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How to Bond with a New Kitten

How to Bond with a New Kitten

Updated On November 4th, 2019

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Reviewed By Petco's Animal Care, Education and Compliance (ACE) Team

Approximately 2.1 million cats are adopted every year, according to data from the ASPCA. Many of those adoptions are small kittens who are entering a family for the first time and learning to live with and trust their new pet parents.

To make the transition to a new home easier, it’s important that pet parents understand how to bond with a new kitten within the first few weeks of bringing him home.

Bonding with a Kitten: Why It’s Important

Developing a bond with your new kitten is essential to his overall health, well-being and happiness.

“Creating a strong, positive bond with your new kitten will allow them to grow into a confident adult cat who feels secure and happy in their new home,” says Dr. Emily Swiniarski, director of Veterinary Services for Tree House Humane Society. “Kittens with a strong bond in the beginning are less stressed and often healthier overall.”

Establishing a bond early in your kitten’s life will also help establish trust with your pet, and give your kitten confidence in the companionship you provide, says Dr. Jim D. Carlson, holistic veterinarian and owner of Riverside Animal Clinic and Holistic Center of McHenry, Illinois.

“Early imprinting is important for young animals to determine who will lead them to food, water, a place to relieve themselves and safety,” he says.

When to Bond with Your Kitten

While bonding with a cat early in their life will have positive effects on your pet’s overall comfortability and temperament, Swiniarski says that bonding can also happen at any point in a cat’s life.

“A kitten of any age can bond with their new pet parents,” she says. “A new study from Oregon State University showed that adult cats and kittens bond with their caregiver at the same rate.”

While there are plenty of bonding techniques that you can put in place for cats at any stage of development, Swiniarski says that kittens learn social skills before they reach 3 months of age, so if you adopt a kitten under 3 months, you should encourage positive interactions with pets and other people.

Carlson says that pet parents should start bonding behaviors when kittens reach 8 weeks old. “Birth to 8 weeks of age is when the kittens are learning to be cats and differentiate themselves from other species,” he says. “They are ready to bond at a minimum of 8 weeks of age.”

Kittens have the ability to bond with multiple family members, but who they choose to connect with depends on the cat. “Just like people, cats are very individual,” says Winiarski. “One kitten may prefer the company of only one other person, but some kittens love all family members the same.”

Feeding kittens, says Carlson, will help in the bonding process. “Cats are social animals but tend to bond with the person who leads them to food, water and safety,” he says.

If you’d like multiple family members to bond with your kitten, take turns feeding him and filling up his water bowl for the best results.

Advice for Bonding with Your Kitten

If you’re unsure where to start when it comes to bonding with your kitten, don’t worry. It takes time, patience and consistency, but building a bond with your pet is a fun process. “The more variety of positive interactions with your kitten, the better,” says Winiarski.

Follow these tips to help you establish a solid relationship with your new feline family member:

Schedule regular playtime. Kittens love to play, and it’s an activity that you and your cat can and should do together. “Playtime is a natural behavior in cats that drives curiosity, provides excellent exercise and fulfills the kitten's instincts, making a happier cat,” says Winiarski. “The more relaxed and happier your kitten is, the stronger the bond they can create.”

Winiarski says that when you’re playing, don’t let your kitten pounce or paw at your hands or feet. Instead, encourage play with safe cat and kitten toys and look for interactive toys like wands.

“Sometimes we forget that while kittens will play by themselves, they prefer company,” she adds. “It's very important we play with them too.”

Providing your kitten with physical, mental, and social enrichment not only helps them grow into well rounded adult cats, but it also helps prevent them from seeking out their own source of entertainment which may include mischief!

Offer high-value treats. Offering high value treats in moderation to your kitten during training and play sessions helps enhance your bond and reinforce good behavior.

Stick to a consistent schedule. Try to keep a consistent schedule of feeding, litter box management, and playtime, says Carlson. This helps establish trust and is especially important early on.

“Variation is a perceived threat to cats and kittens and creates stress,” he says. “This can lead to antisocial behavior and other health problems including digestive, urinary, and skin problems.”

Pet your kitten. This one might seem obvious, but petting your kitten is a simple and effective way to build your bond. “Kittens thrive on contact from others and will really appreciate petting,” says Winiarski. “Provide gentle strokes, particularly on the top of the head and cheeks—this is where cats most enjoy contact.”

Winiarski adds that it’s never okay to force your kitten into being handled or snuggled. Make sure petting sessions are something your kitten is comfortable with. If he shows hesitation or backs away, stop and let him approach when he’s ready.

Groom your kitten. Cats are great at grooming on their own, but when kittens are young, brushing and grooming helps your kitten get comfortable with being handled and helps encourage bonding in the process.

“Now is the time to show kittens that trimming nails and being brushed are fun,” says Winiarski. “Provide toys and treats throughout to encourage the kitten to think positively about it.”

Bonding with an Adult Cat

Maintaining a bond with your cat takes a lifelong commitment and is something that you can continue to work on as your kitten grows.

“Continue playing, grooming and spending time with your kitty even when they reach adulthood,” says Winiarski. “Providing a variety of enrichment is important.”

To help curb boredom as your cat grows, Winiarski recommends switching out cat toys on a weekly basis, keeping your feline stimulated with new scents and varieties of catnip, and trying out interactive cat toys like food puzzles.

“Adult cats should never be bored,” she says.

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