It takes a village

Not all kittens who come to RAPS are instantly ready to embrace the idea of going to a loving human home. Some were born to feral or semi-feral mothers and need to be given a bit of time to get used to being around people.

These three kittens, Ulysses, Ulrich and Umbria (having been assigned "U" in the RAPS alphabet naming cycle),  were trapped at the beginning of the month and are currently being fostered in the home of volunteer Ann until they're comfortable enough around humans that they can go to the No. 5 Rd. shelter for adoption. They're old enough to be without their semi-feral mom, who was trapped, neutered, and released back to the property she'd been living on, as the owners were happy to have her around.

photo by Vincent Chan

Ann's adult foster cat Henderson quickly became a self-appointed parental figure for the babies, washing them as much and as often as they could stand. His laid-back presence when human visitors are around seems to have been helpful in reinforcing that we're nothing to be afraid of.

photo by Vincent Chan

photo by Michele Wright

To make sure the kittens are as well socialized with humans as possible, Ann has recruited various friends to come and spend time with them. She recognizes that even if the kittens become totally comfortable with her, this in itself won't necessarily translate to them being comfortable with people in general. So she's been opening her home not just to this foster litter, but to several visits a week by friends who come to help get the kittens used to lots of different faces and voices.

photo by Claire Fossey

photo by Michele Wright

photo by Vincent Chan

Fortunately for us recruits, an invitation to visit the home of a friend and play with kittens is hardly a tough sell! And it's great to see how the kittens progress from visit to visit, each time a week older and a week bolder.

photo by Michele Wright

photo by Michele Wright