Raising a little kitten – how?
When our house is enlarged by a new four-legged family member, i.e. a cat, it is worth taking care of its proper upbringing from the very beginning. If we take the time to teach our little friend, then we will avoid unwanted and negative behavior from our pet. In addition, by devoting time to learning, we socialize him and establish a deep bond with our cat.
Cat’s first days at home
Even before bringing a small kitten home, it is worth taking care of some things that will help our new friend adapt to the house. First of all, let’s make sure that the kitten has its own litter box with the right litter, you can read more about learning how to use the litter box in the article “How to teach your cat to use the litter box”. Another important thing is to prepare or buy food that a small individual will absorb well. Therefore, it is worth agreeing with the breeder in advance – if we are buying a purebred cat – how he feeds his cats, and what food or meals he gives them. If we do not have the opportunity to obtain information from an experienced person, it is worth reading about dry food from one of our articles. Another thing will be the purchase of a blanket that we will take with us when picking up the cat. It is worth putting, at least for a moment, a blanket in a place among the toddler’s siblings, so that their smell settles on the material of the blanket.
All of the above things will greatly facilitate the socialization of a small cat during the first days of staying in a new home. Thanks to the use of the same food, and covering the place with the aforementioned blanket, the new environment will be positively associated with the baby.
Cutting up a kitten
At the outset, it is worth mentioning that raising cats is a bit more difficult than dogs. Cats can seem like pets that have their own rules. However, if we approach the upbringing of our purr well, his upbringing can be pleasant and effective. You have to remember about positive reinforcement, i.e. praise. Praise can be in the form of a treat, a toy, stroking, in other words, everything that our cat loves.
An important rule in the process of raising a kitten is not to discipline! If the kitten does something wrong, e.g. pees on the carpet, or we catch it scratching furniture, then let’s direct its attention to toys, but under no circumstances should we use negative techniques that will discourage the cat from contact with humans. Unfortunately, cats do not understand the message of punishment and their use is senseless. Alternative ways should be sought, e.g. in the case of scratching furniture, use an agent whose smell will discourage the cat, and at the same time will not harm its health.
What is the alternative to punishment? We can use different kinds of noises from psssik, crosses, shhh, etc. This will better discourage the cat from doing negative things or causing damage. It is worth remembering that cats do not know what punishment is, what actions are good and what are bad. Cats are animals that are guided by instinct and therefore if, for example, a tomcat pees on a piece of furniture, it does not mean that he wants to spite us, but it is behavior driven by instinct, i.e. marking his territory.
When we have a small kitten, we should remember to ensure constant human contact, and accustom it to more people as it grows. It is important that the kitten has to deal with various stimuli and not be afraid of them. Always remember that any contact with a stranger must be pleasant for the cat. Never force your pet to contact you, this behavior will only alienate them.
Finally, it is worth remembering that when raising our little friend, we should use positive reinforcement, i.e. a system of rewards and praise that will show our kitten that he is behaving well. Also remember that since cats are instinctive animals, there is no point in using punishment.
