Worried that kitten is scared - what to do?

[WorriedCatOwner]

Hi,

We’ve had our new kitten since Sunday evening. She ran into the living room before we could have a safe space for her. Once her previous owners left, she went and hid under a table. She comes out when she hears and smell her treats or when she sees toys. She eats and drinks well but she’s very scared of the kids when they try and pet her. She swipes at their hands. She loves to attack back of the feet but we’re worried that she’s not warming up to everyone. She crouches and almost seems like she shakes in fear. She’s like this with new toys as well.

What should we do?

It's only been a couple of days, so she's likely still finding her feet.

Try to get the children to let her come to them rather than the other way about, think how scary it must be for a tiny little kitten to have these enormous strange creatures trying to grab at them! I'm not in any way suggesting that your DCs aren't being very kind & gentle with the kitten as i'm sure they are, but she doesn't know that so her instinct is to run away from things that may be dangerous.

I'd keep her in the sitting room with her food, litter tray & everything, and try to ignore her. Try not to let it get too noisy in there, & do thinks like tempting her with treats that you put closer to people, but don't touch her until she comes to you.

It's been very overwhelming for a little kitten, so she probably just needs some time & space.

She IS scared!

Stop the children going anywhere near her "trying to pet her". That will be very frightening.

You really should have let her out of her cat basket in her safe room with all her things and sat in there quietly letting her get used to you until she built up the courage to explore.

As it is, just leave her be and stop trying to grab at her!

She'll come round soon enough if you just leave her be, honestly. She just needs to get used to you and not worry that a massive human is going to try touch her.

She'll be terrified, encourage the children to sit and not touch, the kitten will come to them slowly and feel safer that way. Keep playing with her, keep giving her treats and food when she comes into the main space and when she approaches people, reward her for behaviour you like and go slowly

How old is she?.

I’d keep the kids completely away from her.

Google Jackson Galaxy - cat behaviourist and loads of good advice. Ask the kids to write her story (make stuff up about how she got to where she is) . Have them sit and read it aloud calmly without looking at or otherwise pestering her. She will get more used to the sounds of their voices.

She's 9 weeks. She's now been following me probably because of food so far so I guess she's partly there?

Ignore her.
Don't let your children terrify her.
Don't creep around silently, carry on with normal household sounds ( although if your children are prone to screeching and screaming, try and get them to tone it down).
It's still very new to her. Let her interact on her own terms.

I second pp on Jackson galaxy - he's amazing and we even used a trick of his with our own cat (litter tray related)!!

So we should just ignore her until she gets to grips with everything?

Pretty much, obviously when she comes over to you fuss her and she needs a box to hide in if it’s all to much for her.

Some cats are timid at first, others stride out the box and announce they are ready to rule their new kingdom.

She's now started to ask to be petted, stroked by DD so that's a good sign. She's slept with her too.

Do anyone of you know a good way of giving kittens, or cats really, liquid medication? Weirdly enough, we've been given liquid deworming medication.

Put it on really smelly food, like Tuna or Lik e lix. Much easier than having to give them a pill!

Unless of course it's a spot on they've given you, rather than oral liquid...

No, it's definitely liquid. I will try that trick today, hopefully she won't go off her food