Kim,

I have to agree with Cataholic. It is WAY too soon. I'm sorry you're having such trouble. Socializing a kitten CAN be done. But it does take time and patience.

Is there anyway you can put the kitten in a cage in a spare room away from your other kitties? If so, put him in there and leave him be for at least 24-48 hours except to feed, water and scoop his litterbox. If possible, leave a nightlight on and soft, classical music playing.

After that period, go in and sit on the floor. Read out loud to him. Don't make eye contact with him as that is taken as a threat by cats. But whisper softly to him. Asure him that everything will be okay. Keep doing that. Once he sees that you are the one who is feeding him, he'll begin to come around.

How old is he? I know how difficult and frustrating it can be. Usually the older the kittens are, the more difficult it is to socialize them. But it can be done. Sometimes it takes a while (anywhere from a month to 6 months to a year, depending on how feral they are). Cats also pick up on human's vibes, i.e., stress, anger, etc.

I had 3 feral kittens that I rescued just before I moved to Michigan. I put all three in a cage in my spare room. Everyday I would go in and do what I suggested you do. I talked to them softly. Eventually I could make eye contact and I slowly blinked my eyes while whispering to them. Then I started to pet them while they were in the cage. At first they hissed, but eventually they started to purr. Out of the three, only one remained feral. Ozzie and Deke got great homes and are very happy loving kitties.

Grumpy Dave is on a farm in CT happy as a clam to hang out with the rest of his feral buddies.

Do not beat yourself up over this. It's nature's way. If you feel that you can't devote the kind of time that's needed, IT'S OKAY!!! You do what you have to do to keep peace in your kitty family.

If you want to call me, I'll PM you with my phone number. My e-mail is [email protected] Don't hesitate to e-mail or call me.

Hang in there and please, let me know what's happening.

((((hugs)))))