New kitten advice

[TealReader]

Not new to cat ownership- have a lovely affectionate 5 year old rescue cat who settled with us very quickly. Asked to rehome a feral kitten whose mother has died. Is 8/9 weeks old, mother died a week ago. Was being fed by the family who found him but no real contact with people.

He’s been with us 3 days and is I think making progress. We have given him the downstairs bathroom which is a smallish dark room. Day 1 he cried all day and hissed at the sight of us, wouldn’t eat. He’s now eating, drinking, using litter tray and tolerating our presence but still retreats/hisses if we invade his space. Have tried with a wand toy but still too soon I think. Right now I’m sitting on the floor and he’s about 1m away watching me. Cries a bit but does quiet when I go into the room.

I’m using feliway, have left an old worn t shirt in the room and a climbing tower/scratching post which I think he’s using if we aren’t in the room! Any other suggestions to help him settle? I think he will with time given the progress over the last few days. How and when should I introduce to older cat (her brother died last year so she was used to company).

I think.yoh are doing everything right. Lots of patience and let him come to you when he is ready

Thanks. Just hoping to get him settled in as quickly as possible, I hate to think of him being terrified and alone.

Maybe a cuddly toy he can snuggle up to, or even a hot water bottle in a fluffy cover? He will have been used to snuggling up to his mum and any siblings at night.

Call your local cat rescue, or maybe Cat's Protection, for advice. They will have had kittens in a similar situation come in to them.

You can’t introduce him to your cat until you’ve had him vet checked for nasty infectious illnesses. Tbh you shouldn’t not have bought him in to your home without that.

You can get a heartbeat cat which mimics the warmth & noise of a mother cat. Make sure you’ve provided a bed that he can climb into & hide. 3 days is nothing.
I had a feral kitten that lived 2 weeks under my spare room bed, I used to sit on the floor & read out loud to her so she’d get used to my voice. Then eventually she used to come up to me & sniff me, but only if I stayed really still & didn’t make eye contact with her! The wand toys are great for distance playing. Make sure you leave other toys in there for him.
I found once I’d gained her trust things progressed very quickly. I’ve had cats all my life & this feral kitten became my most loving cat I have ever had either before or since. Your kitten is younger so hopefully it won’t take as long.
As far as introducing to a new cat I’d follow someone like Jackson Galaxy method. But wait until you’ve gained his trust first.
Thank you for giving this little kitten a home.