Hi,I purchased 2 12 week...

Question
Hi,
I purchased 2 12 week old male seal point siamese kittens last week. The kittens were brought home and eat fine, play fine, use the litter box fine, but are afraid of my wife and I. They will play up to a foot or 2 of us, but if we pick one up they scream and struggle, clearly terrified. We bought these cats from a cattery that said they were handled every day, but doubt it. We love the guys already, so how can we get them to trust us, want to be around us, and enjoy being picked up and petted. Help! Many thanks for your help, Austin Hendricks
ahbudton@aol.cm

Answer
Austin,

I doubt that these kittens have been very well socialized, so you will have to do it yourself.

The best advice I can give you is to wait for the kittens to approach you and get next to you on their terms!  I would not approach them, I would not pick them up, I would not try to force any issues.  Let them approach you ON THEIR TERMS.

When they do, do not make any sudden moves. Just slowly and gently stroke the kitten or kittens that do approach.  This may take a few weeks, but, in the long run, they should bond with you and your wife.  If they do approach you, have a treat available (like a good meat babyfood, e.g. Heinz or Gerbers), as a reward for approaching you.  Most cats love meat babyfood and would readily eat it from a teaspoon.

A word of caution.  Kittens will play with each other very roughly.  If they approach and begin to scratch or bite when you pet, then the game must end immediately, and you must walk away, without giving a reward.  Left to their own, kittens play extraordinarily roughly.  You will have to train them that humans are to be played with gently!

Most of all you need patience and persistence and they shoud come around eventually.  It is impossible to know how many weeks this may take, so be prepared for a long period of their adjusting to you and your wife.

Good luck and best regards... Norm.