We have a litter of four kittens that are mostly feral and hiss and run away when someone tries to pet them. Turns out most cats crave chicken with gravy baby food, so I put a little on my finger and offer it to them. I extend my finger toward them until they are about to run away, then I hold my finger steady until they come and lick the food off my finger. These guys are not a bite risk, so I prefer to use my finger since it mixes my scent with the food and helps them associate me with a tasty treat. Usually, after three or four fingers of baby food I can gently pet them a little and slowly slip my hand under them and lift them onto my lap. I will scruff them if I must, but they are usually scruffed to receive medicine and I prefer to make this a completely positive experience. I sit with my lap up against the opening for their cage so they can step back into the cage if they really want to. I pet the kitten with one hand while I let the kitten lick a little baby food from the jar. After a few moments, I slowly pull the jar away and pet them. I won't let them jump out of my lap to the floor, If they start creeping toward the cage, I lure them back with a few licks from the jar. I start with the friendliest kitten since the other kittens can clearly see what is going on, they soon come closer to see what is going on. Today I was able to get two of the kittens to relax and lie in my lap purring for several minutes, the one in this video even climbed back into my lap for seconds.

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