Can You Socialize A Kitten?

Most people do not think about socializing kittens. The whole behavior repertoire of a cat is different from a dog since they are primarily solitary. The only cats that tend to live in a group "pride" are the lions. However, as household pets living with a family and exposed to all kinds of situations it is beneficial to give your feline the most complex and interesting life you can. That is where social exposure can be an advantage.

Instead of socializing you could call work you do with a feline "desensitization." This means they are calm or cooperative in many new or different situations. As a cat owner you are probably shaking your head and saying "no way!" It is a possibility and is done regularly by people who work in the movie industry or just like to have their pets with them where ever they go.

Some of the things to think about doing with your cat are: Traveling, teaching them to allow you to restrain them, brush them, check their eyes, ears, paws, and teaching them what the proper scratch items are! They can benefit by traveling around with you on errands, spending playtime on a leash in new areas, and being exposed to new people and animals in controlled circumstances. All this work will pay off as the kitten matures into adulthood.

When you first bring a kitten home you should see that you are prepared for the adventure. Kittens are full of energy and will climb up the drapes, over the couch, and up your pants or nylons! They are curious and will get into everything. It is important to make sure dangerous areas are secured so that your newly acquired kitten does not get hurt. It is also important to have enough toys and scratch items to keep them out of trouble!

Problem areas could be the dryer, open cupboards or closets, the refrigerator, stove and a variety of other odd items. A special area for your cat is a nice addition too. Some owners have cat trees or houses, beds, scratch posts, fenced gardens and other creative playgrounds for the pampered puss.

The more you involve your kitten in activities and interactions with others, the calmer they will be. The benefit is that they will be more likely to respond without fear or defensiveness as they grow older. Your Veterinarian and the Groomer will love you for it! Teaching your kitten right from wrong at an early age will prevent them from challenging you as they get older too. They will not agree but they will more apt to cooperate if you have worked with them early in life instead of being a miserable grump!

Cat training can also start at a young age. Yes, believe it or not you can train a cat. In fact, there are many movie star cats and housecat circus acts! Most people have never bothered to work with their felines and believe all the old myths floating around about our finicky feline friends. The last cat I rescued came when called, sat and stayed, down stayed, sat up, and traveled extensively with me. He had a couple of other tricks up his sleeve too. Most people were amazed since he came to me when he was pretty old and not a lot of time was spent in actual training time.

Working with your cat should be done in short and sweet sessions. Brushing is a nice behavior to start with since it is so pleasurable. Next you can examine the ears by rubbing them. As you rub you can look in their ears, and touch different parts of the ear with your finger. Imagine imitating your Veterinarian but take it slow and gently. If you do things right you will be able to place your finger around the fleshy part of the ear without disturbing the cat. This is great if you have to clean it or medicate the cat later. GO SLOW! The biggest problem most people have is moving too fast with this type of work.

Holding the paws and gently applying pressure to extend the claws is another useful practice. You can do some amazing things with your cat if you take the time. Nail clipping, physical exams, and other types of restraint will be easier if you practice at home. Later invite friends and neighbors to come over and visit. Only the most skilled might want to try to do a "mock" exam. By socializing your cat to people they will be more calm around strangers later.

You can also help develop your cat's intelligence by exposing them to lots of new things. Ample supply of toys that are changed or rotated are a necessity. The most favorite toys can be pretty simple. Paper bags, the rings off of milk bottles, rolled up foil and other household items make great play items on a budget. They always seem to be the favorites over anything else too!

Teaching a cat to crate or enter a carrier is one of the more critical things to teach. Placing bedding in it or traveling with the cat in the crate will get your feline comfortable with it. This is a critical tool for disaster evacuation, temporary housing during travel, and restraint. Many people have lost their cats because they were moving and did not think about securely housing their cat. Many animals will be very stressed when they see packing and the moving of familiar items. It is also the best way to travel anywhere with minimal risk of losing your precious puss.

It does not matter if you get a pure bred kitten or rescue an alley cat since they all need the same loving care and guidance. Spend the time with your new family member and s/he will grow into a very responsive and loving pet.

Hope this brief overview has shed some light on some new things you can do with your cat to make them happier, healthier, more secure and perhaps a bit more cooperative despite their independent nature!