Kittens use their senses to communicate. Watch
how your kitten changes his or her ears, tail, and basic posture when
feeling friendly, defensive, and aroused. Learn to read your
kittens body language. You kitten is learning to read yours!
Visual:
Kittens read body postures. Watch
your kitten's ears and tail communicate to you. Kittens also read
other kittens'
heads body
and ear positions.
Tactile:
Kittens rub cheeks against others and objects, touch noses, and groom each other.
Use your hands to stroke your kittens cheeks and see if your
kittens
ears begin to relax back.
Sound:
Kittens purr, growl, and vocalize to express themselves. Kittens also
read our voice tone. Yelling at your kitten teaches your kitten to
avoid you.
Smell: Kittens mark territory and possessions using their feces and urine
when spraying. They also mark by placing
pheromones from paw pads and cheek areas Encourage kittens to
mark with paw pad and not urine by providing plenty of tall,
appealing scratching posts in the home.
Feliway is a
pheromone-based product used to calm kittens and lower stress.
Learn more...
Kitten Development
Adolescence: 17 weeks to 1 year
-
Sexual maturity if not
altered; spraying and fighting to protect territory
-
If allowed outdoors, may
wander farther away from home.
-
Keep a break-away collar
with an
identifikittenion tag on at all times.
-
Consider a
microchip - permanent identifikittenion - to avoid losing your
kitten
AAFP. (2004). Feline Behavior Guidelines. Pg. 10
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