Animal Welfare Professionals

Preface - This question is in relation to non- feral kittens.  We get them anywhere between 4 and 10 weeks of age.

Most of my current fosters are ending up with under-socialized kittens when it comes time for adoption.

They are stressed at events, hissy with strangers, generally not appealing to adopters and not what I call "kid cats" which is my goal.  Obviously, inherent personality plays a part. 

I am looking for something to give to my fosters to help them understand what actions they should (or should NOT) be taking to produce good natured, stress resistant kittens.

Something simple, a checklist, infographic, worksheet maybe even a short online class.  There's a lot of material out here, but everything I find is for ferals and that is a whole different starting point.

Thank you!

#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#EducationandTraining
#FosterPrograms
#RemoteCustomerService*

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Michelle DePrima
Cats Pawjamas Rescue Society
Olathe KS
------------------------------

I'll be keeping an eye on your thread, since this is something we would find useful too!

I do an optional/continuing education class on puppy and kitten socialization for our volunteers and fosters, and I give everyone a copy of Dr. Sophia Yin's puppy socialization checklist. I tell them most of it could apply to kittens as well as puppies, and encourage people to use it as a starting point. One of the things I like is that it includes scoring the pup's response and identifying whether the puppy was comfortable. A common socialization mistake I see is folks overwhelming an uncertain little critter with too many new things at once, which can backfire and create a new fear instead.

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Emme Hones
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This is great information, thank you! I think our kittens that come from foster get overwhelmed with so much change such as a new place, new cats to be around and a lot of people.

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Stefanie Schmidt
Animal Welfare Specialist
Hearts Alive Village
NV
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-13-2024 12:49 PM
From: Emme Hones
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

I'll be keeping an eye on your thread, since this is something we would find useful too!

I do an optional/continuing education class on puppy and kitten socialization for our volunteers and fosters, and I give everyone a copy of Dr. Sophia Yin's puppy socialization checklist. I tell them most of it could apply to kittens as well as puppies, and encourage people to use it as a starting point. One of the things I like is that it includes scoring the pup's response and identifying whether the puppy was comfortable. A common socialization mistake I see is folks overwhelming an uncertain little critter with too many new things at once, which can backfire and create a new fear instead.

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Emme Hones
------------------------------

Thank you all so much!  There is a lot of helpful information here.  I appreciate it!

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Michelle DePrima
Cats Pawjamas Rescue Society
Olathe KS
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-13-2024 12:49 PM
From: Emme Hones
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

I'll be keeping an eye on your thread, since this is something we would find useful too!

I do an optional/continuing education class on puppy and kitten socialization for our volunteers and fosters, and I give everyone a copy of Dr. Sophia Yin's puppy socialization checklist. I tell them most of it could apply to kittens as well as puppies, and encourage people to use it as a starting point. One of the things I like is that it includes scoring the pup's response and identifying whether the puppy was comfortable. A common socialization mistake I see is folks overwhelming an uncertain little critter with too many new things at once, which can backfire and create a new fear instead.

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Emme Hones
------------------------------

I'm interested in this too as a lot of times we get kittens available for adoptions that come from fosters and they are super hissy with other cats at the rescue or not great with kids and families. It definitely would be helpful to give fosters a better way to prepare the kittens to be more adoptable.

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Stefanie Schmidt
Animal Welfare Specialist
Hearts Alive Village
NV
------------------------------

I don't have a checklist, but I agree that it would be helpful to have something like that for  fosters. I've found that regular, gradual exposure to common stressors has worked well for me. I take my foster kittens around with me anywhere I can, so they're comfortable being in the car and in their carrier. I use the carrier as a cat bed as well, and I find that the kittens will often "put themselves to bed" inside the carrier, so they start out having a positive association with it. I never avoid making noise, like using a vacuum cleaner. As long as you're keeping an eye out for signs of fear and stress, having kittens experience novel situations produces more resilient kittens. 

I've also known some fosters to focus on specific age groups; when a kitten hits a certain age, they move on to a different foster home. It serves two purposes, one being that fosters who really enjoy a certain age can be freed up more quickly to take in kittens, and the 2nd being that the kittens are exposed to new experiences by being in more than one home. That's something worth considering with some fosters. 

