How to socialize feral kittens

Did you ever wonder where your cat came from? Assuming you adopted from a local TNR group or shelter. But what about before that? 80% of cats in the U.S. were born outside. What was their life like before? A neighbor spotted these 10 to 12 week old kittens living in a pile of furniture behind an apartment building. Without intervention, they would grow up feral and need to live outdoors. It's clear they're far too skittish to be handled. So we set up a drop trap and fed them under it for a day or two while lining up a foster space. This trap is unset. You can see it's propped up by heavy objects. I want them to get comfortable eating underneath it before we trap. The kittens were skeptical about this new feeding station. But food is a powerful motivator. Mom was nowhere to be found. And sadly, kittens at this age are responsible for finding their own food source. After withholding food the night before, we came back the next day ready to trap. But what happens if only half of them show up? Although it would have been nice to trap them all at once, and that's what a drop trap is used for, sometimes it just doesn't work out. In another minute, these kittens will have eaten and returned to their hiding spot. So we decided to trap them individually instead. The neighbor who spotted them got TNR certified so that she could help us with the project. Now we've got two cats left. Another one shows up. And I don't want to lose this opportunity. The first three kittens wait patiently in these covered traps while we wait for number four. Now that the last kitten has been transferred into a regular trap for transport, they are ready to begin their socialization journey. These kittens haven't spent much time around people. So in their minds, we're probably just giant predators who might be planning to eat them tomorrow. I set them up in a large dog crate covered with a sheet so they have privacy. You can see they relaxed overnight as soon as I left. The crew was surprised the next morning when I brought them tasty food. There is a catch though. For the next few weeks, they'll only be eating when I'm around. No food is left behind. Their body language shows they're very scared. But those flaring nostrils say they might loosen up with some chicken baby food. While cats generally don't want to be touched while eating, this is an important part of the process. It helps them associate you with the food. For any stragglers who are hanging back, you can put some food on a spoon to draw them towards the bowl. Once every cat is comfortable eating in your presence, slowly pull the food towards you one inch at a time until they're eating right up next to you. That was plenty of great progress for day one. We're going to let the crew relax and we'll pick things up again tomorrow. The next morning, each kitten was still very scared. You may feel like you're taking two steps forward and one step back. But that's still progress. Plus, I know they're hungry and I've got cans to pop. So, surprising no one, they casually make their way over towards the bowl. But they have a new challenge today. The bowl is next to me, not in the crate. So they have to make their own decision about whether it's safe to eat. If one cat is hanging back, you can give them a quick preview of the food. Then bring it towards you. With all four kittens eating next to me by the second day, I feel pretty comfortable that they can be socialized. Today we're going to try some new challenges using chicken baby food as the incentive. Always do your socialization work before and during meals when the kittens are hungriest. Without food as the motivation, they have no reason to leave their comfort zone. Next, we're going to try sitting in my lap with baby food as the treat. I'm gently pinching the loose fur behind their neck to hold the kittens in place. This is called scruffing. Mom cats will pick up young kittens by the scruff of their neck when they need to be moved around. So they're used to being held here. You can also wrap spicy kittens in a towel. But there will be times when you need to handle them and you want them to get comfortable being held. In this case, I'm using a flea comb to remove any remaining fleas after their medication. I couldn't do that if they were in a towel. Socializing several kittens can be very time consuming because you need to spend one-on-one time with each cat so they continue to progress. Playtime is another critical tool for socialization. It helps kittens build confidence by switching their mindset from prey to predator. We're going to use several toys as a way to get them acquainted with a larger space. Only a week in and we've made major progress. At this point, it's about repetition because old habits and belief systems can take a long time to change. You should expect to spend several weeks helping kittens trust you and get comfortable in their new environment. And finally, after all that work, you'll begin to see results. A breakthrough moment is when the kitten enjoys your company without any food or treats nearby. This is when you know that they understand the benefits of being around people. That you're not only the source of food and shelter, but also love and affection. But remember that each kitten will have a different timeline because some are more biologically predisposed to being around people. So at this point, you'll start spending even more time on the toughest cases. Looks like we have another breakthrough. Tougher cases will take longer. If one cat really isn't making much progress, you can try separating them from the rest of their litter. Kittens will progress more quickly when they're by themselves. But during kitten season, this may not be practical for busy rescue groups who have a shortage of fosters. So just get as much one-on-one time with each kitten as you can. Eventually, they'll stop thinking of you as a threat and more of a source of good things. And instead of being afraid of your hands, they'll think of them as slot machines. That offer food, treats, and scritches. It's incredibly rewarding to see this change in their behavior and body language after only a few weeks. By helping kittens learn to be comfortable around people, foster volunteers change the course of their lives forever. When you make it this far with socializing kittens, there's one big challenge left. And for many, it's the hardest part. People always say they would love to foster, but couldn't bear to say goodbye. We have to keep the bigger picture in mind. Remember, there are still thousands of kittens outside. I couldn't bear to tell them they don't deserve a chance. Saying goodbye is an important part of this work. And it's what makes foster volunteers so special. You're giving a selfless gift. Not just to those cats, but to the new families you're helping to create. Think about what your cat means to you. Who made that possible? And how might it feel to create that special bond for someone else?