When we speak of socialization, we are referring to a measure of a pet’s comfort around humans. To socialize a pet means to gradually acclimate him or her to human touch, human spaces, human routines, and human sights, sounds and smells.
Despite popular belief, socialization is a spectrum. That is to say, pets don’t always stay in a single place (socialized, or unsocialized) in their lifetimes. They can move along the spectrum of being socialized well, to less socialized, and back again, depending on their age, individual circumstances, and unique life experiences.
Socialization: It Doesn’t End With the Breeder
Socializing a pet is a continuous process that begins at birth and continues well into adulthood. Just as with humans, cats are individuals and no two pets are alike. All pets live, experience, and/or interact with people in different ways. And, it is in these unique circumstances and interactions that pets develop their personalities. That means the hard work of properly socializing a pedigree pet does not begin and end with the breeder. There is still a lot of important work to be done once you bring your new kitten home with you!
Using Play to Socialize
Play is very important to socializing a kitten. Nature designed cats to be efficient predators and to hunt even when they are not hungry. Cats who do not use their minds and bodies in natural ways are at risk for becoming obese, bored, stressed, and may eventually show behavior problems.
Hunting is a hardwired feline behavior. For an emotionally healthy kitten or cat, he or she must be given the ability to properly act on this behavior. To simulate hunting scenarios with your kitten or cat you may want to try doing “object play”.
The five games kittens and cats should be taught to play are rabbit, mouse, bird, lizard, and bug. The idea is to purchase something that resembles these objects and pretend that it is one. For example, you could buy a teaser wand with feathers attached to the end of it, and mimic the movements of a bird flying. You could use a laser pointer and pretend it’s a bug. A common mistake pet owners can make is spending lots of money on toys, but failing to play with their kittens or cats in a way that mimics predator and prey behavior, which can in turn cause the kitten or cat to lose interest in the toy.
Common Socialization Mistakes
Not reading your pet: An important aspect of socializing your kitten well, is learning to read your pet. If you notice that certain experiences or interactions are causing him or her to act fearful, move away, twitch, tense up, or appear hyper alert, it may be wise to take it slower with introducing new people, places, or things. In these instances, it’s best to reset the pet to their dedicated safe space and try again later.
Rough hand play: This type of play is a recipe for an aggressive cat that will bite or scratch you and everyone else. It’s best to be consistent with your pet about bite pressure inhibition. If your kitten or cat puts its claws or teeth on you, it’s important to stop playing and/or cry out. The kitten or cat will quickly learn that continuing to play is a reward for not using their teeth or claws on you while playing.
Improper “prey” play: A kitten or cat is going to lose interest in pretending to hunt if the prey seems suicidal or disappears in the middle of the hunt. Be sure to make small movements with the toy, slowly making distance from the cat (not darting towards them or randomly disappearing from their view). Be sure you are giving them time to stalk and pounce. Cats don’t typically like to spend a lot of time playing chase.
Abrupt end to the hunt: Take a few minutes to wind down play time. Let the cat have one last pounce, bite, and shake to make sure the “prey” is really dead. Reward the successful hunt with a treat! Don’t put away the “dead prey” until the cat has consumed it’s reward and walked away.
Not mixing things up: Be sure to try different toys and mimic different prey. Every cat has its own preference for what it likes to hunt. Occasionally while you are playing, take a treat and place it under a toy, and let the kitten or cat pounce on it and eat it. It’s no fun for him or her to never win (catch their “prey”). Or, for them to catch and kill the same kind of “prey” over and over again.
Socialized Cat Behaviors
When in close proximity to people, a socialized cat will often:
Vocalize (chirp, meow)
Approach
Allow touch
Raise her ears regularly
Raise her tail
Retain a relaxed posture
Reach toward a person
Rub
Knead
Play
Purr
Groom or shake her body
Sniff
Expose her stomach
Stay visible during the daytime
Show interest in household sounds
Unsocialized Cat Behaviors
When in close proximity to people, an unsocialized cat will:
Not vocalize (chirping, meowing)
Not allow touch
Flee and hide from an approaching person
Keep her ears consistently back or flat
Tightly wrap her tail around her
Retain an arched or tense posture
Swipe or lash out at people
Dilate pupils
Hiss
Growl
Howl
Bristle fur
Crouch or crawl
Not relax around people
Hide during the daytime
Show no interest in household sounds
Recommendations
Maine Coon kittens need patient, gentle, and frequent human interaction to thrive (especially while in quarantine, and if they’re the only pet).
If there are other pets in the household, it’s important to give the kitten the time they need to get acclimated to their new environment before introducing them to their new fur family members. This could take a day or two, or for some who have a less outgoing personality, it could take a week or longer. Be patient with the process! When your kitten is ready, introductions need to be slow and supervised. These experiences are what are helping to develop your kitten’s future personality, and are an important part of the socialization process.
Maine Coons are slow to mature and have been known to act like kittens well into adulthood. They will need generous amounts of play and exercise. Having plenty of toys, cat trees, and scratching posts are an important part of having an emotionally and behaviorally healthy, well socialized cat.
Kittens and cats should not be caged except for short-term confinements, and only when absolutely necessary. An example of necessary confinements would be for vet or grooming visits, when attending a cat show, or if injured or sick and in need of a safe, short term, quarantine space. While confined, the kitten or cat should always have access to a litter box, fresh food and water, a blanket or bed, a scratching surface, and their favorite toy.
Pedigree kittens and cats should not be allowed to roam outdoors freely, or unsupervised, otherwise they risk being lost, stolen, injured, or worse, they could bring home a parasite, fungus, or lethal illness. And, a cat that wanders away from home and gets injured or lost also risks returning home with negative, long term, and lasting behavior changes. These negative experiences can adversely affect the cat’s current state of socialization.
Last, and certainly not least, it is important to never leave a kitten or cat home alone for more than 12 hours without someone checking in on them. That means that NO! It’s not okay to simply leave out a big bowl of food and water and assume your pet will be ok for a weekend away. Cats have emotional and social needs that can’t be met when they are left home alone for extended periods of time. To ensure your kitten or cat does not regress emotionally and/or socially, you will need to always plan in advance to have a friend or family member dedicate time in their day to visit, feed, and play with your kitten or cat.
