New Kitten Handout

SETTING KITTENS AND OWNERS UP FOR SUCCESS

Lore I. Haug, DVM, MS, DACVB

Texas Veterinary Behavior Services

Kittens begin learning and developing behaviors as early as 4-5 weeks. They continue to learn everyday, and their interactions with the owner, other animals, and the environment will shape their behavior. Without appropriate guidance and intervention, some of these behaviors may be objectionable to owners. It is important to provide kittenswith a structured management and training routine from the beginning. Similar to children, kittens should have some leeway in their behavior, but behaviors that seem cute when the kitten is small (e.g. biting your hands during play) are likely to become painful or even dangerous as the cat grows.

When kittens first come home, they should be confined to a large Condo or a small room such as a bathroom with their food, water, litter box, and an effective resting place such as an elevated bedor small cat tower. This allows the kitten to begin acclimating to the sounds and odors of the home and also have convenient access to the litter box. As the kitten becomes comfortable, the owner can gradually allow the kitten access to larger areas of the house but initially only under direct supervision. Feliway diffusers can help reduce stress and improve the transition to the new environment.

Socialization and Developmental Stages of Behavior

Socialization is critical for all animals, allowing them to learn to communicate and develop social relationships with people and other animals. In kittens, the sensitive socialization period begins in the 3rd week of life (when the kitten’s eyes and ears are fully open) and extends through the 7thto 9th week of life. Kittens with inadequate socialization during this time may be fearful and nervous of other people and animals (including other cats) and may show avoidance and defensive behaviors when exposed to them. Poor socialization is one of the primary causes of aggression directed toward unfamiliar people (including visitors and veterinarians) in cats.

Duringthe first several months of life, kittens should be exposed to a variety of people and other animals in a safe and positive manner so that the kitten learns that these are not threatening stimuli. Owner should be encouraged to acclimate their kittens to a safe and study carrier and then begin taking their kittens tonewplaces each week and have them meet 5-10 newpeople each week. These goals can be meet together – meeting new people while they are visiting a new place. Kittens should also be exposed to a variety of sights, sounds, odors and tastes at home. Again, this should be done in a controlled manner using toys and treats liberally to establish a positive connection with these stimuli. Food socialization is also very important as cats can form strong taste and texture preferences early in life which make it very difficult to change the cat’s diet or get the cat to accept training treats in the future. Owners should routinely offer kittens foods of a variety of tastes and textures.

Kitten kindergarten classes are offered in some communities and are a good way to socialize and begin training kittens. Participating in these classes over a two to four week period can be very valuable to both kittens and owners. These classes are relatively easy to run and can be set up in any general practice. Kittens should be under 13 weeks of age, free of external parasites or infectious disease, and have at least one set of vaccinations. (for more information, see:

Early Handling and Restraint

Early handling of neonatal kittens by people not only helps with socialization skills but also has been shown to accelerate physical and central nervous system development. Kittens held regularly during weeks three through seven of life are more likely to tolerate being handled later in life and are usually friendlier towards people.

Show owners how to teach kittens to enjoy being touched and handled so the kittens do not feel threatened, defensive or irritated. Start the lessons when the kitten is relaxed and begin by handling in ways the kitten finds pleasurable. Petting and handling should be done gently, slowly and always paired with exceptionally tasty treats.Encourage owners to gradually handle the kittens face, lips, ears, and feet. Kittens can also be conditioned to towel wraps for future veterinary visits.

Play Therapy and Cat Toys

When cats play, they exhibit exploratory, investigative and predatory behaviors. Play provides young cats with opportunities to practice skills they would normally need for survival. Play sessions are crucial for indoor cats as they are almost completely devoid of predatory opportunities. We cannot ignore their basic biological drive to engage in this behavior. If deprived of predatory outlets, many indoor cats direct predatory aggression toward family members or other pets in the home.

Owners should have several scheduled play sessions throughout the day. Owners obviously should never play with kittens using their hands, feet, or articles of clothing attached to their body. Play should be directed toward toys. Using toys in a manner that mimics normal prey movements can make the session much more effective in stimulating play/predatory behavior.Provide several toys that offer a variety of uses – e.g. some to chase, some to attack. Toys that are good for rolling and batting on the floor are plastic milk jug rings, shower curtain rings, plastic rolling balls with or without bells inside, ping pong balls or plastic golf balls, and even cardboard toilet paper or paper towel rolls.Large soft stuffed animals are good toys to carry around or “hunt”. Make sure it is a least half the size of the kitten since this will allow them to really get their paws around it to kick and bite it. There is a growing body of electronic and battery operated toys available for cats to maintain play behavior in the absence of the owner.

