I don’t know how to handle spicy kittens

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Hi there, I’m newer to fostering. I fostered a pair of very small kittens for about a month and it went well. They were transported to a different shelter a couple weeks ago where they’re more likely to be adopted. Just yesterday I got a new pair of kittens that are a little older (about a month old) and they are absolutely terrified of me and I’m nervous about them too. Yesterday I got them settled in to the little pop-up playpen I have for them. I didn’t touch them or anything. I just made sure they had water, food, toys, a heating pad and a litter box in the playpen and then I sat with them for a while. The problem is I’m supposed to give them ponazuril via oral syringe even though they still don’t even want me near them. Last night I didn’t attempt to give them any because they had already had a dose before I brought them to my house. Tonight they were each supposed to get a second dose. I spent two hours sitting near them and offering them Churu’s in an attempt to lessen some of their anxiety and to get them a bit more used to me before I tried picking either of them up to give them their meds. I managed to pick up one of them using a towel and wrapping him up like a burrito but he was squirming so much I’m not even sure how much of the ponazuril got in his mouth. When I tried to pick up the other kitten, he was so skittish I couldn’t grab him (even in the playpen) and when I tried to get ahold of him with the towel he batted at me and it honestly scared me (even though he’s just a kitten, the combo of the loud hissing/jumpy movements/batting freaked me out). I plan on contacting the humane society that I’m fostering through in the morning because I don’t think I’m a good match for these two, but I feel absolutely terrible that I couldn’t just push through my own anxiety to give them their ponazuril effectively. Has anyone else dealt with spicy kittens and having to give oral meds? Does anyone else feel nervous trying to handle “spicy” kittens? I feel so silly and honestly really embarrassed .

Posted Jun 15, 2025, 3:02 AM UTC

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