Fresh Start Pet Coaching

In my years of fostering I have had the opportunity to foster litters of bottle baby kittens twice. The term “bottle babies” is used to describe any unweaned animal and that has lost it’s mother for whatever reason and is being raised by humans with the help of a bottle.

The black ball of fur you see here to the left are Bonnie and Clyde, my most recent bottle baby litter. I believe they were about a week old at the time this picture was taken.

Fostering bottle babies is time consuming, can be exhausting, and is very rewarding. It also comes with a significant amount of responsibility. Kittens are fragile and even with the best of care it’s easy to loose them. At one point, Bonnie and Clyde became ill and I was up every hour giving them fluids, feeding them, and stimulating them. That was one of the longest nights of my life. It was also early in my relationship with my wonderful fiance John. I knew then that if he stuck around through that, he was a keeper.

Bonnie and Clyde made it through the night and grew into healthy, happy, playful kittens. As the requirements for their physical care lessened, meeting their behavioral needs became more important. Which leads me to answer the question:

What is kitten socialization and why does it matter?

All animals have what is called a sensitive period for socialization which occurs early in life. During this period of time the animal learns what type of animal they are and who they should and should not associate with.

Essentially, this is when kittens learn what it means to be a kitten. They learn how to interact with others and what to be afraid of and what not to be afraid of.

The subject of socialization has been covered extensively in regard to puppies. In kittens however the concept of socialization is only recently gaining in acceptance and momentum.

Here are 2 things you need to know about kitten socialization:

1. Properly socializing kittens involves introducing them to new people, places, and things and is just as important as in dogs. Proper socialization will help your kitten become a behaviorally healthy, well adjusted cat.
2. The kitten socialization period is short and occurs early. The sensitive period for socialization in cats occurs from 2-7 weeks of age (as opposed to 3-12 weeks in puppies).

What this means to you as an owner:

Kittens aren’t usually separated from there mother until 8 weeks of age. What this means to someone who has just gotten a kitten or is looking at getting a kitten is that the prime socialization period for your kitten has already past. This does not mean that you can’t take steps to socialize your kitten after this time. It does mean that in large part, how your kitten behaves at 8 weeks will reflect her behavior as an adult. If she is shy and timid as a kitten she will be a shy and timid kitten as an adult (although steps can be taken to reduce fearful behavior).

This is not to say that socializing kittens after 7 weeks of age is a lost cause. Far from it, I highly recommend new kitten owners continue to socialize their kittens after 7 weeks of age. It’s not that kittens can’t be socialized after 7 weeks, it’s just that the process will more than likely require more effort, time, and patience than during the sensitive period for socialization.

What this means for individuals working with cats during their sensitive period from 2-7 weeks of age:

If you are an individual (i.e. breeder, volunteer, professional, etc.) who is involved in the care of kittens during their sensitive period of socialization, it is extremely important that these kittens be socialized properly. With Bonnie and Clyde I took the time to introduce them to other vaccinated and healthy cats, dogs, crates, blow dryers, vacuum cleaners, car rides, crates, strangers, kids. Anything I could think of that they might come across in adulthood I introduced them to in a slow manner that made each new experience positive, fun, and something the kittens looked forward to.

There is an old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and this is very true in the case of socializing kittens. It is far easier to take the time to socialize kittens properly so that they become well behaved, healthy, and happy cats then to have to address behavior problems later in life.

Are you bringing a new kitten into your family? Contact us today for a complimentary 15 minute telephone consultation to determine if a problem prevention session is right for you.

References:

Hetts, S. 1999. Pet Behavior Protocols. What To Say, What To Do, When To Refer. Lakewood, CO: Amer. Animal Hosp. Assn. Press.