All My Kittens Are Liberals.

We started calling the new kitten our little Ewok, due to this picture-

Her socialization is coming along so quickly it's surprising me!

Like I mentioned, we had her in a large dog cage. Part of this was so she felt comfortable faster, as it was absolutely her territory in her mind.

Since my roommates and I are taking care of 2 permanent cats and 5 other foster cats (all of various ages and emotional/medical needs), we couldn't be in the room at all times. So we would leave NPR on all day and night (the indoctrination must begin early!), unless we were in there, to help her adjust to hearing people's voices. When we were in there, we'd talk to her in soothing tones to help her adjust to us. Sometimes we'd just hang out and other times we'd engage her, depending on how comfortable she felt.

The number one tool a cat socializer has in their arsenal is: FOOD! Occasionally, you'll find a cat that responds more to interactive playing, but generally food is the way to go. With the little Ewok, we never left food in her cage- she only ate when we were around so she would associate people with food and other good things.

At first, she was very reluctant. I would open her cage door and she'd run behind her milkcrate. After pushing the food a little closer to her, she'd steal a bite then go back to hiding. So, I upped the game with baby food (pure meat) and started feeding her several times a day from a spoon. I would lean into the cage, my hand as far away from my body as possible. As she gobbled down the baby food, I slowly pulled the spoon away from her and towards me. Sometimes, I would pull too quick or she'd get a little intimidated, so I would have to start all over again.

Eventually, she gained enough confidence that she'd walk out of the cage straight unto my lap during the feedings. When she was done, I'd pet her and talk to her. Most of the time, she'd jump out of my lap and explore the room but sometimes she'd stay and purr until I had to put her back in her cage and attend to something or someone else.

After just a few days, I decided she was social enough to go to another home and her new foster parents picked up last night. The rescuer who trapped her is trying to get her 2 siblings soon, so hopefully I'll be updating with new kittens soon and/or we'll have an update from Ewok's new foster parents!