Many cats love staying home, and cat social skills depend on cat personality and kitten socialization. Confident cats not only feel less feline stress, they get sick less, recover more quickly, and handle trips to the vet (or to Grandma’s) better than shy Shrinking Violet cats. They enjoy life more, and engage with other people and pets.
Key Takeaways
Cat social skills vary based on personality and kitten socialization, affecting their confidence and stress levels.
Confident cats experience less stress, recover faster, and handle new situations better than shy cats.
Environmental enrichment can enhance a cat’s indoor experience, improve confidence, and reduce stress.
Karma-Kat, a confident cat, enjoys supervising visitors and exploring the outdoors in his pet stroller.
Increasing your cat’s sociability involves understanding their personality and providing appropriate socialization opportunities.
I’ve been blessed to have two supremely confident kitties in my life. Seren-Kitty(rb) ruled the roost and bossed the dogs around. She enjoyed life on her terms. Although never a touchy-feely cat until her last few years (she nearly made it to 22!), Seren loved playing, indulging in long “conversations” with us, and watching the bird-and-bunny TV outside. She also enjoyed leash walks in the garden.
Even if cats don’t go outside, you can bring the outdoors inside for environmental enrichment. That helps enormously to expand kitty’s world, and builds confidence while reducing stress.
Karma-Kat: Merrily He Rolls Along!
Karma-Kat loves people, and his confidence means he wants to supervise strangers who come into the house for repairs or to visit. He’s never been a fan of leash walking. One time, he escaped his halter, and only came back when Magical-Dawg went after him and led Karma back to safety. But he’s fascinated by the great outdoors, and wants an up-close sniff (and look) at all the butterflies. So . . .I got Karma a pet stroller, his very own Karma Kart.
At first, he wasn’t eager to get inside, despite stocking it with his favorite Greenies treats. But once we rolled out the door, and he caught a whiff of the Texas wildflowers–oh my KAT he was in kitty heaven! We rolled up and down the back fenced yard. Once back inside, I opened the canopy to let him out and… he didn’t want to get out (well, he discovered the treats and munched them for desert). Anyway, I reviewed his Karma Kart stroller in my Reader’s Digest piece here.
Can Your Cat Be More Social?
But what if your cat tends toward the shy side? How can you increase the chances for improving cat sociability? I cover kitten development in this blog, and socialization in my books. But here’s a fun infographic that offers some highlights.
So is your cat a social butterfly? Or a shrinking violet? How do you help kitty deal with … life? Do tell!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter.
Stay up to date with the latest book giveaways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE! Amy Shojai, CABC is a certified cat & dog behavior consultant, a consultant to the pet industry, and the award-winning author of 35+ pet-centric books and Thrillers with Bite! Oh, and she loves bling!
Voting is now open for the HERO PETS in the next thriller CUT AND BLEED! Vote for your choice for hero CAT, and hero DOG! Share and vote often–voting closes SEPT 6.
Vote NOW for your favorite for HERO PETS in the next thriller CUT AND BLEED! Share and vote often–voting closes SEPT 6. Who will be the hero CAT, and hero DOG? It’s up to you!
Have you ever considered holistic medicine for your pets? There are many questions about what is holistic pet care. Is it the same thing as what your regular vet offers? There are many names for offering traditional medicine for pets. Some call it alternative medicine or natural healing. But are there specific definitions, and is holistic pet care a good choice for your cats and dogs? August 30 is National Holistic Pet Day, so it’s a good time to revisit asking these questions.
Do you know how to stop dog barking? “Will you please, for the love of doG, stop barking!” When Shadow-Pup joined our family, he and Bravo-Dawg egged each other on. Now that he’s the only dog, he and the cat tease each other and prompt bark-fest and meow-athons.
Here’s what you need to know about barking to help stem the noise.
This disease has been reported worldwide wherever these ticks are found. Most cases in the United States occur in dogs living in the Texas Gulf coast regions and other southern states. All dogs are susceptible, but those with greater exposure to ticks. Outdoor dogs, working dogs and hunting dogs are at highest risk. Here’s what you need to know.
Summer arrived even earlier than expected this year, with temperatures hitting triple digits by mid-June. There’s still plenty of pet camping season left. Even though camping with pets isn’t for me, I know lots of folks who LOVE it, including my brother and his dog. He takes the dog with them camping, boating, skiing, and pretty much everywhere.
Bringing your furry one along camping (or glamping) is a great bonding experience. But before you pack up and hit the road, look over my DOs and DONTs of camping with your dog or cat.
What to do when camping with a pet
First, decide if your pet will enjoy camping. Not all will enjoy it. My Karma-Kat would HATE camping. He’s a homebody, and enjoys watching birds, bunnies, and squirrels through the window, but freezes when his paws hit the grass. Shadow-Pup’s more adventurous and probably would do better…
When I worked as a veterinary technician many years ago, pet parents ask questions all the time, but rarely to the vet. Folks often acted embarrassed, or waited to telephone from home hours or days after the appointment. Perhaps they felt intimidated by the doctor when they take pets to the back, or feared their questions were foolish. Maybe the busy schedule of the clinic offered little opportunity to ask…
With the latest awful weather and more on the way, it’s time to revisit your pet disaster plan. You do have one, right? Everyone should understand the importance of disaster preparation.
I posted this in June for National Pet Preparedness Month. September is Disaster Preparation Month. And May 8 was National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day. Being prepared doesn’t rely on a special date, though. Here’s what you need to know.
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