| That's right. Everything your cat knows, good or bad, | | | | For example: |
| she learned in the first weeks of her life. Further, | | | | - The food they learn to eat as a kitten, either in the |
| even though she is trainable as she leaves | | | | wild or as domestic progeny, will be the food they |
| kitten-hood and grows into an adult, it becomes | | | | prefer as an adult. If you feed a variety of foods |
| more difficult for her to change the way she does | | | | (quality kitten food, but from different sources such |
| things as she grows older. Is that the reason older | | | | as chicken, beef, seafood, lamb, etc.) they'll tend to |
| cats seem to be crotchety ole' grouches? And why | | | | be less picky as an adult. Wild kittens fed only mice |
| they won't move off of your favorite chair without a | | | | will hunt mice as their main source of food as an |
| lot of grumbling? Maybe. But, it's well documented | | | | adult. |
| that the first weeks of a kitten's life is where they | | | | - They will learn how to set boundaries in order to |
| develop all the critical elements of their physiology | | | | identify territory and private space. Kittens raised in |
| and personality. | | | | closed places such as a cage will not be able to do |
| Physical Development and Growth: | | | | this as an adult and will appear fearful; unable to |
| The first weeks of a kitten's life is the most | | | | establish or identify where the lines of boundary are. |
| dramatic, growth-wise. At birth a kitten will weigh | | | | Either theirs or anyone else's. Their personal space will |
| around 100 grams (3.5 oz). Normal weight gain is | | | | be very small, again making her very fearful, easily |
| about 7-10 grams a day and their weight should | | | | threatened and she'll hide or go into defensive |
| double in 14 days. A healthy kitten is plump, firm and | | | | postures easily. |
| vigorous and they will nurse every 1-2 hours. They | | | | - As already mentioned, play activities of stalking, |
| prefer one teat to nurse and find it by smell. When | | | | wrestling, biting and chasing are all directly related to |
| they're well fed their stomachs are round and they | | | | the development of predation techniques. In the wild, |
| sleep quietly. If they are crying and moving around, | | | | the success of an individual cat depends upon how |
| they are not getting enough to eat and may be | | | | well she learned these tactics, especially the |
| taking in air when they nurse. Before, during, and | | | | aggressiveness in the application of these methods, |
| after nursing, the queen will lick the stomach and | | | | when she was a kitten. The Queen plays an |
| perineal area (the area just above the tail) to | | | | important role when she brings home live prey to |
| stimulate urination and defecation. She'll do this for | | | | teach the kittens how to kill and eat prey. The |
| the first 2-3 weeks of her kitten's life. | | | | kittens may at first play with the prey, but soon |
| At 3-4 weeks the kittens will begin to imitate their | | | | they'll learn what they're supposed to do and |
| mom's eating and drinking habits. Keep a shallow dish | | | | associate the prey with food for sustenance. |
| for water available for them and you can also allow | | | | Domestic kittens, other than barn cats or other |
| them to taste a kitten mush mixture of high quality | | | | kittens who may receive this 'on the job training' |
| kitten food, kitten milk replacement and hot water | | | | come to expect their food to magically appear in a |
| blended to the texture of infant cereal. Start off with | | | | dish from you. Although they'll retain the instinct to |
| 3-4 meals a day of this mixture. At first the kittens | | | | apply the predation methods of 'stalk, chase, kill and |
| will explore it, walk in it, and eat some. After that | | | | eat', they may not refine them. Consequently, they |
| mom may finish the meal herself. Each week | | | | may stalk and not catch, catch and not kill, and/or kill |
| decrease the amount of milk replacement, water and | | | | and not eat any prey that catches their attention. |
| time of blending. Weaning will be complete by 7-8 | | | | And since domestic cats develop a kitten/Queen |
| weeks when the kittens should be eating dry food | | | | identification with their human counterpart, you might |
| and drinking water on their own. | | | | find yourself the recipient of a special gift from them |
| This growth schedule matches what wild kittens will | | | | in the form of a field mouse, lizard or squirrel. |
