Hi friends! It’s me, Milo Fwancis, back with some great tips about raising a kitten. Raising a kitten does not have to be an incredibly difficult task! For humans, that is. As a mature cat, I obviously can’t be bothered with their shenanigans. But for humans, it can actually be quite fun to do. Depending on how old the kitten is when you adopt them, you will be able to raise them in whatever way you wish. Of course, us cats have our own personalities at birth, but our first few months can certainly make a difference in how we will behave for the rest of our lives. You can even raise your kitty to be friendly, cuddly, and good around other animals! Keep on reading for all of my meow-gical tips.
Raising Kittens Week by Week
How to raise a kitten to be friendly
If you would like to raise your kitten to be friendly there are a few things you can try! The first, and most obvious way, is to spend a lot of one-on-one time with your kitty. Even a few minutes a day can be extremely helpful in making sure your furry friend is friendly throughout the rest of their life. It’s important to do this when they are young because this is when they will be the most receptive to changes. Of course, it’s not completely impossible to teach an old cat new tricks, but it does get more challenging. Us cats tend to get stuck in our ways as we get older.
This may sound like an obvious one, but make sure you are treating your kitten for what they are - a baby. Depending on how early your kitty was separated from her mama, they can be incredibly young in your care. Kittens need extra attention and love to help them feel safe and protected. In the process of giving your kitten love and attention, this will make them trust humans more naturally. If your furry friend is more trusting of other humans, this will make them naturally more friendly and fun-loving. Your kitty will also pick up habits from you at a young age. If they notice you are an extra friendly human - they will become an extra friendly kitty!
It can also be helpful to find a cat breed that is friendly in general naturally. Some of the most friendly breeds of cats are Ragdolls, Siamese, and Maine Coon. I may be biased but I think I am extremely fur-iendly. If you don’t know this already, I am a Maine Coon kitty!
How to raise a kitten indoors
The best way to raise your kitten indoors is to make sure they have alternatives to items they would find in the wild. For example, it’s important to have a bunch of toys so that your furry friend can stay active throughout their day. If they were in the wild, they would be naturally active due to the nature of their activities each day. You can also make sure that they have plenty of things to scratch on. Scratching for cats is extremely important because it helps file down their nails. Raising a kitten to be accustomed to scratching can be helpful in the long run. Your kitty is naturally drawn to surfaces such as wood and rope. If you are looking for a scratcher that combines several different surfaces - my human, Jeff, invented one here. If you are able to provide a scratcher for your furry friend that reminds them of the wild, they will have a much easier time adjusting to your home.
How to raise a kitten to be cuddly
You can raise your kitten to be cuddly by giving them lots of love, attention, and physical touch. One way to raise a cuddly kitty is to spend some time each day brushing your cat. This will help with shedding, but will also help develop a physical bond between you and your fur baby. If you start brushing your kitten when they are young, they will be used to it and may even look forward to the activity. If you are gentle with your kitty, this can even feel like a massage! Talk about a purr-fect situation, am I right?!
How to raise your kitten to get along with other animals
If you want to raise your kitty to get along with other animals, you will want to make sure that they are getting appropriate socialization in their younger years. Us cats sometimes get the reputation of not liking other animals, but this is not true! All our personalities are a little bit different and some of us are just naturally more interested in other animals. If you would like your furry friend to get along with other household pets, you should try to introduce them as soon as possible. It’s important to do this in a slow and relaxed environment. You don’t want to rush any encounters that may spook your kitten or create any fears towards other creatures. You can do this by letting your animals meet and spend time together in small chunks of time. It’s best to keep your animals separated for the first few days to give them enough time to get to know each other’s smells.
Kittens are not only adorable, but they are also very fun to be around. The tips that we mentioned above will help you raise the kitten of your dreams! It’s important to remember that patience is key when training your new family member. Kittens are essentially still babies and need a lot of attention and love. Making sure they are comfortable, feel safe, and have their needs met should be the top priority for the first year of their life. Despite what some people think, it’s fairly easy to raise a kitten without much effort. The main key to raising your kitten to be friendly, cuddly, and all-around loving is to show them that same love early on. By showing your furry friend love and affection, they will learn how to give it back at a very young age. If they learn this young enough, they will continue to develop these patterns throughout the rest of their nine lives.