Читать книгу Cats For Dummies - Gina Spadafori - Страница 77

Before you start taming your kitten or cat, make a trip to your veterinarian. You want to make sure the animal isn’t deathly ill, and you need to have him treated for any problems and vaccinated as your veterinarian recommends. Discuss neutering as well — the procedure is now done on pets as young as 8 weeks of age.

When you get your kitten home, set her up in a cage or carrier with food, water, and a cat box, preferably located in a quiet, lightly trafficked room with an easy-to-clean floor and a door you can keep closed. And then let her be. She’ll need to chill for a while.

At this stage, visit the kitten frequently, but resist the urge to handle her. Talk to her and leave a radio playing when you’re gone, but stay strictly hands off for the first two days. After a couple of days, an easy way to socialize a wild one is to bring the animal’s carrier into a corner of the busiest part of the house — like the kitchen. Cover the entire carrier except the front grill to make the cat feel more secure while she gets used to the sights, sounds, and smells of a human household.

When the kitten seems to have settled down some, use a towel to gently catch and hold the animal, getting her used to being handled. Watch those teeth and claws: A scratch behind the ear probably won’t be too objectionable to the youngster, but one beneath the chin will likely get you bitten.

All wild animals can potentially carry rabies, so if the kitten doesn’t seem normal in any way, don’t risk a bite and instead call your veterinarian. Dr. Lauren knows of a case when an outdoor kitten was treated for trauma and turned out to be rabid, exposing a number of people to this deadly virus. Such an event is rare, certainly, but knowing the risk and protecting yourself is just good sense.

Keep petting sessions very short. Better to build on a small amount of trust than to scare a kitten and have to go back to the beginning.

After the youngster seems more comfortable around you, let her graduate from the carrier or cage to a small room. Leave a carrier with the door propped open as a “safe haven” that can provide security and a warm place to sleep. Let her come to you. Don’t try to pull her from the carrier or from behind a favorite hiding place. Make use of her natural playfulness to help forge a bond: Use a toy-on-a-string to lure the kitten into a chase game. Treats are another way to convince a kitten that you’re a friend.

Your kitten will do best if placed fairly soon into her new home. We include tips on how to find a good home for a cat or kitten in Chapter 13, and the same strategies work for the formerly feral. Just be honest about the animal’s past and shortcomings. Some people relish the opportunity to take on the challenge of a cat with special needs!