| experience. Mom will nurse them for a while after | | | | - Handling kittens born into your home will socialize |
| birth. Then, she will hunt her territory for prey, bring | | | | them with people and other pets in your house. Most |
| it home and teach her kittens how to eat it. Later | | | | Queens will let you pick up her kittens right away. |
| she will catch the prey and bring it home alive so that | | | | Just don't worry her by walking away with them. |
| she can teach them how to kill. Kittens need to learn | | | | Any young children should not handle kittens without |
| fast because, being easy prey themselves, they are | | | | adult supervision to prevent injury to the kitten or |
| susceptible to predators . They also need to learn | | | | the child. Stroking, petting, grooming and medicating |
| fast because mom's territory is not going to be | | | | kittens will acclimate them so that they're tolerant of |
| sustainable for providing food indefinitely. As they | | | | these things as adults. The presence of dogs, birds, |
| grow they'll eat greater amounts and more often. So, | | | | gerbils, fish or other pets in a kittens youth |
| they need to grow up, get out on their own, find | | | | experience will teach them to be un-fearful of other |
| their own territory and fend for themselves. | | | | animals (and not think of them as food) when they |
| Personality and Socialization | | | | become adults. Of course, as with all things of this |
| Though cats are solitary creatures, they are not | | | | world, the theory is not fool-proof, but, generally |
| completely loners. Young kittens do not have a | | | | true. Careful observation and intervention in a kitten's |
| developed sense for personal space or territoriality. | | | | activities is always useful, with the emphasis on |
| They'll snuggle in a ball with themselves or with mom | | | | 'careful'. |
| in order to maintain normal body temperature. | | | | - Punishment is not an option for training a kitten. |
| Conversely, they'll spread out a little if they're too | | | | Cats don't understand punishment and only associate |
| hot. As they grow and their bodies develop the ability | | | | it with the punisher, not the 'bad' act. They'll learn to |
| to maintain itself, they'll begin to find their own | | | | fear you, and continue any 'bad' behavior. Training is |
| private spaces for resting or sleeping, but still play | | | | best accomplished when the cat or kitten has an |
| with each other. In the wild mom will stop providing | | | | unpleasant experience associated with any particular |
| food for them eventually. She'll resume protecting her | | | | behavior. For example, placing sticky tape over the |
| territory, causing her brood to leave or chasing the | | | | end of a couch where the kitten is scratching will be |
| now adult kittens off. Now they'll need to establish | | | | an unpleasant experience and the instinct is easily |
| their own territories and begin the cycle all over again. | | | | transferred to a scratch post placed nearby. She'll |
| Domestic kittens may seek their own private space, | | | | remember this the rest of her life. If you punish or |
| but since food is readily available, they'll display less | | | | yell at her, she'll remember this too, and continue to |
| protective territoriality instincts with each other. | | | | scratch where she's not supposed to. Then hide from |
| They'll include your house as part of their territory, | | | | you when you come into the room. |
| but exclude neighbor cats or other animals from the | | | | Simply put, whatever your cat learns when she is a |
| property. | | | | kitten, you will have to live with for the rest of her |
| While they're still kittens, they'll stalk and play to | | | | life. And there's no real expectation of changing those |
| develop their balance and coordination. This is the | | | | learned habits or behaviors. It is realistic to expect |
| training ground for learning predation and the basic | | | | juvenile and adult cats can be trained. That's your |
| survival techniques that has perpetuated the | | | | only realistic alternative to change unwanted behavior |
| presence of cats for thousands of years. As cute as | | | | after kitten-hood is passed. Still, 99% of who and |
| the play seems, this play is critical to the survival of | | | | what she is as an adult can be traced directly to her |
| the species. | | | | kitten experiences. And if she's a kitten in your |
| Kittens will learn many things while they are young. | | | | home, a lot can be traced right back to you. |