Environmental Enrichment

Play is a component of enrichment; however, proper enrichment encompasses much more and should stimulate all of the cat’s sensory modalities. Owners should have interactive play sessions with cats at least twice daily. Additionally cats should be provided with various climbing surfaces and hiding boxes. Cat DVDs can provide some entertainment while the owners are gone. Cat towers next to windows with bird feeders outside are good options too. Owners should provide a rotating schedule of boxes, toys, scented items, etc. on a routine basis. Games and activities should encourage exploration and foraging. Owners can scent items with extracts, herbs, and animal related scents.

Response to catnip is a genetically controlled trait (50-75% of cats possess this gene). Also, kittens less than six months of age do not seem to be attracted to catnip as much as older kittens are. Catnip is safe for cats to roll in and eat and is not addictive.

Managing Rough Play

Play-motivated aggressive behaviors are common in young, active cats. With the increased incidence of indoor cats, kittens are more likely to direct play behavior toward owners as the people in the home are the only moving objects. Play-based predatory aggression can often escalate over time and become more defensive and truly aggressive due to the owner’s actions in trying to stop the behavior.

As cats are crepuscular animals. Kittens can often be disruptive in the early morning hours if they are allowed access to the owner’s bedroom. Kittens may attack the owners during their sleep or pounce on them when the owner’s body moves under the covers. Kittens may need to be confined out of the bedroom or in a Condo during the night to prevent this.

Structured play sessions and enrichment are crucial to solving play/predatory motivated attacks on family members. Feliway may help reduce anxiety/frustration associated with inadequate stimulation. Supplements such as Solliquin, Anxitane or Zylkene may help calm the kitten. In severe cases, serotonin modulators such as fluoxetine or paroxetine can help reduce aggressive attacks especially if the kitten has already developed a defensive component.

Litter Box Problem Prevention

Kittens show a natural inclination to use a litter box if provided with an appropriate set up. The litter box should be kept in a location that affords the cat some privacy, but is also conveniently located and easy for the kitten to reach. Research has shown that most cats prefer fine-grained clumping litters, presumably because they have a softer feel. Litterboxes should be scooped at least once daily and cleaned with soap and water every 1-4 weeks.

In multicat homes, there should be at least one litter box per cat and the boxes should be spread in multiple locations rather than all grooped in one area. Multistory homes should have a litter box on every floor even if there is only one kitten in the home. Boxes should be located away from appliances (e.g. dishwasher, washer/dryer), doorways, and locations frequented by other animals (e.g. dog cage).Litter/box preference tests are valuable for determining an individual kitten’s preference in terms of size, covered vs. uncovered, etc. Automatic cleaning boxes can be frightening for many cats so owners should be cautioned about their introduction.

Furniture Scratching

Cats scratch to remove the dead outer layer of their claws, to mark their territory by leaving both a visual mark and a scent, to stretch their bodies and flex their feet and claws, and to work off energy. Scratching is a normal behavior and one that cats are highly motivated to display. For this reason, it is unrealistic to try to prevent the kitten from scratching altogether. Instead, the goal in resolving scratching problems is to direct the scratching onto acceptable objects. Trimming the kitten’s claws will reduce any damage the kitten may do during the training process.

Because scratching serves a social function, scratching occurs in heavily trafficked areas (one reason couches are favorite locations). Scratching posts should be placed in areas where the cat naps so it is available upon waking. Posts also should be in areas where the cat spends a lot of time. Cats may prefer vertical or horizontal scratchers or both. Scratchers should be large enough to allow the cat to stretch its body during the behavior. Make sure the objects are stable and won't fall over or move around when the cat scratches, particularly as the cat grows. Cardboard, natural bark, and sisal substrates are generally attractive to most cats.

The general process is to make inappropriate objects unappealing by covering them with double sided sticky tape, aluminum foil, sheets of sandpaper, or a plastic carpet runner with the tacky point side up, while offering the kitten highly attractive scratchers. Kittens should be positively reinforced for using scratchers by giving praise and treats when they do so.

Do not physically punish kittens for inappropriate scratching. Punishment generally occurs too late and therefore won't change the behavior. More likely it will make the kitten fearful of the owner or the items used for the correction (e.g. water sprayers, noise makers).