If you have decided to adopt a cat or have been with him for a long time but cannot socialize him with dogs or other cats, you have come to the right place. In this article on our site we will show you what are the factors that influence the socialization of a cat and what are the possibilities for a cat that is fostered in a home to be a docile animal with people.
When someone picks up a stray cat and takes it home, they have to be aware that it is an animal with a more or less established behavior and that it can be very difficult to change it (sometimes it is impossible). If it is a docile animal, there is no problem, but it may be the case that it is an aggressive and/or fearful animal, which can make coexistence with humans very difficult. Read on and find out how to socialize an adult cat
How is a cat's behavior formed?
The cat is a feline, solitary and territorial predator. It can at times share territories with other cats (especially related females), but hierarchical tensions are frequent.
In cats there are different variables that influence their behavior, the most important being known as “ sensitive socialization period ”. It is a time that passes from the second to the seventh week of the cat's life. During this period of maturation of the central nervous system, the cat begins to have sufficiently mature senses to be able to explore the environment. Thus it becomes familiar with its surroundings, such as interacting with other cats, with other animals, places, smells, food or the presence of humans among many others.
During this period the animal develops multiple experiences and receives multiple information from the environment that surrounds it, and the fear response does not exist until the end of this period. Everything that “lives” during this short space of time, will mark the futurebehavior of the cat. In addition, there are other factors that influence the behavior of a cat, which will be explained below. Using positive reinforcement for example is a way to guide him towards a desired behavior.
What other factors influence a cat's behavior?
On the one hand the mother's diet, during gestation and lactation, has a powerful influence on the learning capacity of kittens and on fearful and aggressive behavior. A poor diet during this period gives rise to cats with poor learning capacity and with fearful and/or aggressive responses.
The docility of the father greatly influences the future behavior of the litter. A docile father and a period of socialization with the presence of humans will lead to very docile cats. A father that is not very docile will give rise to kittens that are not very docile, although it will be the socialization period that softens this behavior somewhat in the case of contact with humans.
One aspect that must be taken into account is that the most aggressive cats are the ones that, in principle, have greater reproductive success, since they acquire the "right to mount more female cats in heat", although sexual behavior of the cat makes other less aggressive males have the possibility of transmitting their genes. Discover here some advantages of sterilizing a cat.
Why is it difficult to socialize an adult cat?
The best advice that can be given is to pick up the kitten during the socialization period, it is the way to ensure that the animal can live with humans in the future. However, the behavior of the parent influences, but this variable cannot be controlled, since it is not known which is the father, even (different cats can be parents of the same litter) they can be different cats parents of the same litter.
In the case of wanting to adopt an adult cat, the selection criteria are rather complicated. A cat that spontaneously approaches a human is a good candidate (at first it is docile and curious), although subsequently new problems may arise, such as the adaptation to the new territory, the presence of other cats, etc. However, we encourage you to try it, read on.
Tricks to socialize a cat
The basic and essential requirement of this process will be patience and affection that we can offer our cat. Socializing this animal can be complicated but not impossible if we spend the right time. If you have doubts or the situation gets complicated, do not hesitate to consult a professional for help.
With the human being
To gain the cat's trust, we will use some of the aforementioned tricks, such as offering wet food that the cat considers irresistible (preferably from our hand), speaking gently or playing with it. However, not all cats will accept this close behavior with humans. We must be patient and respectful and never force the animal to do something it doesn't want.
With other cats
It may happen that the cat is surly with people but that it relates wonderfully with other felines since it has always lived in cat colonies. If you don't know anything about his past and you are thinking of adopting another cat or you already have one and you don't know how it will turn out to bring both together, we recommend the following:
First of all you should know that cats are tremendously territorial so, at first, you should avoid meeting them at all costs but they do get used to the smell of the new member of the family. Use a bed for a few days and change it for them to discover that there is another cat living in their home.
Let see each other from a distance and observe their behavior. A glass door, for example, is perfect to see how they can be carried. Even if you observe positive behavior, don't put them together right away, let a couple or three days go by.
Cat fights are tremendously terrible, for this reason you must be present at their first encounter. Put both cats on a leash or harness (although we know it's going to be a bit uncomfortable for them) to stop an attack if it happens.
With a dog
The procedure for socializing a cat with a dog is very similar to the one explained in the previous case. First, it will be essential that both understand that there is another animal living in the same house. Leaving each other's scented clothes on their bed is a good way to start.
Then we must ensure that there is eye contact between them to observe their reactions and check what each one does. Finally safety in your first encounter will be essential to avoid a mishap.
Leaving some time between steps will be essential for both of you to tolerate and begin to accept each other. Never force a meeting if both try to run away, the consequences could be very serious (even for you).
How can a stray adult cat be socialized?
Behavior change in an adult animal is quite complex. On the one hand, a strategy of patience must be developed so that the animal goes little by little becoming desensitized to certain stimuli.
The constant presence of a human, at a safe distance and without negative consequences for the cat, can cause the animal to go little by little trusting and getting closer to the human. At this point we must remember that the cat is not as social an animal as the dog, so calls, caresses and attempts to play with them can be dangerous for the well-intentioned owner.
Once desensitization begins to be a fact, it is possible to start rewarding the cat with something it likes (especially food) before performing some behavior. This is called "positive reinforcement operant conditioning." If the cat associates some behavior with the treat, he will repeat it again
The response of cats to these strategies is usually very individualized, so it is not possible to give times or success percentages. Find out more on how to tame a wild cat.
What if I can't socialize my cat?
In these cases the best thing to do is go to a professional so that they can advise us on some tricks or advanced guidelines that we can follow to, little by little, advance in this learning stage.
