Socialisation
The socialisation period for kittens happens much earlier than with puppies – between 4 and 9 weeks old compared to 8-12 weeks with puppies.
With this short window, and with most owners collecting their kitten at the age of 7/8 weeks, owners must be ready to socialise their kitten which will help set behaviours for the rest of its life.
WAYS TO SOCIALISE YOUR KITTEN
1. Playing with them and their carrier
Most cat carriers don’t come out until it’s time for the cat to go to the vet – which is why they can be pretty hard to find when the carrier comes out!
Normalising them with their carrier when they’re young means it’s not so much of a traumatic experience trying to get them into the carrier later down the track.
You can do this by playing with the kitten around and inside the carrier by throwing toys on-top of, around and inside the carrier. Feeding the kitten in the same manner by :
- Placing the food next to the carrier one night
- Placing the food on-top of the carrier a few days later
- Placing the food inside the carrier a few days after that
- Leaving the carrier on the ground with the door open and a blanket inside so naps can be taken inside of it
This is great for normalising the carrier experience and the same technique can be used in the days leading up to a vet visit or trip away – which leads us to our next suggestion!
2. Driving them around
Although you’re not likely to take your cat on daily trips to parks like you would a dog, getting your kitten used to the driving experience in case you have to take them in the car somewhere is a great idea.
Coupled with getting your kitten used to the carrier, taking your kitten into the car and driving around is the next step. Once you close your kitten into the carrier, take the kitten into your car and drive them around the block. Being motionless in a car that is moving is an unusual feeling for your kitten, so starting out with short trips and progressively make them longer trips will help accustom your cat with the car.
3. Teaching them not to claw at you and used to being touched
Kittens need to learn how to retract their claws. You can help them do this by simply holding your kitten against your body. At any point their claws dig into your clothes, pull the kitten away from you for 10 seconds, and then place them back on your body. Do this several times a day and your kitten will learn how to retract their claws as well as to hopefully not use their claws on you!
As well as this, take the opportunity to get your kitten used to being handled and touched all over. Rubbing their ears, touching and playing with their paws as well as rubbing them all over with help acclimatise them to being handled when they’re older.
Our team of professionals are here to help make pet care easy. If you have any questions or concerns about your pet's health, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We love talking about animals and we’re more than happy to help! If you would like to make an appointment you can book online or give us a call to arrange a suitable time.