Hi again Jacek
I do remember feeling exactly how you feel. I was so worried I wouldn't bond with my kittens, and having been so excited about getting them, it was a bit of a let down. We are now very bonded. Give it a few more days, in a week they'll be different kitties.

Your kittens may be missing their parents too, they looked like a lovely family. Maybe some large stuffed animals/furry hot water bottles might help? My breeder isn't breeding anymore, and my boys' mum had already gone to another home before they came to me.

Do you have something that 'smells like' their old home? My breeder sent an old towel with the kittens, and we left that in the carrier they arrived in.

If it's any help, my kittens hardly noticed when they were vaccinated. The car trip, on the other hand, all 2 minutes of it !!

What treats are you giving them? I tried prawns, having read about it here, and they loved them. Toys with feathers on sticks/thick string are also very popular. (Thin string/elastic can be chewed through in one bite!)

Also, you need to go post in the "how did you choose your Bengal's name" thread.

When Shana and Keman arrived, Anna had a nice blanket that she put into the carrier with their familiar smell. I will not wash it until they feel good and roam about freely so they will always have that special place to be secure.

Keman actually come out and is inquisitive about his new environment, but flinches anytime sometimes startles him. He loves the moist shrimp flavor Pounce and almost came up to my hand to get one.. then fled away. <must administer one more dose of patience to self>

Shana, although ive seen her eat and potty, wont come anywhere near me yet; time will help heal her stressed little hearth. Add lots of love and treats, that will do the trick.

I can't wait to free them back in the house after their vet visit, so they wont have any more stressful situation to live for a while.

thanks, i'll go and see the vet now. <shudder at the thought of the drive>

Imagine you're being ripped away from your family, locked into a small container and carried onto a noisy and smelly spaceship. After being thoroughly shaken up and left in the dark all by yourself for what seems to be an endless time, you're carried onto an equally noisy and shaky shuttle by strange aliens. When they finally let you out of your container, you realize: This is a different world than the one you grew up in! There's no way home, everything looks and smells differently, and you have no idea what those aliens will do to you! That's pretty much what your cats are going through. They might need some time to get over a traumatic experience like that, and it might take some patience on your part to gain their trust. Once they learn they're safe where they are and you're the source for food and entertainment, they might come out of their shells. Every cat is different, so some take longer than others to adapt to a new situation. A little bit of patience now will pay off in the long run, no matter how frustrating it might be right now not to be able to hold and pet them. Cats just need to do the introductions on their own terms; they don't like being forced.

Incidentally, my scaredy cat Binky was hiding almost all weekend because I had visitors over. By Sunday night, he was actually jumping up on the sofa where they had dozed off in front of the TV. I guess he was taking the chance to check them out while they didn't react to his presence. So just sitting there and ignoring the cats might get them to "have a first sniff" at you. (Btw, that's probably why cats seem to zoom in on the one person in the room that doesn't like cats: That person usually ignores them and doesn't look at them, which makes them harmless from the cat's point of view, whereas cats might perceive people going after them with "heeere, kitty" and following them around with their eyes as a threat or challenge.)

Personally I would move into the spare bedroom temporarily - become part of the fixtures for them. Take in a good book and plenty to drink and spend as long as you can afford in that environment with them. It won't be long before they're jumping up on the bed to see what you're doing. Once they've accepted you and have confidence that you're only there to help them, then they'll be more inclined to explore, hopefully.