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Raising Kittens & Providing Socialising
Skills
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Hand raising kittens is not just all about making sure they are kept fit and physically healthy. There is also the matter of making sure they grow up to be happy, confident cats that are comfortable in the company of humans and other animals.
Orphaned kittens may grow up in isolation away from their brother and sisters and be used to the company of just one or two humans, who feed and look after them. This means that they do not receive the benefit of being around other animals and can become quite afraid of the wider world if not exposed to it early on.
Kittens are born without having any sense of fear, which is great news
for us humans, as we want the kitten to see us as their friends and
not as a big scary giant. These first few weeks are a vital time to
socialise the kitten to humans and other animals. Without this contact
during this time a cat may never become accustomed to people and so
become feral cats.
It is very rare for a feral cat to become truly domesticated. My sister homed a feral kitten; he was older than seven weeks and so even though he lived in a domestic situation from that young age he never really got on with people. In fact the only person able to go near him was my sister, everyone else would end up covered in scratches.
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Picture by Plizzba
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The "Sensitive Period"
The first seven-weeks of a kittens life is known as the "sensitive period", this is when experiences during this time will effect and mould the sort of cat they will become.
If you want your kitten to grow up to be a cat who:
- Is affectionate
- Litter trained
- Never bite or scratch, especially during play
- Be confident with visitors to your home
- Be able to be handled with ease, including allowing grooming and having nails clipped
- Be happy to be in a carrier and travel
Then it is up to you to provide these experiences during this sensitive period. Raising kittens this way will help to ensure you have happy cats in the future.
Raising kittens to be confident cats
During the first seven weeks of your kittens' life it is important that you expose your kitten to as many experiences as possible, so that they can learn that these things and people etc are not a danger to them. You should therefore ensure that:
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Picture by Bryan Geek
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- The kitten is handled by at least 4 different people of all genders and ages. Invite friends and neighbours round to be introduced to the kitten.
- They are introduced to other family pets, especially if there are dogs in the family.
- Find other cats or litters to introduce them to. A local vets or animal shelter may be able to help you with this. This is especially important if there are no other pets living at home.
- Be exposed to lots of different noises and family activities, like the washing machine, Hoover, television etc.
- That they are played with using techniques which will simulate normal
cat play
i.e. hunting, jumping, climbing etc. Play should never be under estimated.
- Begin gentle grooming to allow the kittens to become used to being touched all over and to the sensation of brushes and combs. This is very important for longhaired cat breeds, which will require a lot of grooming throughout their lives.
- Introduce your kitten to a carrier. It is never too early to begin carrier and travel training.
The more experience's introduced during this "sensitive period"
the better, and it is a very important step in raising kittens. As the
kitten has no fear during this time they will explore and get use to
all the sounds, smells and different types of creatures in their world.
NOTE:
When re-homing a kitten from a shelter or from a breeder it is important
to find out as much as you can about their upbringing so far. Kittens
that have not been properly socialised will need far more of your attention
and even then they may never become easy pets to live with.
