Cats can be the most playful and affectionate of friends, and their intelligence makes them remarkable companions. Keep in mind that how your new furry friend is raised will significantly impact their character if you decide to adopt a cute kitten. Wishing you had a purring cat to cuddle with? Understanding how to socialize with a cat will help you make your furry friend feel comfortable enough to snuggle.
Socialization: What is it?
A well-socialized cat is comfortable around humans and even looks forward to their company. A cat must be socialized to get comfortable with human contact, environments, and senses (sights, smells, and noises). It takes time and effort to care for humans and affects many aspects of a cat’s life.
Cats that live with us, pursue human attention, and depend on us for survival are the most socially developed. Feral cats, on the other hand, are unsocialized because they are born and raised outside our communities and have little to no human contact.
Domestic cats are all members of the Felis catus species. To be sure, cat socialization and domestication are two distinct processes.
Socializing a Kitten
Socializing very young kittens need at least two hours of daily human interaction to develop a healthy level of confidence in people and to learn the social skills necessary to become good pets. Getting a kitten used to human company is as simple as spending time with it. In addition, it’s important to give them plenty of one-on-one time with a wide range of people, especially children. A socialized kitten is more likely to mature into a friendly cat since it is comfortable with human interaction.
It happens that a kitten won’t seem to warm up to you at first. Consequently, you must shower them with even more love and care. Spend as much time as possible with the kitten, entertaining it with play, cuddling it, and speaking kindly to it. While your cat can’t understand a word you say, a gentle tone of voice can help endear them to you.
Cat Socialization Age
It’s preferable to get things done quickly rather than later. Between the ages of 2 and 7 weeks, kittens have the most open minds and are most easily influenced by new stimuli; this is the best time to start socializing them. Many people wait until their fluffy friends are closer to 7 or 8 weeks old before bringing them into their homes as pets. Cats up to the age of 14 weeks are pretty simple to introduce to new people and environments.
Socializing Feral Kittens
As a result of not having enough pleasant experiences with humans at a young age, feral kittens are unable to bond with humans and live independently. While most feral kittens are born outside to community cats, even an indoor kitten might develop feral tendencies if she is not socialized with humans early on.
Feral cats can be hissy, avoidant, fearful, or even aggressive when they feel threatened by a human being. The simple reason for this is that they view people as a significant threat.
Feral kittens can be tamed and socialized to become friendly, loving companions with time, effort, and appropriate care.
Positive human associations are the primary goal of socializing feral cats. Just what is it that cats love the most? Food! The kitten will learn that you are a safe and reliable food source if you gradually introduce new experiences to their mealtime routine.
For the duration of each feeding session, play with the kitten and then take away the food. Don’t give feral cats free food; this teaches them they don’t need human assistance and slows them down. Make sure you set aside time to sit with them while they eat, and stick to a schedule appropriate for their age.
How to Socialize a Cat
Cats rescued from hoarding or extremely abusive settings will require a specialized socialization program from an animal care expert. If you’ve just adopted a cat and noticed that it’s timid, afraid of people, or continually hiding, you can follow this guide to help it adjust to its new home.
So, you went to a local shelter or rescue group and brought home a kitty who stole your heart. Hooray! You can’t help but want to give her a big bear hug and parade her around in front of your entire family. While this may work for a shy cat, most cats require some introduction time before they feel comfortable.
- Limit Them To A Smaller Area
Let it roam the house once they’ve gotten used to the environment and the people in it. Allow your cat time to investigate its new surroundings before reintroducing it to the original, smaller room. It may take a few rounds of exploration and retreat for your cat to feel completely at home in your house. Have patience with the procedure!
- Play Around
Cats are the best hunters in the animal kingdom. Feather toys and laser pointers are great entertainment for cats. Do your best to spend 10-30 minutes a day playing with your cat. You can have a detached interaction with your cat by playing with it. There are three players in this scenario: hunter, predator, and prey. They’ll focus their attention on the toy instead of you and look forward to spending time with you. Try to time your cat’s meals so they immediately follow playtime since this will teach it to associate hunting with feeding exactly like it would in the wild.
- Encourage socializing
Rewarding the cat when it comes to you for attention is an important step in socializing because it reinforces the behavior you want to see more of the cat coming to you when it wants affection. You should return the favor when they come close and give you a rub by petting them and then giving them a treat.
Having a hard time drawing them in close? Use food or toy to entice them to come to you, but wait until they are within touching distance before petting them. Give them the experience of sitting next to you or even on your lap. Cats adore being stroked on the cheeks or nose, so return the favor when they make a move, but only for a moment. You should never force someone into a situation; instead, think about how you can make them feel at ease. The best way to proceed is to allow them to set the pace and then follow suit. If you own a cat, you know what I mean.
It’s the nature of certain cats to hiss at your best friend or hide when visitors arrive. If you make your home a secure and welcoming environment, you can help your shy cat become more sociable. Never, ever, ever yell or slap your cat out of irritation or anger; doing so will cause them to become more fearful and withdrawn. If you give them a secure, comfortable environment in which they can exercise their instincts of dominance and lots of opportunities for play, attention, and treats, they will repay you with kneads, purrs, and chips.
Cat Socialization Chart
You can use this cat socialization chart to safely and gradually expose your cat to a wide variety of new sights, noises, experiences, and other animals.
Is it too late to socialize with a cat?
It is never too late. They probably spent a lot of time as feral cats, which could explain why they don’t trust humans. Because of the dangers of the outdoors, their feral behavior is understandable, even if they had spent the past many months or years indoors. Feeding schedule adjustment is the first recommendation.
Can you socialize with an older cat?
Know that it is feasible to improve your older cat’s social abilities if you are adopting an older cat that isn’t well-socialized to people or if you want to work on the social skills of your own older kitty.
Although cats have a reputation for being stubborn and resistant to change, an older cat can be taught to be more comfortable around humans with time and care.
How long does it take to socialize a cat?
Kittens have a greater potential for rapid socialization when they are younger. Kittens may take anywhere from two to six weeks to fully socialize, depending on their age, the temperament they inherit from their mother, the warmth they receive from their father, and their early experiences with other people and animals.