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Kate Rachiele
Pet Program & Operations Administrator
Willow Domestic Violence Center
Rochester, NY
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How to Socialize Feral Kittens<br/> - Kitten Lady

The Kitten Lady has some great resources online. I know you were asking about non-feral kittens, but this tool can work for any kitten. 

Kitten Bingo has also helped my foster families  Puppy and Kitten Socialization Bingo (fearfreepets.com)

Hope this helps.

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Kate Marshall
City of Southport APS Officer
Southport, NC
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Thank you for sharing Kate. That website is amazing as well!

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Marcie Fernandez
President
Haven on Earth animal league Inc
FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-14-2024 06:45 AM
From: Kathleen Marshall
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

How to Socialize Feral Kittens<br/> - Kitten Lady

The Kitten Lady has some great resources online. I know you were asking about non-feral kittens, but this tool can work for any kitten. 

Kitten Bingo has also helped my foster families  Puppy and Kitten Socialization Bingo (fearfreepets.com)

Hope this helps.

------------------------------
Kate Marshall
City of Southport APS Officer
Southport, NC
------------------------------

Good morning,

There is an excellent presentation on Maddie's University called Gabapentin and Behaviour Modification for Shelter Cats. The presentation links these resources that are fantastic; it breaks down behaviour modification for fearful cats and includes a progress tracker. We started using them for our fosters as well and the feedback has been really positive.

https://www.baileyheagan.com/resources

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Meghan Irwin
Director Behaviour and Retail Operations
Winnipeg Humane Society
MB
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@Meghan Irwin, thanks for posting about the Gabapentin and Behaviour Modification for Shelter Cats webcast on Maddie's University and for the link to your webpage.

Here's a link to the webcast and the handouts for anyone interested in viewing it: https://university.maddiesfund.org/products/maddies-insights-gabapentin-and-behavior-modification-for-shelter-cats

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Alison Gibson
Media Projects Manager
Maddie's Fund
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-14-2024 06:39 AM
From: Meghan Irwin
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

Good morning,

There is an excellent presentation on Maddie's University called Gabapentin and Behaviour Modification for Shelter Cats. The presentation links these resources that are fantastic; it breaks down behaviour modification for fearful cats and includes a progress tracker. We started using them for our fosters as well and the feedback has been really positive.

https://www.baileyheagan.com/resources

------------------------------
Meghan Irwin
Director Behaviour and Retail Operations
Winnipeg Humane Society
MB
------------------------------

This isn't a step  by step guide but it's an informative video by Jackson Galaxy: https://youtu.be/aEY_csYMglg

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Kristina Calvanico
Director of Operations
PupStarz Rescue
NJ
------------------------------

Hi Michelle,

One thing to keep in mind is that the socialization process is essentially the same (with only a few exceptions for ferals) whether you are working with shy/fearful kittens, shy/fearful juveniles, or under-socialized cats/kittens.  Tabitha Kucera's 1-hr training "From Hiss to Purr..." at Humane Pro - while it does mention ferals in the title - is actually great for ALL of the above AND includes how to socialize kittens in general  - so it's for kitten fosters of any kind. https://humanepro.org/videos/hiss-purr-socializing-feral-kittens

One big key is not to handle them until they are ready. We want to build trust and get consent. The old technique of just flooding the kittens with handling and touching is just not the way to do it and now we know this. Tolerating handling is very different from asking for attention, choosing, and enjoying handling. Now obviously, if you have brand new kittens from the get go and you start handling them at 2 weeks this is different. In this case you just need to handle the mama's stress levels and make sure she is taken care of. Kittens with protective aggressive mamas is its own challenge.

We provide this training to our foster homes, we assess the kittens before they go out to foster, and coach the fosters accordingly.  There is also this handy little step-by-step (PDF attached). It isn't all inclusive and you sometimes need to adjust it a bit depending on the cats - and again, it says "Fearful" cats, but this applies to any cats/kittens who are coming into your home that are shy, fearful, undersocialized. And it's a good guide for ANY cats coming into a new environment who has been in the stressful shelter system. I even tell my foster homes: let them settle in for the first couple of days if needed before you start handling them. Don't rush the process and undermine the trust building. Everything should be 100% positive and low stress.

I hope this helps!

