We Saved a Kitten and he's shy

One of the outdoor cats at my grandmother's house brought home a kitten! He looks to be about 5 weeks old, adorable. We saved him from the Tom cat that brought him home, he has killed another kitten before. He is a messed up cat himself.

So we brought the little furball in the house (nicknamed him Jaws because we found him between a set of them hehe)

And I don't know if he was born a wild cat (a lot of those around these woods) or if the tom picked him up from someone's yard. He is extremely timid. He will let you hold him and walk around with him and he won't meow, but he keeps trying to crawl up our shoulders and onto our backs. when we let him down, he finds a dark corner to hide in. We made him his own dark corner on my bed with some pillows, sort of like a little kitty cave. He went right into it! But when I came back to check on him, he had moved to the actually corner of the room, and he had to crawl through a bunch of junk to get there. Same thing when he got down in the bar room. He ran behind a book case, right to the corner of the room.

So, my question, is there something significant about corners to cats? I mean, he had plenty of places to hide, but he keeps trying to get to the corners of the room. And he doesn't try to escape either, he just goes to the corner and sits or sleeps.

We tried giving him wet food and water and he didn't want it. I've nursed kittens before, wild and domestic... I've had lots of cats. Normally they come around on their own time, but this kitten seems very stubborn. He hasn't cried once, he is very quiet and withdrawn.

I wonder if anyone can pick up on anything about him? Or at least give me some advice if you know anything about feline behavior.

Thank you much!!!! Peace, love and light


oh also.... not only is he timid, but he was shaking a lot, obviously scared. It seemed to be worse when there was noise... any noise. so i still wonder if maybe he is from up in the woods, but he doesn't seem like other wild kittens we found.

In the corner he can protect his back. Leaving only one side vulnerable. In time he will grow to learn no one there is going to hurt him.

Bless your heart for taking in the little guy. He has been through quite an ordeal. It just sounds as though he needs some time to adjust to his new surroundings. He may feel safe in a corner because nothing can steak up behind him. Be gentle and loving as I am sure you are, try to touch and socialize him. Once he starts feeling safe and knows he will be feed and cared for I think he will come around.

Male cats will kill kittens particularly other males. I saw this a lot when I was growing up we always separated the father from the kittens for this very reason. Hope it works out for you both.

nightowl

yes, he looks like a boy, so that could be the case. thanks for the advice guys :)

[Asrais]

Sounds like he's pretty traumatized - give him time and he'll come round. Spend lots of time talking to him, even if he's hiding, so he gets used to your voice. Offer him food in his corner, where he feels safest and leave him to it for a while, see what happens. Next meal time, put the food a little further away, see if you can tempt him out.

You say he's only about 5 weeks, could it be possible he isn't weaned yet? Maybe he doesn't know what to do with the food.

On a side note, male cats sometimes kill kittens that aren't their own - if you had the tom desexed the behavior would probably stop, as its a territorial/ hormonal thing.

[Spiritlite]

He's in a corner for safety he knows that no one or nothing can attack him except from where he is, maybe try get him a cardboard box he can go in with blankets. And keep trying to handle him and be gentle and lots of patients, and feed him well.
Male toms do kill other kittens that they don't believe are there's. And like the above post says get him neutered I'm sure a vet or somewhere will give you a trap and do it for free. And I am not sure if at 5 weeks he is weaned. Please do research on how to look after this kitty or take the kitty to the vet for help.
Spiritlite.

yes, we have one male that is fixed and one that isn't. they were strays from the woods, we bottle fed them both! But they stay mainly outside, and I guess the unfixed one licked another kitten to death before! I didn't know that was possible, but it was morbid and sad.

I agree, I don't think he's weaned, he hasn't made any attempts to eat yet. We can't even find him! He was in my bed in a small, probably 8X10 or 12, room.... and we cannot find him anywhere! I feel like he is content in hiding though, so I have left him, but I am scared he got stuck somewhere. We looked really well for him and found nothing!!

[Asrais]

Cats are masters at hiding!

Is there any chance his momma is in the woods somewhere? Any chance they could be reunited?

I haven't got a clue where to start looking. We live behind a pond, and behind us and 3/4 of the pond is all woods. The cats walk all around the pond and in the woods, it's a lot of ground to cover to find a mother to this kitten.

[Spiritlite]

I would give up on the momma there's a reason why this little guy is by himself I just think the kitty is blessed to have you.
Spiritlite.