Making Human Friends: How to Help Your Cat Socialize

When we bring a cat home, we want the cat to be a good social being. Our main goal in bringing a cat home is to make sure we can play, talk, communicate and do a lot of other things with them. We want them not to be scared in front of humans and to gel along with other people. But the cats do not socialize on their own. They do not know the meaning of socialization. We need to train the cats to be social and make them feel comfortable around humans. In this article, we will share the expert recommended tips to make your cat socialised.

Start Early: Cats’ socialization process needs to be started as early as possible. Kittens are more receptive to learning than adult cats. For the first few weeks after their birth, their mother cat takes care of everything. So at that time, you do not need to do anything. After 4 weeks, you can start the process of making the kittens socialized. But saying so, if you have brought up an adult cat home, it does not mean they cannot be socialized. They can also be socialized, but usually it takes some more time than kittens. 

Safe Environment: Like humans, cats’ overall environment and the way it is brought up determine if the cat will be a social cat or not. For example, there are many children who are brought up in a bad environment; eventually, these kids turn out to be introverted and unsocialized human beings because of their trauma. There is also a popular joke related to this. The joke is: “Whenever you go to a psychologist with your mental problems, the maximum number of questions they ask will be about your childhood, and eventually all the blame will be put on the childhood.” So the environment plays a very important role in the cat being socialized. Give emphasis to making the cat feel comfortable and safe. 

Know the cat: You need to know your cat before you start making the cat socialized. You need to understand its behaviors, preferences and personality. These things will help you make them more social. For example, rewarding cats is a very good way to train them. So knowing which foods or treats the cat likes can come in handy when training it. 

Their own space: Make sure to have a place in the house where the cats can go and hide whenever they feel scared. That place should be called the cat’s own place. A cat’s carrier or cat house with a soft thing like a towel can be put inside the carrier or house. A safe place for the cat is very important for the cat, as the cat often feels scared, especially when they are new to the environment. That place will help them to be calm and comfortable.

Be patient: When trying to socialize with your cat, be very patient. Cats move at their own pace. They do not like to be forced. When you bring a new cat home or a new kitten is born, they are not familiar with the environment. So give them the time to recognize the place. Let her map the whole house and feel safe and secure. The socialization process comes later. With time, the cat will feel comfortable and secure in the house. Along with that, some cats learn faster, and some cats take their own time. So be patient while you train them. 

Start handling: After you feel the cat is comfortable with the new environment, start the process of handling. But like any other process, this should also be a slow one. Do not force anything. Start petting the cat in the head and belly. Closely follow the movements of its tails. Cats’s tails speak a lot about their mood. Their tails can tell you if they are liking it or not. If you feel the cat is not liking it, stop the process and do it some other time. But if she likes it, continue doing so a couple of times a day. But never do it for a long time in one go. Cats easily feel bored. So make the petting short. Along with you, every family member and friend of yours should also do the same thing with the cat. Our main goal is to make a special bond with everyone, not just with you. So make sure they also follow the same process. 

Positive reinforcement: Cats learn through a positive reinforcement method. So whenever they behave well and let you pet them, provide the cat with a treat. 

Increase Handling: If you feel like your cat is ready to let it touch you and your family members, increase the handling. For example, try to take the cat into your arms. Lift its paws and touch its nails. All these things will slowly make your cat create a special bond with you and your family members. Slowly, you will all realize the cat itself is coming to you and rubbing and trying to communicate with you. 

Give them a lot of attention: Make sure to engage in daily play, talk, and pet time with your cat. Cats love to play a lot. There are various toys that can be found to play with your cat. Bring those toys, and regularly play with your cat. Engage family members in the play as well. Cats can sometimes be overexcited in the playing process and can hurt you. But at those times, do not hurt or shout at them; a firm no will be good at those times. Along with that, make sure to pet them several times a day and communicate with them on a daily basis. All these help the cat become comfortable with you. 

Be with them: Do not let them be alone all the time. Give them a lot of attention. Attention does not need to be directed directly at them. But be in the same room with them. You mind your own business, and let the cat mind its own business. You will see that once or twice in an hour, the cat will come and sit with you. 

Cats with strangers: Cats, at first, will not be comfortable with strangers, just like us. But if you have done the above things right, they will not be scared of you. As mentioned, cats take time to be comfortable, so with time, they will also become comfortable with the new stranger too. 

I hope this article helps you to make your cat socialized and create a special bond with your cat. Happy cat-scailizing!