Michelle

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Michelle Flowers
Foster Specialist
Seattle Area Feline Rescue
UW-AAB
------------------------------

I don't have a specific checklist, but I do foster often, and most of my kittens (outside of my older socialization cases) are pretty confident and outgoing. A couple of my notes: 

• I do all my cleaning (sweeping, wiping, emptying the litter into a plastic bag, etc) with the kittens present. I go very slowly and try to work around them (avoiding areas they are hiding if they choose to hide).They don't have to interact with me or the items, but if they choose to, I don't discourage it. I typically end up with the world's slowest/least-effective sweeping session as my kittens think it's a great game/toy after a couple weeks! 
• I start showing them new parts of my house after their 2 week quarantine. I'll move the gate for their foster room down the hall a little, and they can explore the hallway for an hour. We'll go to the bathroom and have a party in there for an hour. I'll set up their play pen in the kitchen while I'm cooking dinner. Etc. Even if they're confident and social in their room, exposure to new spaces is helpful (especially since I already know they'll have to go through that transition soon).
• I invite people over to meet them! My friends know that new kittens mean we're probably going to be hanging out soon :) I tend to invite people who don't mind following instructions for how to interact with the kittens (i.e. if I say no picking them kittens up, they'll respect that). I usually only have 1-3 people in their room at a time. I'll also leave the room and let my friends play with them for awhile without me there to cling to. 
• Unique enrichment items - I'll introduce them to a variety of enrichment items to help build their confidence. Ice in a dish is popular. I'll also do a shallow dish filled with water and float ping pong balls on it. Bring in a stick from outside. An empty cardboard box or bag. Puzzle feeders. My cat's blanket or my dog's collar for new smells. 

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Erin Dams
Community Relations Coordinator
Roanoke Valley SPCA
Roanoke VA
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Hi Michelle,

We have a socialization training that covers this as well as handouts for the foster parents and the adopters.  I have attached everything for you. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Kristi

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Kristi Brooks
Director of Operations
Cat Adoption Team
Sherwood OR
------------------------------

Kristi this is an excellent resource and thank you for sharing! I am trying to figure out who to share it with our fosters and not having any luck copying the link. Any advice? Thank you so much.

------------------------------
Marcie Fernandez
President
Haven on Earth animal league Inc
FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-04-2024 12:48 PM
From: Kristi Brooks (She/Her)
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

Hi Michelle,

We have a socialization training that covers this as well as handouts for the foster parents and the adopters.  I have attached everything for you. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Kristi

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Kristi Brooks
Director of Operations
Cat Adoption Team
Sherwood OR
------------------------------

Hi @Marcie Fernandez, 

Here is a shortened link that you can share with your fosters for the resources that Kristi shared! https://maddies.fund/3MAX9LQ

It'll take them to a page like pictured below where they'll be able to play the training video from their web browser and they'll see a "Download" button for each of the additional documents. They do not need a Maddie's Pet Forum account in order to view the video or download the resources. 

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Charlotte Otero
Community Strategist at Maddie's Fund
she/her
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-05-2024 06:06 AM
From: Marcie Fernandez
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

Kristi this is an excellent resource and thank you for sharing! I am trying to figure out who to share it with our fosters and not having any luck copying the link. Any advice? Thank you so much.

------------------------------
Marcie Fernandez
President
Haven on Earth animal league Inc
FL
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 09-04-2024 12:48 PM
From: Kristi Brooks (She/Her)
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

Hi Michelle,

We have a socialization training that covers this as well as handouts for the foster parents and the adopters.  I have attached everything for you. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Kristi

------------------------------
Kristi Brooks
Director of Operations
Cat Adoption Team
Sherwood OR

Hi Michelle,

We have socialization training and handouts for foster volunteers and adopters. I tried to add everything here, but our video was too big. I attached the documents for you. Please email me so I can get the video sent to you. kristib@catadoptionteam.org

Thanks,

Kristi 

------------------------------
Kristi Brooks
Director of Operations
Cat Adoption Team
Sherwood OR
------------------------------

Hi Michelle:

I realize this thread is several years old.

I am a software engineer and solo developer.

I created Foster Kitten, an iOS and web app. It includes a socialization checklist generated each day and dynamically adjusted based on the kitten's age. Socialization data is stored in the cloud and summarized as the kitten grows.

If this is something you are still looking into, I would love to have your eyes on it for testing and feedback.

Kind Regards,

Daniel

Foster Kitten

https://fosterkitten.app/

------------------------------
Daniel Wenger
Founder
Foster Kitten
OR
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This sounds like an amazing concept! However, my only hesitation is the cost structure. We try to keep fostering completely cost-free, so I'd prefer not to introduce a resource that requires our fosters to pay a monthly subscription fee.

