Elevating well-behaved, pleased, and wholesome kittens is a lot simpler if you happen to are unencumbered by a perception in any of the frequent myths about them. We will get pleasure from the mythology of cats like Bastet of Historical Egypt and ‘Gdon of Tibetan lore whereas retaining mythology out of the lives of our actual cats. Debunking the myths about kittens makes it simpler for them to alter to their new house and for everybody to stay and love fortunately ever after.
Delusion: It’s a great thought to get kittens as younger as attainable so that they bond with you higher.
No, it’s not a great thought. It’s really a dangerous thought, and right here’s why. Kittens who’re taken away from their mom and their littermates earlier than they’re eight weeks previous miss out on many classes they’ll solely study from their mother and their brothers and sisters, and being with them till the age of 10 to 12 weeks could also be much more useful.
They should study play, work together socially, groom themselves, and so way more earlier than being separated. Kittens who depart their mother and littermates too early are extra seemingly to be fearful, to have bother dealing with stress, to play too tough, and to be fast to chew and scratch individuals, particularly strangers.
If eliminated too early from their first household, kittens are extra seemingly to pee and poop outdoors the litterbox, meow and yowl excessively, suck on blankets or different objects, and to be aggressive. And if you welcome kittens who’re two to 3 months previous, they’re nonetheless so younger and might bond to you deeply and totally.
Delusion: Kittens are nocturnal so that they’re destined to be lively all night time and sleep a lot of the day.
Nope, and fortunately so, as a result of that may put our schedules at full odds with each other. Kittens, like cats of different ages, are usually not really nocturnal. They’re crepuscular, which suggests they’re most lively at daybreak and at nightfall. They sleep extra hours than individuals do, however not in a single lengthy stretch.
Kittens sleep 18 to twenty hours a day however if you happen to’ve heard of the cat nap, you realize a lot of that sleep is in brief classes. Kittens go to sleep and get up persistently all through a 24-hour day, together with throughout the night time, however their pure tendency to have many durations of exercise at night time can definitely be modified, particularly as they become older.
To assist kittens sleep nicely at night time, have plenty of play and exercise classes throughout the day so that they snooze somewhat much less, and have an enormous play session earlier than mattress to tire them out earlier than settling in for the night time. It additionally helps to feed them late at night time; all that digesting work will help them relaxation nicely.
Be sure that late meal is an element of their day by day meals consumption and never along with what they ought to be consuming. Don’t reinforce playfulness and attention-seeking habits opens in a brand new tab at night time or they are going to study that you just are out there then. In the event that they try and disturb you, be sure that it doesn’t work for them by leading to your consideration or the behavior will develop into stronger.
Delusion: Kittens can’t be skilled.
Sure, they completely may be skilledopens in a brand new tab, and so they ought to be skilled. Though this fantasy is thought to be false by an increasing number of individuals, it has a persistence that doesn’t serve anyone. By some means kittens have a bizarre PR drawback in terms of coaching that appears to be based mostly on nothing greater than not being puppies.
Cats of all ages, together with kittens, may be skilled. Widespread expertise to educate kittens embrace sitting on cue, getting into their crate, utilizing the litterbox, going to a selected spot on the ground, play properly (utilizing toys as an alternative of your palms!), responding to their title, enjoying fetch, and coming when known as.
Delusion: Kittens can’t get together with canine.
Sure, they’ll, however they must be launched correctlyopens in a brand new tab to keep away from damaging interactions that may result in relationship challenges between them. Correct introductions provide the perfect alternative for kittens and canine to be the perfect of mates. It’s necessary to introduce them the precise method as a result of any dangerous interplay makes it that a lot more durable to maneuver ahead of their relationship.
Introducing canine to kittensopens in a brand new tab all too usually leads to hassle as a result of a typical however ill-advised technique is to place them in a room collectively and hope for the perfect. Even candy canine who’re keen on kittens could chase them and by chance educate kittens that canine are to be feared and are definitely to not be trusted.
Bodily harm to kittens can also be a threat. If an preliminary canine and cat introductionopens in a brand new tab doesn’t go nicely, it would be arduous to show that relationship round, so a very powerful piece of recommendation about introducing cats to canine is do it proper as a result of you may’t do it over. Be affected person and suppose when it comes to months or weeks moderately than days.
Accustom the canine and the kitten to the sight and odor of each other with a gate between them. Encourage constructive emotions by giving them plenty of toys, treats, and a focus whereas they’re close to one another however can’t work together.
