How To Effectively Socialize Your Kitten And Prevent Behavior ProblemsI have a strong belief that you can take any kitten under 8-9 months, no matter how skittish, fearful or distrustful of people – and give him/her a complete behavior transformation with the right socialization. Even adult cats can undergo this type of dramatic change. But generally speaking, the younger the cat – the easier and more effective it is. Start socializing the kitten with as many different kinds of people and animals as you can. And do it as early and often as possible. Begin by inviting guests over to your house. They don't even have to pay any attention to the kitten. Just get your kitten used to all the sights, sounds and stress of having people around. But wait – it's not enough just to expose them to stressful situations. You must create potentially stressful situations and then turn them into fun, pleasurable experiences. For instance: If you have two or three people come over to the house, and the kitten seems afraid and skittish – turn it into a good experience. Get our the kitten's favorite toy and begin playing. Give the kitten some treats. Basically, distract the kitten's attention away from being afraid and redirect it toward something good. Once the kitten realizes it's okay to come out when people come over, and it's okay to play when other people are around – his/her confidence will build. And the more scary situations your kitten overcomes, the less scary the next one will become. The kitten will grow and learn to cope in several different circumstances. As a result, once the kitten grows up, he/she will be less likely to become stressed and develop behavioral problems as an adult. If the kitten is too afraid to come out, even though you've pulled out the toy and the treats, just leave him/her alone. Don't ever chase after the kitten to try to comfort it. Cats like to feel like they're in control and chasing after your kitten will only cause more fear and create a bad experience. Just have your guests sit on the couch and talk or watch TV and pay no attention to the kitten. Sooner or later, the kitten will build up courage and slowly approach everyone on his/her own to investigate. If the kitten is acting very afraid, then you may be moving too fast. You need to step back a little and try just having one quiet adult come over. Small children and kittens usually aren't a great combination. Kittens are too tiny, afraid, and fragile for young children to handle. Don't allow young children to grab at or hold a kitten younger than 5 months. Teach older children how to hold the kitty properly. The proper way to hold a cat is by placing one hand on the cat's chest and using your other hand to support the hind area. Then bring the cat close to your body and let him or her rest their paws on your arm. Cats don't like to feet trapped or confined so if the kitten even begins to squirm, gently place it back on the floor. Don't make the kitten have to wriggle away to escape or jump out of your arms – otherwise your kitten won't enjoy being held and will run from anyone who tries to pick him or her up. Get the kitten used to riding in the car by going on short car trips around the block or through the drive-through at a fast food restaurant. (Never leave your kitten in the car unattended) Make sure to always keep your kitten in a cat carrier. Having a loose cat or kitten in a car is too dangerous – for both of you. If you are in an accident, your kitten can be badly injured and is very likely to run away if the car door or window is opened. Kittens can also climb on you while driving, jump up onto the dashboard or crawl under the pedals preventing you from being able to stop or accelerate. I've heard many stories of kittens who crawl behind the dashboard and get stuck in there. The dashboard usually has to be removed to get the kitten out, and by that time they are extremely scared and traumatized by the whole experience. If you have a long haired cat that might have an occasional visit to the groomer as an adult, get them used to the sounds and smells while they are young by taking them in a carrier to the grooming salon – and giving lots of praise and treats while there. (Make sure not to let your kitten out of the carrier, especially if there are dogs around! Let kitty see you through the door of the carrier, and slip little treats in between the bars.) It's a good idea to do this even if you don't think you'll be taking your kitten to the groomer as an adult because you never know if you'll need to take a trip there in the future. Also, you need to get the kitten used to being touched all over. Spend at least 5 minutes every day touching your kitten all over. Pay special attention to the kitten's feet, tail, ears, face/mouth, and around the genitals. This will help you in the future when you need to groom your cat or for regular veterinary checkups. Help your kitten associate this with a positive experience by doing this while you massage the kitten, or while giving treats. The best time to do this daily routine is right after playtime, when your kitten is worn out. Trying to do this with a rambunctious kitten who just wants to play can be difficult, and can make the entire experience unpleasant for both of you
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