How to Socialize Kittens

Laurie Anne Walden, DVM

Photo by Haley Owens

Socializing young kittens and puppies means giving them positive experiences with things they’ll encounter throughout their lives. Building positive associations early in life helps animals feel comfortable with new people and new situations. Animals that are well socialized when they’re young are less likely to develop fear-based behavior problems (like aggression) that could put them at risk of being sent to a shelter or euthanized later on.
 
Sensitive Period for Socialization
For kittens, the window of opportunity for socialization is very early: from 3 weeks to about 7 to 9 weeks of age.[1,2] The sensitive period is the time when a young kitten’s brain is most receptive to socialization. During these early weeks, a kitten is exploring and learning, developing neurological pathways that will help the kitten learn in the future. After the sensitive period, brain development shifts; kittens don’t make positive associations as quickly or easily and they’re more likely to be afraid of new things. This is why it’s so difficult, if not impossible, to convert a semi-feral adult cat into a cat that can be happy living as a house pet.
 
You will have noticed that the sensitive socialization period for kittens is nearly closed by the time they’re typically adopted or purchased. Socialization needs to start with the person caring for the mother cat and newborns. When you adopt or buy a kitten, continue providing socialization (at the kitten’s comfort level and pace) to reinforce what the kitten has already learned.
 
The socialization process should always be positive. Don’t force kittens to interact with strangers or other animals if they’re shy, and don’t push them to be near things that scare them. Let them choose whether to interact. Give them room to walk away and let them hide if they want to. Use positive reinforcement (food or play) to encourage them to interact and build their confidence.
 
The following suggestions are adapted from the American Veterinary Medical Association.[1] For more tips, check out the First Year of Life page on the Cat Friendly Homes website: https://catfriendly.com/life-stages/first-year-life/
 
Socializing Kittens Before Weaning

• Kittens need to interact with members of their own species. For orphaned kittens, provide interaction with other kittens and cats as much as possible.
• Have more than 1 person handle the kittens.
• Handle each kitten individually, away from the mama cat and the litter, every day.
• Provide exposure to a variety of surfaces, textures, and objects to play with.

 
Socializing Kittens 8 to 12 Weeks Old

• Provide toys with various textures, scents, and sounds.
• Give the kitten gentle, positive exposure to a variety of people of different ages, sizes, and genders; with beards, wearing hats, wearing face coverings, carrying umbrellas, and so forth.
• Provide supervised interaction with other animals, especially species that might become pets in the kitten’s home.
• Playing with other kittens and cats (belonging to family members/friends or in a kitten class) is very useful. Kittens this age are not yet fully vaccinated, so the other kittens and cats should be vaccinated as appropriate for their age and free of parasites.
• Start crate training: leave the crate out all the time with the door open and put toys and food inside. Let the kitten explore the crate and start going into the crate on her own.
• Once the kitten is comfortable with the crate, start taking the kitten on short car rides that end with something fun, like a play session. (Don’t pull out the crate and go for a car ride only when the trip is going to end with shots at the veterinary clinic.)
• Handle all parts of the kitten’s body and hold him in different positions—always gently and never in a way that frightens the kitten.

 
Older Kittens and Newly Adopted Adult Cats

• Don’t assume that an older kitten or cat had early socialization. Instead, watch the cat for signs of stress or fear to assess her comfort level with different situations and people.
• Take time to build trust with the cat so he will feel secure in his new home. Don’t force interactions and don’t scold the cat; use lots of positive reinforcement like treats.
• Provide the same kinds of enrichment and exposure as with younger kittens (including crate training), but realize that an older kitten or an adult cat might need much longer to become accustomed to new things.
• Seek the advice of a veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist if the cat has fear or aggression that does not improve with time.

 
References
1. Welfare implications of socialization of puppies and kittens. American Veterinary Medical Association. June 9, 2015. Accessed July 8, 2022. https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/literature-reviews/welfare-implications-socialization-puppies-and-kittens
2. Todd Z. The sensitive period for socialization in puppies and kittens. Companion Animal Psychology. July 26, 2017. Accessed July 8, 2022. https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2017/07/the-sensitive-period-for-socialization.html
 
Photo by Haley Owens on Unsplash

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