Getting Started -
Gentling
Gentle handling
of your kitten
A common mistake
people make with new kittens is not providing enough gentle
handling to develop a friendly, relaxed adult cat.
If you don't want a
skittish, scaredy-cat, you need to teach your new kitten to love
being held and handled and to relax when you bathe, examine, and
groom him or her.
Daily gentle handling teaches your kitten: 1) to
accept human hands as powerful, friendly providers of food and
affection, 2) how to
overcome small amounts of anxiety and relax, 3) to accept all
kinds of touching and handling, 4) to trust people
- reducing both fear and
status related aggression in the adult cat.
- As
you feed with
one hand, use the other hand to gently touch and massage
the kitten all over.
- Go slowly at your
kitten's comfort level.
A small amount of anxiety is fine if you can help the kitten
work through it.
- Do not force any physical contact.
- You goal is to be able to
move the kitten's skin all over and move every limb of a
relaxed, rag doll like kitten.
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