Abandoned Kittens, Training to be Adopted

I was wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks for training these pair of kittens we found outside our home. For a while we would see their mother with them, however as of late she is no where to be found. We're concerned something happened to her or she has abbanoned these two kittens.

Either way, we already own 4 cats of our own inside, 2 in the basement apartment who get along well together and are older, and another 2 who roam upstairs and are younger. It would be chaos to introduce another pair, not to mention we are in the process of moving.

One kitten we suspect to be female is warming up to me far faster than the other as we go outside to feed them and play with them daily. This kittens sibling however is more distant, we're guessing male however cannot get close enough to figure it out.

I would like to be able to get them used to interacting with people so they can stay together and hopefully be in the same home when adopted. However, I don't know what else I can try besides feeding them daily, letting them play with string, and keeping a comfortable distance for them. I had hoped by now the suspected male-kitten would warm up.

 

I think you are doing just fine. Just keep on feeding them and tell your friends about them. Maybe one of your friends is looking for a couple of kittens. Thank you for being so kind to the poor little fellas.

 

Thanks!

I'm just a little worried about if the suspected male-kitty doesn't come around anytime soon. If something did happen to their mother, then I'm also concerned for their safety as well. Who knows what has been happening to the cats around our neighborhood. I've heard we have coyotes and foxes that have been snatching them off front porches as snacks! I understand that they have to eat too, but the poor house cats that don't even stand a chance.

Hopefully I get lucky soon and he's ready to start being a little more affectionate. I understand some cats in general are far more stand-off-ish. But you're right I may have a friend interested in taking them both in even if the one isn't a petting type cat. At least that way they could keep each other company too!

 

If you really want to make the kittens become friendly with you much faster, here's something you can try.

Get some salted fish. Grill it. Then break it into very small pieces and give them to the kittens. I have rarely found any kittens or cats which can resist the smell of grilled salted fish.

Don't give too much, though. Just a little bit. And don't wait for the male-kitty if he doesn't want to come near. Just give some to his sister. Make sure that she finishes everything before you go. Do it a few times a day and the male-kitty will soon understand that he has got to come nearer if he wants some, too.

 

I see, that would be a good idea. Positive reinforcement would be better. We do give them treats but that could be something a little special. Thanks for this suggestion! It is quite creative.

I can tell he's beginning to recognize who provides the food. If I'm correct the tail tucked between the legs is a sign of respectful submission. I'll be in touch with how they are doing at a later date.

 

Tail tucked between the legs? I am not too sure what that would mean in cat talk. In dog talk that would be a sign of fear. That's how we got the saying "Run off like a dog with its tail between its legs".

 

Well in cat talk evidently it is a sign of submission and acknowledging that I am the dominant one, seeing as his life is partly dependent on me since I provide food. Tail tucked between the legs however does also have the connotation of fear, but I believe a part of that is recognizing the other person as a dominant or threat, either directly or indirectly. Perhaps this is part of his reluctance, he would like to maintain his dominance some and find more independence. I can't fault him for that, but stubborn little sucker indeed. So darn adorable.

 

If that is true, then don't break his spirit. Just put some food out there and go away. Then he can eat without having to submit to you. A cat with a fighting spirit is worth more than one that's totally submissive.

 

So what eventually happened to these little guys? Did they get adopted? I know you were in the process of moving so maybe you didn't get a chance to bond with them so you could take them to a shelter. Stories like this are sad because there are a lot of those random adorable kittens running around just because people aren't getting their cats fixed.