Kitten Care

Kittens are cute and fun to play with, but there’s a lot to learn about them. They are very alert and love to explore in adventures. Because of this, they tend to step out of line and get themselves into trouble. However, resorting to discipline such as hitting, yelling or shaking is a poor way of teaching your kitten how to behave and will only damage your relationship and can lead to more serious problems, such as aggression. If your kitten is misbehaving, it is always better to interrupt a behavior by using a spray bottle or by making a loud noise such as clapping your hands, but avoid doing anything to frightened your kitten or it will become reluctant to approach you.

Understanding your kitten’s body language

Understanding your kitten body language is very important. It can help you interpret how your kitten feels and what they want. They are able to show these emotions by either meowing, purring, hissing, growling, rubbing, rolling over, tail wagging, or ear flicking.

Meows

My kitten tends to meow when he is locked in a room, if I’m holding him incorrectly or when I’m not noticing him. Which lead me to believe that “kitten meows when they are uncomfortable or sad.” Though, it is very easy to tell the difference between when my kitten is uncomfortable/sad and when he wants attention. When a kitten meow is low-pitched, this usually means that they’re uncomfortable or unhappy, and when their meow is high-pitched, this usually means that they’re happy. If the kitten tends to keep repeating a high pitched meow, this usually means that the kitten wants your attention. So, it is fairly easy to tell the difference between meows and when a kitten meow, it is usually directed at you and not at other kittens. 

Purring

My kitten purrs all the time and only stop when he is sleeping. A purring kitten doesn’t always mean that the kitten is angry and is usually a sign of contentment. They will also show this action if they are feeling ill or anxious for comfort. If a kitten purrs while they are rubbing up against you, this is usually a sign of affection or that they want something from you; like food.  It is very easy to tell the kind of mood your kitten is in when they are purring because they only purr for a few things. 

Hisses and growls

My kitten has never hiss or growl at me, but this usually means that your kitten is frightened. These behaviors can usually be noticed when your kitten approach another animal or when they are annoyed. If your kitten starts to hiss or growl, they can become very aggressive and try to attack you, if you’re the one annoying them. They will also hiss/growl and puff up themselves to try and sound scary in front of other animals to protect themselves.  

Rubbing

My kitten tends to rub his face against mine everytime I come home. He was doing this to mark me, kittens have scent receptors in their cheeks that allow them to mark you with their scent by rubbing their face against yours. This is a sign that the kitten is really comfortable with you, likes you and don’t want to lose you. So, they will be able to smell where you are when you are close to them.  

Rolling over

My kitten loves to roll over on his back and relax when he finally gets the attention he wants. When a kitten rolls over on their back, this is a sign of complete trust. Kittens are very protective of their stomach and will guard their stomach in any situation. So, this is a sign of complete submissiveness and trust in you. A kitten will also show you that they are very happy with their surrounding if they hop onto your lap and lay down contentedly. 

Tell-tail

The most popular body language that can be used to tell exactly how your kitten feels is by looking at your kitten tail.  My kitten shows all his emotions in his tail. With his tail, I can tell whether he is angry, scare, happy, excited or content. A cat’s tail is an excellent indicator of their feelings. When a kitten holds their tail straight up, this means that they’re happy. If the kitten tail is between their legs or if there back is pop up, this usually means that they are scared.  When your kitten starts to wag their tail back and front, this is an indicator that your kitten is annoyed and/or angry. It is also easy to tell if your kitten is content and sleepy when they lay down and wrap their tail around them. This position indicates that your kitten is very comfortable. 

Ears

My kitten doesn’t really do anything with his ears, or I just haven’t noticed. But when a kitten has a pricked ears, this means that the kitten is very interested and curious about its surroundings. When the ears are held erect and inclined forward, this means that the kitten is relaxed and friendly.  However, when the kitten ears go down, something that I haven’t seen myself but this is a sign of aggression. The kitten put their ears down when they are angry to keep them out of the way if a fight erupts.

Reference

https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/behavior-appearance/kitten-behavior

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/cat_communication.html

Photo by me