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Socialization techniques will help you prepare kittens
to be placed for adoption. This can be a long,
time-consuming process depending on the age and
temperament of the kittens and should not be taken
lightly.
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Initial
Confinement: If you are dealing with a
litter, separate each kitten if possible and if
you can’t, make sure you spend quality time
alone with each one. Keep kittens in a small
room, like a bathroom, or preferably in a cage
where you will have easy access to them and they
won’t be able to hide in a hard-to-reach spot.
Also keep them away from any other animals in
the home. This small space will calm them and
allow them to easily find their food, water, and
litter. Allow them one hiding place for
security, such as a box or carrier. Provide soft
comfortable bedding. Consider leaving a radio or
TV on when the kittens are alone to get used to
human voices. For young kittens, a ticking clock
wrapped in a towel sounds like a mother cat’s
heartbeat and is very soothing. Litters can be
put back together after a short adjustment
period.
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Touch:
Safety first. Aggressive feral kittens can hurt
you badly if you are not careful. Wear gloves or
protective clothing if you feel it is needed.
Hold kittens as much as possible after giving
them an initial two-day adjustment period. If a
kitten is feisty, papoose in a towel with only
the head out and hold her while doing things
around the house. Pet kittens by reaching from
behind the head and gently rubbing around the
face, chin, and behind the ears. Hold kittens
while talking softly and petting for about 20
minutes at a time, and repeat this often
throughout the day. All young kittens should be
picked up often to be petted, brushed, and
played with so they are used to this behavior
when they grow up.
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Feeding:
Food is the best tool for socialization. You may
keep dry kitten food out all day, but when you
feed wet food, stay in the room while the
kittens eat it. They will soon associate you
with food and begin to trust you. If they are
very timid, try to first give them food on a
spoon through the cage. After holding kittens,
reward them with some canned cat food or chicken
flavored baby food on a spoon.
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Play:
Encourage kittens to play with toys at around
three to four weeks. It is important that you
don’t let kittens play with your hand or bite or
scratch you. This is especially important when
raising single neonatal kittens without
siblings.
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Introductions to the home and others:
After kittens are comfortable enough with you to
fall asleep on your lap or purr in your
presence, they can move from the initial
confinement space to a larger, kitten-proof
room. Introduce kittens to as many human friends
as you can to adjust them to strangers and
unexpected circumstances.
When deciding what to
do upon finding kittens, it is also important to think
ahead for them. Can you provide them with a foster home?
A permenant home? Will you have the time, resources, and
energy to find these newly socialized kittens a home?
Depending on your
initial decision, you will end up with either
socialized, well-adjusted kittens who you can easily
adopt out, or a colony with fully sterilized, vaccinated
feral cats and kittens. Either decision is correct
because, as you have read, taking on the task of raising
kittens or socializing them is no easy feat. Be secure
that you made the best choice for your circumstances and
don’t second guess yourself. Kittens can pull at our
heart-strings, but in the end, doing what is best for
you will ultimately be what is best for the kittens |
