All kittens need early socialization to develop into well-mannered companions. It promotes healthy relationships and teaches kittens communication skills with humans, other cats, and other animals.
Through socialization, young cats gain self-assurance and a sense of security in their homes. It’s like giving your kitten lifetime emotional health insurance by taking the time to socialize your kitten correctly today.
Before beginning
Cats may be trained at any age and continue to learn new skills as they become older. Kittens pick up both good and bad lessons fast, like fluffy sponges. Learning the “wrong” lessons might emotionally weaken a kitten during this brief period of growth, when they are most open to socialization. For instance, kittens raised as wild (feral) animals will never be tolerant to humans if they are not exposed to positive human interactions throughout this period.
Through proper socialization, a cat can learn how to act like a cat, appropriate feline behavior, how to interact with other cats, and who their friends and enemies are. When they are between two and seven weeks old, kittens are at their most responsive.
Because kittens start learning at such an early age, the majority of the “living as a cat” lessons should have been learned by the time you acquired the kitten. The term “copycat” is employed for a good reason: kittens imitate their mother’s behavior and pick up new skills by observing her. When a dog and cat mother get along, the kittens will regard dogs as a safe part of their surroundings. But if the mother cat starts crying, the kittens won’t be able to forget that lesson.
The littermates teach one another how to play well and restrict one another with bites and claws. Through encounters with other kittens and adult cats, kittens practice using the kitty language of meows, fluffed fur, and tail or body gestures.
Since cats speak different languages, it may be difficult for singleton kittens or those who are taken from their litter early to socialize. As a result, it’s ideal for kittens to stay with their mother and the other members of the litter for 10 to 12 weeks at the most. Before the newborns are placed in new homes, individuals who are raising or fostering litters must also acquire valuable lessons.
Because shelters don’t always have the luxury of doing so, kittens may be adopted as early as 6 or 8 weeks. Humans can’t learn from mom-cats, but you can offer some guidance.
It is ideal for new owners to continue these teachings for a few weeks after acquiring a cat because kids learn things faster than adults do. The babies must be exposed to pleasant interactions with other animals and people if they are to accept them as part of their “family” and develop into loving, well-adjusted pets. Kittens can be socialized based on the three Ts: touching, talking, and timing.
The thing you need
- Time, love, and care are put into providing treats and tender toys.
Petting your cat frequently is essential to help socialize your new baby. Because it is one of the first sensations that infants encounter when their mother licks and rubs them, petting makes me think of this nice, secure feeling.
Both you and your cat will appreciate being petted, and it will educate your cat that contact with people is pleasurable, gratifying, and in no way dangerous. This is essential given that your kitten has moved into a new home with unfamiliar sights, sounds, furnishings, and family members.
Since touching the kitten spreads your fragrance all over it, scent marking is important to cats. This makes it possible for your kitten to associate your scent with feelings of security. Additionally, it acts as a possessive marking signaling that the two of you are your own, which can immediately strengthen your bond.
There are physiological benefits as well. Positive touch can change brain wave patterns and reduce blood pressure and pulse rate. This might create the groundwork for a long life of harmonious connection and good health for your kitten.
Studies show that during the first three weeks of a pet’s life, caressing them for five minutes every day boosts the pet’s ability to learn later. No matter how old your kitten is when you initially bring it home, daily petting should last no less than five minutes. Try to pet your kitten as much as you can, even if it’s just for a moment while you go about the house. Give your cat your whole attention when you sit down and pet it for a few minutes each day.
Be careful you stroke the kitten’s ears, tail, paws, and mouth to make touching it joyful and habitual. When the infant performs well on examinations, your veterinarian will welcome this. Furthermore, you’ll get to know your cat better, making it simpler for you to spot any potential health issues.
Talking
By chatting to your kitten, you can teach it to pay attention to you and answer when you call. Although it might not fully comprehend everything you say, it will be able to determine whether you are happy, annoyed, amused, or affectionate. The more you communicate with your cat, the better it will become at comprehending your requirements and meeting them. That solidifies your relationship and creates the framework for training that will be efficient both now and in the future.
Talk to your cat as frequently as you can. To help the kitten associate this time and you with love and security, speak in a soft, soothing voice while you pet it. At other times, be sure your tone is appropriate for the circumstance. When playing with the kitten, for instance, your voice should be positive and happy, whereas when the kitten needs to be corrected, adopt a hard and harsh tone.
Timing
By timing, the kitten can learn how to live in your home. Kittens won’t understand if you don’t explain right from wrong to them at the suitable moment. For instance, if you discover an unpleasant bathroom mark on the carpet 20 minutes later, your kitty won’t comprehend why you’re angry. Until you catch the kitten in the act, the child won’t be able to connect your annoyance with the incident.
It’s much more effective to use timing to catch your kitten performing something well. When the kitten uses the litter box correctly, compliment it. If it greets guests with a joyful purr, give them a treat. Once the kitten behaves well with other animals or people, enjoy a game of chase-the-feather or another favorite.
Keeping Issues from Emerging During Socialization
It’s crucial to ensure your kitten has a happy first few weeks in its new home. Your cat’s personality and conduct will be shaped during this crucial period for the rest of its life. It is therefore better to steer clear of as many unfavorable encounters as you can. When you’re upset with your kitten, try not to yell or raise your voice. This may scare the kitten and cause lifelong worry or fear, which can impede your attempts at socialization.
Include your entire family in the socializing process, if possible. To teach the kitten how to interact with other animals, gradually introduce it to them as well. Even kittens who are now the only members of their household with fur can benefit from interacting with dogs or other cats. This is especially true if you think you might get another pet in the future.
You will have to put in significantly more effort to socialize a singleton kitten that you adopted. To the best of your ability, of course, you’ll want to concurrently play the roles of mother, playmate, and instructor of the lessons it ought to have learned from other cats (to best of your ability, of course). Some people discover that adopting two kittens who are almost the same age when one is a singleton is actually the simplest option. These two can greatly benefit from one another’s experiences.
Cat behavioral problems frequently result from the unknown. Adult cats could find something as simple as moving the furniture upsetting. By introducing change to your kitten when they are young, you can help them grow to be more accepting of these changes in the future. Rearrange the furnishings frequently, give your kitten fresh toys and hiding places, and meet new people frequently. Your kitten will mature into a well-adjusted cat if you actively include it in a variety of enjoyable and intriguing activities.
If you suspect your pet is sick, call your vet immediately. For health-related questions, always consult your veterinarian, as they have examined your family pet, know the pet’s health history, and may make the best recommendations for your pet.
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