Acclimatising Young Kittens by Liz Canham

New kittens can be very nervous. It's hardly surprising, when they've been taken away from their mother at about the age of eight weeks and maybe haven't been handled much by humans during that time. After all, with the best will in the world, a human looking after a mum and litter doesn't have much time for handling all of them as well as all the other jobs to be done.

A new kitten in a strange home will often hide under the loose covers of sofas and chairs, behind curtains or furniture or just in a corner, where he or she thinks she can't be seen. This behaviour is perfectly normal, but if you want your kitten to develop into an adult cat who is friendly towards humans and who will sit on your lap while you watch television in the evenings, you will need to follow some simple steps. Even if you have more than one kitten from the same litter, you should still do so.

1. If possible, set aside a spare bedroom or utility room as the kittens' own domain. The room should not be home to other pets. If you don't have a spare room, a puppy cage or some other structure with room to run around a little, will be adequate. There should be some places to hide, toys, water, food and a litter tray. The kittens should be shut in their room at night and when you go out, as much for the safety of your furnishings as that of the kittens. When their room is open, they may or may not leave it, but curiosity is sure to get the better of them eventually.

2. Don't make sudden movements around the kittens, lunge at them or stare as all these are considered to be threatening. However, as soon as possible, the kittens should get used to human contact so try to attract them to you by tapping or scratching your finger on something or by just approaching slowly and holding out your hand to be sniffed.

3. Kittens love to play and if you have more than one, will usually entertain themselves, much of the time. However, if you want them to get used to humans, you should join in the game. In my experience, expensive cat toys are a complete waste of time and money. Get a cheap, soft toy or a catnip mouse or similar and tie it to a piece of string with a loop tied at the other end. Swing the toy slightly above floor level or drag it very slowly across the floor away from the kitten(s). Their natural instincts will make them follow and bat at it. My two actually took the toy away from me and played with it between them, one at the toy end and one at the loop end. It will depend on how nervous your kittens are as to how many of the family should join in the games with them at first. You will need to use common sense here, but try to keep very young children away from them, as they are inclined to be rough and kittens have very sharp claws.

4. If you leave your kittens alone in the house, leave on the radio or television, so that they will still be hearing human voices. This will help them become accustomed to the sound and will give them some company.

5. After a few days or weeks, depending on how nervy the kittens are and how well they are getting used to your family, invite cat-loving friends round to pet and play with the kittens.

If you take this gradually, you will end up with well-adjusted kittens, used to interacting with humans and they will be a really fun addition to your family.

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