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shy kitten- can i tame her2007-11-25 12:25:53

i have just adopted two kittens, male and female. he is settling in just great, playing as well as being happy to sit on lap and being stroked. they love playing with each other, eat well, sleep a lot etc etc. but she is very very shy. she will come over and look, also play and have a little smell, but she backs off as soon as we try and pick her up, stroke her or even come close to her. we have only had her for just under a week now, so maybe she is still getting used to us and the living room ( the only room they are allowed in for now) i have read a kitten book, but no where it says about a very timid kitten and how to tame and settle her. i am not expecting to get her to change her character, jut for her to trust us and be able to be handled. i would really really appreciate some answers or other people experiences! thank you loads!

Answers:

Hopefully she will come around, you could try using a product called Felifriend, it contains facial phermomones and facilitates easier handling. You spray it on your hands and rub on hands and wrists, wait til the alcohol smell has gone and then let her smell your hands for a minute or so before trying to handle her.

I do cat sitting as well as work as a veterinary nurse and have to handle unfamiliar cats all the time. Give it a try, you never know!

Best of luck

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My cat was exaclty the same. I got her from a resuce home and she was about a year old. It took a very long time, but she's a lot more chilled out now. She still jumps and runs off if there's a load noise or sudden movement, but she's a lot more relaxed now - it's been 7 years since I got her and she's been better for about 4-5 of those years.