Cat Personality

[cindy321]

we noticed in the same litter of kittens, there are always someone very outgoing, greeting everyone and happy purring if you pick it up

of course there are also someone very skittish, always stay with mum, hide immediately when any stranger around

they all grow up in same environment, how come their personality are so different? do you think the parents personality also play a role as well? and how can we help those skittish ones?

many thanks

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! I believe that genetics come into play regarding kitten personality as much as with kitten coloring.

Parents attitude can also play a large role, although for example, feral mamas' kittens that have been tamed are a little less impactful, --the mama will still possibly be wild (after human contact) but the kittens won't be.

It's suggested to begin handling kittens, and socializing them to people, in their second week of age. If possible, leave them with mama for at least 10-13 weeks. They learn more from mama about how to be a cat, they're less fragile, and are better able to deal with life emotionally and have stronger defenses against illnesses.

Also, once they're eating food, just as a note it's suggested to feed different types and brands so that the kittens don't "imprint" on just one food and have difficulty changing food in the future.

 

[abyeb]

When I was looking to adopt a kitten from the shelter, I noticed that there was always variation in personalities between kittens of the same litter. Some were more outgoing, others were more shy, some were more playful, others were more cuddly... just like human siblings, they’re not all the same.

With cats, there are also interactions between littermates and with the mother that can come into play. For example, the dominant kitten in the litter might be the most confident around humans. A smaller kitten who had not spent a lot of time playfighting with their littermates, might be a bit more submissive and reserved around people.

 

[lutece]

Kittens always vary in temperament, just like people. The boldest kittens do not necessarily have the best temperament, though. Sometimes the submissive and shy ones become the most affectionate and sweet as they mature, while the bold ones may have a dominant personality that can be more difficult to manage.

All kittens benefit from getting lots of gentle handling from humans. Shy ones learn that humans aren't so scary. Dominant kittens learn to be more cooperative.

 

[ArchyCat]

Just in passing. Many years past, I read in a cat magazine that many breeders
would have neighborhood friends and their teenagers visit their kitten litters and play with them after the kittens were second week or so of age. The point was to acclimate the kittens to dealing numerous strange humans and reduce the incidence of shy kittens/cats. Of course a shelter can't do that.

 

[cindy321]

That is interesting to know, I found the first month seems do not make much difference, as kittens are not very mobile at that stage, you can hold them play with them, most of them are fine with that.
However from week 5 or 6, they start to show their personality, some of them will be very confident, you can grab them hold them however you want, while others can be timid, these shy kittens normally are fine once you hold them in hands, some may even enjoy it and purring,but they tend to run away when they see human approach them