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The importance of socializing orphaned kittens with foster cats
A kitten, just like a child, needs benchmarks and role models to thrive safely and serenely, and it is important for them to learn how to become a healthy and properly socialized cat!
At Refuge Animex, many of our host families have had great stories of kitten “fostering” with their own house cat. Moreover, some of these cats love to play this role and are real mentors for our little orphan kittens!
Brief explanation of socialization:
In his early childhood (first month of life), the kitten integrates the beginnings of socialization with his mother and his siblings: he learns to communicate like a cat, the basic acts concerning hygiene and other simple rules of life (retract its claws, hunter behavior through games, etc.).
In the following months, the kitten learns specific communication codes and develops its reactions to new external experiences. This period is crucial for the kitten's temperament. The environment in which he grows up will then have a significant impact.
This is why an orphan kitten (separated from its mother and siblings) will benefit from being paired with a sociable adult cat. He will seek play with him, to distract himself, to caricature combat scenes and will seek attention and comfort. He will learn the codes of behavior to respect between cats. Cats have their own way of communicating with each other, they even engage in feline talks to establish the rules of games, understanding and respect for limits.
Thus, everything that the kitten will experience and its way of reacting, the pillars of reference around it (mother / siblings / companion cat) will build its character and its future predispositions. The more enriching experiences a kitten will have, the more it will be socialized and accustomed to reacting serenely to new events in its learning of life.
Thanks to the cat-friends for helping orphaned kittens to be healthy and happy to live!