In a world where the majority of cats are randomly bred, socialization can take a back seat to survival when kittens are placed by rescues at earlier-than-ideal ages to make room to save more. As a result, acquiring a pedigreed cat who has been properly socialized is a new experience for many cat owners. Teaching our kittens how to be good feline citizens is one of the most important things we do to ensure their future happiness and that of their new families.
What qualifies a cat as a good feline citizen? Humans expect cats to use the litter pan, use a scratching post rather than furniture, accept claw clipping, and allow appropriate grooming. Cats should allow themselves to be picked up and carried, go into and travel in a carrier, and refrain from using claws and teeth when playing with their friends, both human and animal. They should also be used to routine activities and noises they are likely to encounter in a home or even at a show. Much of the socialization process involves figuring out what will be new and different to a kitten and exposing it to these things in as nonthreatening a way as possible.
Start With Good Parents
Maine Coon breeder Teresa Sweeney recommends the earliest possible start for socializing-when planning the breeding! "I think it is always important to know the temperaments of the parents. It is so important because I believe there is a genetic component." She believes that as good stewards for our breeds, we need to have that awareness and breed only cats that are even tempered.
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Cat Talk.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Cat Talk.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Checklist For What to Look For in Your Club's Next Show Venue
Show Manager To Ring One, Please
Tonkinese
When You're Well and Truly Tonked
AVOIDING The Kitten Fear Period
Young kittens seem fearless.4 As soon as those eyes open and they can get their legs under them, they are off to see the world if their mama and humans let them.
No Milk For You!
Milk Issues and Kittens
Fostering Kittens
When asked if I would be interested in fostering a queen and her eight newborn kittens, I volunteered without question.
Do You present ? Polish! OR DO YOU
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS!
No Kitten! Cats Are Part of the Military!
Felines have graced the decks of boats and ships back nearly to the beginning of time, roaming freely on passenger ships, war vessels, and merchant schooners, keeping vermin at bay.
Feline Summer Movie Fun!
School is almost OUT! Huzzah! But raindrops are plunking against the window, the amusement and water parks haven’t opened yet, camping is out, and roasted hot dogs and S’mores are another month away.
Kittens Are Special...
...and so are some of the show rules for them:
Genetic Pleiotropy and the Risks in Breeding Recessive Mutations
Nearly everyone loves what’s rare and unique. A slight defect in the minting process of a coin can create a demand and a value well beyond the face value of the coin. The coin is functionally no different than its perfectly minted counterpart, but its scarcity and uniqueness alone make it more desirable than the rest.
