My kitten is scared to be touched. How can I help her bond with me?

Make sure she has her own safe space so she doesn’t become overly stressed (a large dog crate with food, water and litter box is perfect). Make sure all meal times are interactive and distract with food or treats when you’re trying to make physical contact. Take it slow and eventually she will become used to you being around. This website has some good tips: http://www.urbancatleague.org/TamingFerals

From your description, I wonder if Nala is a feral kitten. A feral kitten is a kitten that is born to a cat who lives outside and is essential wild without very much human contact. The general rule is that if feral kittens are taken away from their mom by the age of 10 weeks that they can get used to humans and become well socialized. If they do not have human contact until after 10 weeks of age, then that can be much more difficult. I would ask your friend where Nala came from and get more information on her situation. In the meantime, I would not push Nala to have any more contact than she is comfortable with. Let her hide and come out when she is ready to. I would also consider adding a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected ) to your house to decrease stress. This is a calming pheromone that will work for a month. I have also had luck with Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water. I would try to find toys that she can play with herself that do not involve you if that stresses her out. You may find some good ideas on this website. https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Moving into a new home is often frightening for a kitten, and it will take time for Amber to get used to her new home and you. I would give her lots of love and attention when she approaches you, including treats. This shows her that coming up to you is a good thing. Give her treats when she allows you to touch her. I would not try to approach her yourself, allow her to come to you. As she becomes adjusted to her home, she will eventually allow you to approach her.

It sounds like you're trying all of the right things, like having your husband be in charge of meals and other 'fun' things. It might help if you're not around while he's feeding her or playing with her. It takes some kittens a long time to become adjusted to new people and a new environment, so be patient and give her time.

She either is afraid of you or does not like you. You can try getting her used to you by sitting quietly in the same room with her without trying to touch her. Be the person that feeds her, once in a while give her cat nip and make sure she sees you putting the catnip down. All these are things that are nice for the cat and it may make her less afraid or like you more. Eventually she may come sit with you. Again, do not touch her, just be with her until she attempts to touch you. Never hold her down, force her to stay. This will take a lot of time, but the reward is waving at the end of the tunnel!

Poor Onyx! She sounds quite scared. I would continue to allow her to familiarize herself with her new environment and you as her new ‘human’. Some cats will be quite sociable from the outset, others take time to adjust to new surroundings. Provide her with plenty of hiding places where she can be safe, give her space to become acclimated, and ensure she has food and water available in a safe location. You can spend time just sitting on the floor near her, maybe tease her with a toy on a string and see if you can coax her closer. Take it nice and slow with her and I suspect that soon she will be bouncing all over the house!

If you have ever physically punished your cat, it is possible that your cat has developed a fear of you. On the other hand, you can be the gentlest of cat owners and still have a cat that runs when you try to pet her. Often this behavior is due to poor socialization of the cat when she was a very young kitten. Kittens need to be socialized to human touch between the ages of 2-7 weeks. This is when kittens learn that being held and pet by humans is pleasurable. Kittens that don't receive much early socilization may always be a little skittish around people and not associate petting with a positive experience. Some cats are also just more sensitive to being pet - it doesn't feel good to them; it arouses or irritates them. A cat that doesn't like the way petting feels will run away to avoid the experience. Yet, that same cat may enjoy your company and want to be in the same room with you. You can encourage your cat to come closer for petting by doing the following simple steps: 1) let your cat initiate the interactions, rather than you trying to impose them on your cat; 2) Sit or squat down whenever you would like your cat to approach so that you don't seem as threatening to your cat; 3) Reward your cat's approach with a favorite treat or a tiny bit of canned food; 4) Let your cat smell your hand before you attempt to pet or touch; 5) If your cat is shy about its head being touched, try scritching under the chin or at the base of the tail; 6) Reward your cat for allowing you to touch her. 7) Keep your petting brief and increase as she seems more tolerant. 8) Instead of petting your cat when she approaches, engage her in play with an interactive toy to help build a bond between the two of you. 9) Be patient with your cat and yourself.