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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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

Original Message:
Sent: 08-13-2024 03:46 AM
From: Michelle DePrima
Subject: I need a step by step guide or checklist for kitten socialization

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*

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

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*

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

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*

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

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*

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

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!

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

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!

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.

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

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!

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!

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!

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/

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!

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.

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/

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!

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/

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!