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When you decide to get a new cat or kitten there are often many things you have already thought about. What breed would you like? What do you want them to look like? What kind of lifestyle do you see them having? There are a lot of factors that often get forgotten about or that not everyone knows about. Many of these factors are about the kitten themselves; their temperament or personality. Others are more about thinking about the kitten’s upbringing and life before they come to you. The last one is about your own preparation and planning before brining the kitten home. We will go through some key things to consider when picking out a new kitten to ensure a PURRfect fit.

Temperament

Similar to personality, temperament is built by both life experiences and the genetics of the individual. Kittens learn a lot about their outside world by watching their mother interact with it. When she is nervous or fearful, they too learn that these are the situations where they should be nervous or fearful. Their genetics can also play a role. Some individuals are just more prone to being easily stressed or anxious and others are more adaptable and calmer in new situations.

How can we try and assess a kitten’s temperament? Meet the kitten several times, as it is growing and watch it’s interactions with both people and the litter mates. Getting a really solid idea of the cats overall demeanour and how it interacts with all other animals and people is key to ensure you have picked the right kitten. 

Discuss your key behavioural expectations with the breeder or other source of the kitten. Do you want a cat that is cuddly and people oriented or one who is more independent and will come and go on it’s own? This may help to ensure the breeder or other program can match you with the right kitten. This also allows you to ask questions about the kitten’s exposure prior to you picking them out.

Socialisation

Before you pick up your kitten, usually between 8-12 weeks of age, a lot of key experiences will have already occurred. Kittens have a sensitive period from 2-7 weeks of age. During this time, they are learning all about the world around them and how to adapt to new situations. It coincides with rapid motor and sensory development internally. Has a priming effect on the ability of cats to accept novel experiences later in life. It is critical the kitten is exposed to things it will encounter later in life over this period so they can start to make positive associations with these things. Later in life, new things are generally approached with fear and anxiety, but during the sensitive period kittens are open minded about new things and able to have a more positive reaction to these settings.

How can you ensure your kitten has good socialisation before you pick them out? Ask lots of questions! Ensure the kitten has met other cats before, even dogs before and interacted with children. By the time you obtain the kitten it will already be late or after it’s socialisation window and having these positive interactions very young is key to them being open to and continue to build a positive relationship with these other animals and people. 

If possible bring your children for a supervised interaction/visit with the new kitten to help it socialise and then you can see first hand how it interacts with your entire family. This also allows your children to be involved with the selection process and help them bond with the kitten you choose. 

Habituation

Similar to socialisation, habituation ensures kittens have been exposed to the sounds, sights and smells that they will be in your home. Doing this as young as possible allows these experiences to be background noise and not startling or scary things.

Be sure to ask about your kittens exposure. Ensure the kitten has been exposed to noises and occurrences of the home. Sound recordings of vacuum cleaners, washing machines, TV sounds and even human talking, shouting and playing children’s noises. Often shelters or breeders will have recordings of these sounds, if the kitten is raised in a home environment then these sounds will be part of the kittens exposure when young and help reduce any stress or fear these things may cause when they are living at home with you.

Preparation & Planning

How can we make sure after we pick our kitten that they will be able to adapt to your home well? This is where Perth Cat Hospital can help the most. We have an entire handout on the introductions of the cat to your home. If you are thinking about getting a new kitten, our vets can give you some advice on picking them out and setting yourself up for success.

Introducing your kitten to the home will often take time (weeks to months in some cases). Having a plan for where to house your kitten seperate from the other pets initially before the introductions can begin is essential. If you just place your kitten into the busy home without separations or plans in place then it will be overwhelmed and likely not be as confident. Have a plan for how to introduce your other cats and go to the kitten and enlist the entire family to help feed and care for the kitten so they can all begin to interact with it slowly and on easy terms. Think about how this process will affect your other pets (especially cats) as you will need to provide resources enough for all three of them, and it may mean they lose access to a part of your home temporarily. 

Summary

In summary, while breed and appearance of your new cat or kitten may be a major factor in your choice, there are lots of other factors to ensure your kitten is a good fit for you and your family. Asking lots of questions about where your kitten’s life before you got them is key to knowing more about their ability to adapt to your home. Most breeders and rescues have socialisation and habituation programs in place that help ensure these experiences happen before you pick them up. The key time for all cats is from 2-7 weeks of age, and finding out what their life was like during this time is key. This experience combined with genetics helps determine their temperament and spending time with them is the only way to really know how this will work in your home.

If you have questions, need help in deciding or setting up for a new kitten or cat, contact our team and check out the information section on our website. Contact our reception team to book an appointment or find out more.

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