Prompting good behaviours at CPD

Article by Paula Boyden, BVetMed MRCVS

Sarah Heath, leading expert in the field of animal behaviour addressed veterinary surgeons and nurses on feline socialisation, habituation and behaviour in a recent CPD training day in Chester, hosted by animal health company, Intervet UK.

Although known for lecturing widely on canine behaviour, on this occasion Sarah championed the less common theory of kitten socialisation as a means of controlling disease. Socialisation and habituation are crucial in terms of socalled behavioural vaccination.

Sarah began with the importance of kitten socialisation in early life, pinpointing that in the UK, the relevance of socialisation to the behavioural development of the kitten is often sadly overlooked. Huge differences occur between the socialisation of the kitten and the puppy, and it is important not to fall into the trap of simply transposing canine information into the feline field.  In order to put socialisation into context, the behavioural development of the cat needs to be understood. Socialisation is a process by which bonds or attachments are formed between an individual animal and others of its own, or different species.

It is therefore imperative to identify a kitten’s developmental phases in understanding the impact of socialisation on the cat-human relationship.

These stages are:

1. Neonatal period –from birth to the second week of life - the kitten eats and sleeps and is dependent upon its mother.

2. Socialisation period –between the second and seventh week of age.  Suckling decreases and play, exploration and environmental learning increase. Motor skills and sensory abilities develop rapidly. This is the usual weaning period.

3. Juvenile period – from the end of the socialisation phase to the onset of sexual maturity and adulthood. The length of this period is thought to be breed dependent. The main change at this stage is a gradual improvement in motor skills. In this period a cat may reach sexual, but not necessarily social, maturity.

4. Sexual maturity and adulthood – here sexual maturity behaviour patterns do start to alter and a cat will become increasingly independent. 

When considering socialisation, it’s vital to focus on these stages of development; the period when social development and an increased level of play are most pronounced, when kittens learn from one another.

The socialisation period is key to the behavioural process. Kittens learn to deal with frustration through dealing with a lack of what is familiar to them; mother’s milk, for example. This is also a time when contact with other cats, humans and other domestic species is very important, encouraging a cat’s interactive abilities in later life.

It is suggested that socialisation for cats is a shorter process than for dogs; it begins earlier, peaks more rapidly and tapers off sooner. Research supports the conclusion that the ‘sensitive period’ of cat-to-human socialisation is between the ages of 2 to 7 weeks. A number of factors have a noticeable effect on the behaviour of individual cats during this period, thereby affecting success of socialisation and subsequent attachment of individual cats to their owners.

The factors are:

1. Handling; to a certain extent, the more a kitten is handled, the

friendlier and more approachable it is likely to be.

2. Style of handling; certain methods are more effective but it is recommended kittens are touched all over, frequently lifted and gently restrained.

3. The number of handlers; this will affect a cat’s reaction to strangers later in life. Multi-handled cats are more likely to be socialised to all humans who behave in broadly the same way, although behaviour observed in the queen may influence the behaviour of kittens.

4. The presence of the queen and/or littermates; most kittens are not homed until after the sensitive period, hence the influence of the mother cannot be ignored. Her approach to humans is likely to influence the kitten.

5. Genetic influences; behavioural development is driven by genetic influences, which in turn interact with the effects of socialisation and have a bearing on the development of the individual’s temperament.

Friendliness, per se, is not inherited but a tendency for boldness is.  A kitten that is naturally bold will therefore be more confident when introduced to strangers.

Attachment is another key area in the establishment of the pet/owner relationship. Attachment behaviour, in an ethological context, is essential for the maintenance of social contact between parent and offspring; in kittens there is noticeable reaction to the separation from the queen in the form of vocalisation.

This vocalisation is interpreted as an emotional reaction, believed to be a direct result of stress generated by absence of the familiar. However, it further develops into a distress reaction, associated with fear of the unfamiliar.

The kitten vocalises to attract the attention of the queen or other care-giving adult, who responds in turn by seeking out the kitten and relieving its distress.Much like the dog, the kitten will shift social attachment behaviour towards the human owner when weaned and removed from the litter. Thus the formation of attachment is important in establishing the pet/owner relationship.

Learning forms a basis for attachment and the animal must therefore be able to form a memory of previously experienced stimuli, discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar, and show a reaction of emotional distress in response to separation from the familiar. The attachment mechanism operates because of, rather than despite, repeated absences and reunions.

There are a number of factors influencing the form of an attachment:

1. Feeding – feeding alone can help to establish a relationship, but is not sufficient to maintain it. Other human/cat interactions; petting, playing and vocalising – all are necessary to cement a newly formed attachment.

2. Personality – each cat is an individual and personality types irrespective of breed are thought to be factors in the attachment that kittens form with the humans around them.

So, personality type has a distinct bearing on the potential attachment of a kitten to its owner, but how do we decipher the type?

Research suggests that there are two distinct personality types amongst domestic cats, with a possible third:

1. Sociable/trusting/confident/easy going

2. Timid/nervous/shy/unfriendly

3. (Active/aggressive)

Obviously, if a kitten falls into group one, socialisation will be an easier task than if it falls into personality type two. With this in mind, it would seem prudent to choose a kitten to suit the preferred personality type. This is not necessarily possible, however, as the heritability of temperament is, as yet, poorly understood.

