PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL RECEIVE ANIMALS MONDAY - SATURDAY FROM 10:00 AM TO 4:00 PM, WITH RECEIVING CLOSED ON SUNDAYS.

To socialize a litter of kittens, separate the kittens from each other if possible. The point is to get them to bond with you, the human, rather than with their littermates. It will be helpful if you can recruit a friend or neighbor to help you since you will need to work one-on-one with each kitten at least for a while.

Try to confine the kitten in a large dog crate or cat condo. That makes it easy to catch and handle each one, without the kittens disappearing under the sofa. Do provide the kitten with a cardboard box or covered bed so he can feel secure in the enclosed space.

To pick up a hissing kitten safely, take it by the scruff gently and hold him to your chest if possible. The sound of your heartbeat is comforting to him and may make him gentler. Support his hind end and rub his head, face and ears gently for short periods several times a day.

Avoid over-stimulating him, because he will get scared.

Use food as a way to get the kitten to get more comfortable around you. Whenever you put canned food down for the kitten, stay nearby while he eats. Eventually, you’d like for the kitten to eat from a dish while you are petting him.

It’s important that the kitten gets exposed to people other than you. Ask friends and neighbors to visit the kitten after he has become relaxed around you.

Remember, go slow. Each kitten will progress at his own speed, and you can adjust your actions accordingly.

For additional information on Socializing Feral Kittens, visit these links: Alley Cat Allies: http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=292&srcid=289 Urban Cat League: http://www.urbancatleague.org/SocialKittens.htm Stanford Cat Network: http://catnet.stanford.edu/resources.html