Is it normal for a new feral kitten to hide? Will she come out?

If she is older than 16 weeks then she may never really be much more social. However, if she is younger than 16 weeks then it is still possible that she will become more social. Give her time, lots of treats, and allow her to slowly gain trust. You may want to get a tall cat tree in the family room and put her on top. She can be up and safe but still be “getting used” to another room. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

If this was a semi feral cat it may take many months to years for it to come out and be social. Some cats enjoy being pet when they are eating, and some don’t like to be handled at all. She needs to be patient and not push. Gradually the cat will feel more secure and confident and Hopefully will want to be around people. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Moving into a new home can be very stressful for kittens - since she has only been with you for 4-5 days, it's likely that she's still adjusting and getting settled. It will take time for her to feel safe and comfortable in your home, so I would be patient for now and give her plenty of time to adjust. You can try using Feliway pheromone diffusers around the house to help make her feel more at-ease, as well as a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure if she seems anxious.

Poor Pepper. She's had a lot of changes in her short life. It is a very good sign that she is comfortable being held and that she coming out to eat and use the litter box. I would be patient and allow her some safe places that are quiet without other cats. Spending a full 2 months with their mom and siblings is ideas for puppies and kittens, but they can still be well socialized if they were taken away earlier than that. I suspect that she will just need more time to adjust if she is comfortable being held on a lap. One thing that may help is a Feliway Diffuser (https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected). Put it in the place that Pepper likes to hide and hopefully it will help her calm down faster and give her a little more confidence. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Since the kittens are still under a pound, they are probably only about a month old, so you still have time to socialize them. The most important socialization time frame is up to about 8 weeks of age, and it is important for them to learn social skills from their siblings, so I would recommend keeping them together for another month if possible. Hopefully, the 2 that are more fearful will learn from the affectionate one. Do not force any of them to interact with you (unless medically necessary). Try to make them associate you with good things like food and play. Sometimes you can get feral kittens to be willing to play with you before they would ever be willing to allow you to touch them. Don't give up on the shy baby or the more feral one yet. Continue to try to find a way to interact with them that they like, then build their trust from there. Good luck! Please let me know if that helped. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and being a good foster parent.

It will take time for Kiki to get used to being in your home. There are some cats that will not come out while kids are around at all. I would just give her time and when she wants to come out just give her attention if she would like it. It can take up to a full 2 weeks for their personalities come out. So I would still give her time, but know she may always be a cat who only comes out when the kids are not around. I would make sure the kids are not being too loud if she does come out with them and just let her be if she does come around. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Best let her settle in. Imagine going to a new place that smells different, has different sounds, without mommy aand the siblings. This is terribly scary. So best let her hide, put food and water in the bedroom where she is. She will likely come out at night to eat and drink and go to the litter box. She will get more courageous every day. If you manage to catch her outside of the hiding place after a few days, you can try to pick her up and hold her quietly and pet her provided she does not panic. But time will help...over time she will feel secure and come to you. Talk to her when you enter the room, Say her name and don't make scary noises. She will get used to you not being someone who wants to eat her.. Time and patience.