The Cat Doctor Veterinary Hospital and Hotel

Kitten Behavior or “How a Kitten Grows”

By Alexis Higdon, DVM

This time of year we start to see kittens appear by the “litter-load.” (Personally, I would like to see more cats spayed and neutered so we don’t end up with so many unwanted or abandoned cats and kittens.) That being said, I also recognize that I will see many adorable pregnant cats and their kittens throughout the spring months. Recently the American Association of Feline Practitioners published a set of guidelines on feline behavior. Included was a section on kittens and their behavioral development. Understanding normal cat development and behavior allows us to more appropriately “read” and interact with our feline family members. Behavioral knowledge also allows us more opportunities to provide a more “cat-like”, stimulating and satisfying environment for our cats. The goal here is to develop enriched, meaningful and appropriate relationships with our cats and avoid or prevent unwanted or abnormal behaviors.

Did you know that cats are very social animals? They like to live in colonies where they recognize fellow colony members and, much like us, have close friends who they “hang-out” with. Successful social behavior may loosely be defined as the ability for a cat to act appropriately and with confidence to people, places, and things and in many cases, other species. In order for successful social behavior to develop, a cat must have exposure to people, life situations, the environment and yes, other cats or other species during the ages of 3 to 9 weeks.

At this stage, kittens also want to eat more solid food and gradually stop nursing, so providing them with a good quality kitten food is important. Often we will mix canned kitten food and/or kibble with a little milk replacement and put the mix in an aluminum pie plate. The kittens can kind of suckle at the mush and watch their mother eat and learn as they go.

Kittens also learn to socially interact and play, play and play some more during this important period. How many of us have gotten “lost” watching a few kittens playing with each other. A half hour goes by before we realize how transfixed we were on these totally rambunctious kittens. This is a great time for humans to play with the kittens, tossing toys, dangling strings and dusting them with feathers. Handle the kittens by examining them, looking in their ears, clipping their toenails or at least handling their feet. Also, look in their mouths, under their tails, and feel their bellies. Introduce them to a scratching post and encourage play on and around it. Move the kittens to various rooms to expose them to a variety of environments. Involving a variety of people of different ages including supervised interactions with children will really help kittens learn how to interact with each other, and with their caregivers, providing them with skills to make them more successful pets in a future household.

This formative stage is when you get to introduce litter boxes to the kittens. They are beginning to gain control over their eliminations and by providing them with an appropriate litter box you will be delighted to see them start to use it. Make sure the box is easily accessible. Create a little “step-up” with a book or provide a cookie sheet with low sides.

Initially, use about a half-inch of biodegradable wheat or paper litter, not a clay litter. The reason is that some kittens may munch on the litter and if the litter is clay, it will form concrete-like obstructions in the kitten’s bowel. Biodegradable products have a much better chance of passing through. Be sure to scoop the box at least twice daily. Cats by nature are fastidious, so help them be successful litter box users by providing them with the optimum environment.

Lastly, have fun and give kittens lots of love. They are babies and need nurturing, holding and cuddling. After about 30 minutes of hard play, you may find yourself curled up in the lounge chair with several kittens on your lap or shoulders snoozing away. Now you can’t move or you will wake the kittens. Because it’s amazing how quickly this period can pass, don’t ever forget to take the time to enjoy the moment watching your kittens grow.

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