their confidence.

The breeder thinks this is a hopeless undertaking and no one will even consider these cats as pets. If that is true though then what is the alternative? They can't live out their lives in a bedroom with very little human contact.

Posting as i'm hoping for some opinions in the first instance - would you consider taking on a kitten like the above or are there any breeders here who have experience with homing timid pedigrees at all?

"There is some avoidance on breeders part to discuss the details of the three, quite odd really, somehow the subject gets changed quickly then the phone rings or customers turn up."

You're spot on I think with that one, re. the avoidance. Hence the locking them away, without human or other cat interaction. Out of sight, out of mind.

I really hope she doesn't plan to breed them to claw back some money.

Has she sought help from an animal behaviourist? The breeder I adopted Little Monsieur from had a list of qualifications as long as your arm, and actually is a pet behaviourist, and is a trained animal Welfare Officer herself. Which, if you're going to have a houseful of hormonal cats, should surely be a necessity? I wonder what checks need to be undertaken to breed animals... Sorry, just musing.

Another thought just popped into my head. Breeder could place them on a registered Siamese rescue site, being fully frank and honest re. their shy temperament, and explaining why they need individual homes. After having them neutered of course.

There would be LOADS of interest I'm sure. (I'd take one, but MCat can be a tad vicious rambunctious around other cats. And from what I've read on here, Siamese like to be the only cat in the household.

I still reckon I'd split them up. They'd be most likely, in my view, to stand shoulder to shoulder against - as they saw it - an intruder so you'd run the risk of 'souring' an adaptable and experienced other cat while at the same time firming the trio's bonds even further.

The breed rescue should be able to help you, particularly if the situation was difficult.

'Checks to breed animals', Mantra? I'm not aware that there are any. Things might 'get round' about particular breeders but it's such a heavily large chunks of cash business (as with puppies) that, sadly, there's an upsurge in criminal activity here. That's not the case in this situation, it seems, but there's still a great deal wrong in this woman's life from the sound of it. That shouldn't involve having animals affected by her problems, though, in my view.

Right, managed to ferret out more details.

The black one is three (!) years old and siamese, the other two are simply classed as oriental and two years old. Bit older than the 'just over a year' i was told before.

Their mum was with them until last year then she got re-homed.

Breeder says the three were fine as kittens but doesn't really know what turned them so shy.

They are not on the register so no pedigrees, she is happy to let them go free of charge and happy to have them spayed before they go anywhere.

I asked how a woman with her experience hasn't taken any steps to re-home these guys yet (didn't put it as confrontational as that though :)) but didn't really get a clear answer other than that people want a kitten who runs up to them & is affectionate, so that rules the three out.

One of the siblings of the two year olds was chosen for re-homing as wasn't so shy.

Lack of interaction put down to having no time.

Have offered to help get kitties into carriers on spay day (there was talk of having to use cat traps, they are not THAT bad) I can sit right next to them & they don't move unless i try to stroke them.

Sorry for lack of engagement with the last two posts, rush rush rush again tonight, dinner guest due any minute but will catch up properly tomorrow.

Well done for that excellent suggestion re the carriers - it gives you a good reason to 'pursue' the issue. (I imagine that there might otherwise be some dilly-dallying. She's really all over the place, isn't she?

That black one needs to be a 'believed to be half-Siamese' if you approach the cat rescue. Personally, I'd go to the UK Siamese Rescue site and have a full and frank with one of their welfare coordinators.(Excuse that I don't know where you live but if it's not in one of their areas/breeds, they should be able to point you in the direction of a suitable contact. They're good people and I really wouldn't worry overmuch about the cats' problems - Siamese owners are used to 'little foibles'. (All the way up to ruddy great eccentricities.)

There are, of course, the residual problems with her other cats and the rescue. (And hers.) Those are, I think, beyond the scope of this board, I'm afraid.