As soon as they’re calm and comfy within the presence of each other, it’s time to work and not using a gate, however with leashesopens in a brand new tab, retaining their experiences constructive with treats, petting, and toys. If this step goes nicely after a collection of repetitions over a interval of weeks, solely then can they be in the identical house unrestrained, and even then they need to be supervised so if anybody will get upset or acts in a method that would upset the opposite, they may be instantly separated.
A caveat: Not each canine is secure round kittens. Kittens can solely get together with canine who’ve been socialized to kittens and are in a position to act appropriately round them.
Delusion: Kittens are low-maintenance.
For much too lengthy, many individuals who needed an animal companion however didn’t wish to put loads of time or effort into caring for that animal opted to undertake a kitten. Based mostly on the fantasy that they’re low-maintenance, many kittens arrived in new properties and their wants had been not adequately met. Positive, many kittens looked as if it would do OK, however their high quality of life was not what it might have been. Kittens’ lives are higher after we acknowledge they’ve wants and we work arduous to fulfill them. Doing so isn’t a low-maintenance state of affairs.
Kittens require grooming (some day by day), their litter containers have to be cleaned usually (ideally day by day), and so they require common visits to the veterinarian for well being care. They want loads of consideration to hold them glad moderately than bored, and so they require plenty of exercise for each their our bodies and their brains.
Between coaching classes, play classes, and different types of enrichment corresponding to kitty condos, cozy beds the place the solar hits them, affection, and plenty of toys, these wants may be met. Taking good care of a kitten and offering all they should have the perfect life attainable isn’t a match for the time period “low-maintenance.”
Delusion: Kittens are anti-social.
It’s simply not so. Kittens are usually very social, and these social tendencies make them search the corporate of different catsopens in a brand new tab and of individuals. They get pleasure from having each cat and human play companions (and generally canine buddies, too). Additionally they thrive on receiving consideration in the shape of grooming, petting, and snuggling.
The tide is popping on the fantasy of anti-social kittens sufficient that it’s develop into frequent data that it’s higher to undertake a pair of kittensopens in a brand new tab moderately than a single one. The persistence of the faulty concept that kittens are anti-social could also be as a result of many kittens (and grown-up cats, too!) are likely to get pleasure from a while by themselves as nicely. So, count on most kittens to wish to spend time with others and in addition to be clear after they are performed with the interplay and need some house for a bit.
Delusion: In contrast to puppies, kittens don’t must be socialized.
Au contraire! Socializing kittensopens in a brand new tab is critically necessary to their growth and strongly impacts their habits all through their lives, as nicely as their future happiness. Kittens who’re well-socialized are extra seemingly to grow to be grownup cats who do nicely with different cats, canine, youngsters, adults, and being dealt with.
The foremost variations between pet socialization and kitten socialization is that kittens have a shorter socialization interval and it begins earlier in life in contrast with puppies. In the course of the time that kittens are two to seven weeks previous, their brains are very open to new experiences, conditions, objects, and social companions. Throughout this developmental stage, even just a few constructive experiences with something new can educate a cat to be high-quality with these new issues for his or her complete life.
For socialization to be efficient and permit a kitten the perfect likelihood at having the ability to deal with what they are going to encounter for all of the years to return, present many constructive experiences for kittens with quite a lot of individuals, locations, and issues. They need to have nice exposures being launched to individuals, canine, and different cats as nicely because the sounds and objects so frequent inside and outdoors the home, several types of strolling surfaces, and quite a lot of smells.
Correct socialization of kittens consists of dealing with them gently, spending time with them in every room of the home, and letting them see and listen to kitchen home equipment, as nicely because the vacuum and followers. Introduce them to the automotive, their automotive provider, the vet and the workers on the clinic, and begin utilizing a hairbrush, a collar, possibly a harness and leash, and nail clippers. Take nice care to keep away from scaring kittens or overwhelming them. Utilizing nice treats and being very mild are necessary for making all these experiences constructive.
Delusion: Kittens make their very own enjoyable so that you don’t must entertain them.
Not true. Kittens want and deserve our consideration and interplay. They want alternatives to playopens in a brand new tab and to work together with us in quite a lot of methods, and so they get pleasure from enrichment in so many types. It’s as much as us to offer them with numerous kinds of leisure. Kitten enrichment can take many types.
It will probably be play with quite a lot of interactive toys and common coaching classes to educate them expertise and permit them the satisfaction of getting bolstered for being proper. Enrichment will also be the chance to entry vertical areasopens in a brand new tab and different enjoyable locations, corresponding to kitty condosopens in a brand new tab. Though kittens can play independently among the time (particularly if we provide them toys that assist them do that), in addition they want the enjoyable and leisure of interactions with us.