Kitten Socialization

Socialization means exposing a young kitten to different people, sights, sounds, experiences, and places in a controlled, positive way. This process sets the youngster up to be more confident and tolerant as an adult. Socialization is not the same process as helping an adult cat overcome their fears.

Why is Socialization So Important?

During a kitten’s early life, they are learning what is safe and what might be dangerous for the rest of their life. Anything they have positive experiences with when they are young will be put into the safe category. But as they grow up, they will become less trusting of new things. Unfamiliar things and situations are more likely to be labeled as “potentially dangerous.” This can lead to fear and aggression. 

Kittens that have been properly socialized are more likely to be confident adults and to be tolerant of handling and stress. Since stress causes many health and behavior problems in cats, growing up to be able to handle change and mild stress is important for all cats. 

It’s important to know that only positive experiences get labeled as “safe.” If something scares your kitten during their socialization period, it can have a negative impact on them for the rest of their life.

When Should Socialization Happen?

As early as possible. Kitten enter their critical socialization period as early as 3 weeks so if you are raising kittens in your home, you can start getting them used to handling right away. However, most of us don’t get to meet our kittens until they are more than 8 weeks old so start socializing your kitten as soon as they come home. The experiences they have before they are about 15 weeks will have the greatest effect. 

If you have a kitten older than 15 weeks, they may already be more cautious of new things. You can still help them by carefully introducing them to new experiences in a positive way. You will probably have to go slower than with a younger kitten to ensure they aren’t overwhelmed or scared but an older kitten can still benefit from appropriate exposure to new things. 

How Can You Socialize Your Kitten ?

The most important part of socialization is that the kitten must have a positive experience. Scary or overwhelming situations can have an enormous negative effect on your kitten’s behavior in the future. Pair each experience, place, or person with something the kitten really enjoys to further increase the positive impact. This could be food or treats, playtime, or petting as long as your kitten is clearly loving the experience.

Beyond that, there are a few other important steps:

  • Lots of Things: The more experiences your kitten has, the more people they meet, the more places they see, the easier they will be able to accept and enjoy those things in the future. 
  • Lots of Choice: Never force your kitten to interact. Expose them to new things at whatever level is comfortable for them. 
  • Lots of Repetition: Don’t just do it once! Your kitten should not just meet your kids but also your kids’ friends. Practice putting them in their carrier and giving treats every day, not just once. 

Finally, avoid areas where unfamiliar cats may hang out. Your kitten is more susceptible to diseases before they have finished all their kitten vaccinations so stay off the ground in outdoor or public areas where stray or feral cats roam.

 

What Should Your Kitten Have Exposure To?

Think about the future when socializing your kitten. Maybe you don’t have kids or a dog now but what about in 5 years? What life could your cat have if they became familiar with a harness and leash or with riding in the car now? 

You may not be able to cover every possible experience but taking the time now to expose your kitten to many different things will make it more likely that they grow up confident and able to handle new situations as an adult.

This list isn’t complete but is meant to help you think about what your kitten should be exposed to:

  • People: All ages, genders, races plus people who use devices like wheelchairs or walkers. 
  • Sights and Sounds: Doorbells, alarms, umbrellas, vacuums, etc.
  • Touch: Petting and handling all over, nail trims, grooming, teeth brushing, etc
  • Equipment: Brush, nail clippers, harness and leash, carrier, etc.
  • Situations: Riding in a car, going to the vet, being left alone, etc.
  • Other animals: Other cats, dogs, birds, etc.

This material was written in collaboration with cat behavior consultant Jessica Char.
Learn more at  www.FelineEngineering.com