The interaction between genetic and environmental influences is complex and can make the selection of any particular trait extremely difficult. In addition, the identity of a kitten’s father and therefore his genetic influence, may well remain a mystery. It is more likely that coat colour or sex are the main factors in selection.

Pending more research into the genetically-mediated component of confident and friendly behaviour, breeders are integral to the socialisation process and should be encouraged to provide cats that are both friendly and confident with people as well as an environment that is stable and provides optimum socialisation for cats destined to become domestic pets.

A final consideration in terms of socialisation is the possibility of a ‘second sensitive period’. Though evidence is currently lacking in this area, alterations in the attachment between kittens and their owners undoubtedly take place during the first year of life. A second sensitive period of socialisation, triggered by acute trauma and stress, has also been demonstrated. This can have enormous relevance to the veterinary practice; cats can develop long term behavioural difficulties associated with over attachment as a result of intensive nursing associated with stressful periods of illness or injury. More research in this area is called for.

Sarah outlined the practical considerations of kitten socialisation, stressing that the cat is not an antisocial animal. Kitten development must take into account socialisation, as it is extremely relevant, as much for cats as dogs.

A kitten is a socially obligate creature, whereas a cat is not, and considering that the main reason for people owning a cat as a pet is companionship, the ability to form successful attachments to humans and other cats, or indeed dogs, is essential for a well-adjusted domestic cat that enjoys interaction. For optimum socialisation, Sarah gives the following recommendations:

1. Variation - social and environmental variation is needed at an early age

2. Handling – from the age of two weeks, for short periods, kittens should be spoken to whilst handled. They should be handled in the presence of the queen, and littermates.

3. Multiple handlers - periods of handling should be increased and include less-familiar people and, ultimately, strangers.

4. Extensive handling - kittens should be touched on all parts of the body, with frequent lifting and gentle restraint so that they become familiar with being handled.

5. Toys - these should be introduced after the kitten has some ‘people’ experience. Some cats prefer to interact with their owners by playing with toys.

6. Breeders – a responsibility to consider the potential genetic influences on the behaviour of kittens when considering breeding programmes. They should also be encouraged to initiate a sensitive and imaginative socialisation programme, since most cats spend the majority of the sensitive period of socialisation at the breeder’s premises.

7. Owners; they must ensure they continue the breeder’s programme of socialisation well into the juvenile period.

Sarah highlighted the importance of attention to genetic influence via breeding policies, and to environmental factors such as the way in which people interact with their cats during their early life, enabling them to become as socially competent as possible. This will not only increase quality of life, but will also make the relationship between pet and owner more fulfilling and help to prevent the development of certain behavioural problems in adulthood.

Management of common behavioural problems in kittens was also discussed.  Kittens require good socialisation as a vital preparatory measure for living in a domestic household environment – where any number of factors can upset the balance of a cat’s life. This socialisation must include kittens becoming used to a huge range of objects and situations in order to feel more relaxed as adults.

During the habituation process, kittens learn how to filter out non-threatening stimuli in the environment. If the habituation process is lacking, it will result in a cat that is predisposed to feelings of fear and anxiety. Cats, unlike dogs, have very sheltered existences and do not have the same habituation opportunities. Therefore, special attention must be paid to a cat’s socialisation and habituation process in order to ensure that it is emotionally stable. The concept of emotions in animals has only recently been accepted, but in order for us to work out why an animal is behaving in a certain way, we must first ascertain the emotional state of the animal. Few animals do something without reason, so we must look within, at the cause, rather than just treat the symptoms.

Feline behaviour is inclined towards emotional disorders within a domestic environment. To illustrate this point, Sarah referred to the ‘Four F’s’:

1. Flight – the preferred response of a cat faced with a difficult situation. This can also be an anticipatory response in the face of a potential threat, resulting in a particularly nervous cat

2. Fight – this is the last resort. Due to the lack of hierarchy in the cat world, they strive to avoid confrontation. Injuries from fighting can also encourage disease, which goes against survival

3. Freeze – cats resort to this when they do not have time to react to a surprise attack or incident, where they do not have the option to run

4. ‘Faff’ – kittens ‘faff about’ as an appeasement gesture but cats are unable to do this

The ‘Four F’s’ refer to a cat’s coping strategies and the domestic environment severely limits these. New flats, for instance, may not be conducive to flight, or have places to hide, such as elevated surfaces; and the absence of these can lead to behavioural problems such as inappropriate urination or aggressive behaviour.

Sarah concluded her presentation by highlighting the reference to the link between socialisation and the control of disease. Rearing kittens should be a balance between the behavioural needs of the individual and ensuring their physical health. As vaccination is a crucial preventative medicine, socialisation and habituation are important in terms of behavioural vaccination. Traditionally, socialisation and disease control were viewed as conflicting areas, but a good understanding of kittens can provide a clearer understanding of disease and social development and preparation for life is a good basis for the prevention of disease.

A lack of socialisation and a lack of experience of the ‘Four F’s’ can mean that a cat is more likely to find itself in difficult situations, such as a fight, potentially leading to injuries and the risk of infectious disease. Cats with inadequate socialisation can also be prone to anxiety, which in turn, can cause anxiety rooted diseases – such as lower urinary tract disease or skin conditions. Emotional disorders can manifest themselves not only in the behaviour of a cat but in general health too. Therefore, for the optimum situation in which to care for a cat, striking a balance between socialisation and feline health is fundamental to success.