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Kristina Calvanico
Director of Operations
PupStarz Rescue
NJ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2026 07:31 AM
From: Daniel Wenger
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

Hi Michelle:

I realize this thread is several years old.

I am a software engineer and solo developer.

I created Foster Kitten, an iOS and web app. It includes a socialization checklist generated each day and dynamically adjusted based on the kitten's age. Socialization data is stored in the cloud and summarized as the kitten grows.

If this is something you are still looking into, I would love to have your eyes on it for testing and feedback.

Kind Regards,

Daniel

Foster Kitten

https://fosterkitten.app/

------------------------------
Daniel Wenger
Founder
Foster Kitten
OR
------------------------------

H Kristina:

As a foster, I completely understand that concern.

I've worked to make Foster Kitten as affordable as possible at $2.99/month, while still providing secure cloud storage, offline persistence, health tracking, medical photo tagging, and AI-assisted tools for foster caregivers.

Foster Kitten is not a profit-making project. I work full-time as a healthcare administrator, my labor on Foster Kitten is unpaid, and I currently pay about $400/month out of pocket to keep the app running. It is very much a labor of love.

My long-term goal is to secure grant or sponsor funding so the app can be free to fosters and rescue organizations.

If you're open to it, I'd be happy to offer you a free account for a year so you can explore it without any cost or commitment.

Kind Regards,

Daniel

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Daniel Wenger
Founder
Foster Kitten
OR
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2026 12:13 PM
From: Kristina Calvanico
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

This sounds like an amazing concept! However, my only hesitation is the cost structure. We try to keep fostering completely cost-free, so I'd prefer not to introduce a resource that requires our fosters to pay a monthly subscription fee.

------------------------------
Kristina Calvanico
Director of Operations
PupStarz Rescue
NJ
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2026 07:31 AM
From: Daniel Wenger
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

Hi Michelle:

I realize this thread is several years old.

I am a software engineer and solo developer.

I created Foster Kitten, an iOS and web app. It includes a socialization checklist generated each day and dynamically adjusted based on the kitten's age. Socialization data is stored in the cloud and summarized as the kitten grows.

If this is something you are still looking into, I would love to have your eyes on it for testing and feedback.

Kind Regards,

Daniel

Foster Kitten

https://fosterkitten.app/

------------------------------
Daniel Wenger
Founder
Foster Kitten
OR

I'd love to take a look at it.  Send your email to catspawjamasrs@gmail.com and I'll send any feedback to you directly.

------------------------------
Michelle DePrima
Cats Pawjamas Rescue Society
Olathe KS
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2026 07:31 AM
From: Daniel Wenger
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

Hi Michelle:

I realize this thread is several years old.

I am a software engineer and solo developer.

I created Foster Kitten, an iOS and web app. It includes a socialization checklist generated each day and dynamically adjusted based on the kitten's age. Socialization data is stored in the cloud and summarized as the kitten grows.

If this is something you are still looking into, I would love to have your eyes on it for testing and feedback.

Kind Regards,

Daniel

Foster Kitten

https://fosterkitten.app/

------------------------------
Daniel Wenger
Founder
Foster Kitten
OR
------------------------------

Michelle:

Done.

Thank you for taking a moment to review the system and share your perspective.

------------------------------
Daniel Wenger
Founder
Foster Kitten
Portland OR
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-24-2026 10:25 PM
From: Michelle DePrima
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

I'd love to take a look at it.  Send your email to catspawjamasrs@gmail.com and I'll send any feedback to you directly.

------------------------------
Michelle DePrima
Cats Pawjamas Rescue Society
Olathe KS
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2026 07:31 AM
From: Daniel Wenger
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

Hi Michelle:

I realize this thread is several years old.

I am a software engineer and solo developer.

I created Foster Kitten, an iOS and web app. It includes a socialization checklist generated each day and dynamically adjusted based on the kitten's age. Socialization data is stored in the cloud and summarized as the kitten grows.

If this is something you are still looking into, I would love to have your eyes on it for testing and feedback.

Kind Regards,

Daniel

Foster Kitten

https://fosterkitten.app/

------------------------------
Daniel Wenger
Founder
Foster Kitten
OR