First before we talk about socializing yesterday I posted up this picture

and asked what Gambler encountered to make him so afraid. The answer is Hank the kitten. You all had some really good guesses as to what it might of been, I chuckled at all of them. Now onto today’s post.

Do kitties need socializing? The answer to that question is yes kittens like puppies need socialization. Both when young have a fear imprint stage and stages when they learn how to react to good situations and bad situations. This period forms what will become of the puppy and kitten as it becomes an adult.

About 4 weeks ago Homeless Nameless Kitty was wondering around a co-workers yard. With some food being placed out and some coaxing he was caught and brought into the clinic he was estimated at being about 8 weeks old. He was full of fleas, intestinal parasites, upper respiratory infection, eye infection. Upon examination it was believed that his right rear leg had been broken and was healing. He didn’t have a microchip, no one came forward so he was believed to be a stray.

With the help of veterinary medicine and some TLC Homeless Nameless Kitty became Hank and joined the veterinary hospital as the new clinic kitty. Now being a stray he wasn’t well socialized to people or dogs. He did let us touch him but holding him he would squirm and if saw others coming he would hiss and try and get down. When he was on the ground and saw someone he would poof up like a scared kitty and run off, he spent a lot of time running back to his room very cautious if he should come out. We had to socialize him with people and other animals if he was going to have run of the front area in contact with clients and their pets. I don’t have any pictures but he quickly came around to other cats. He actually hung out by their cages and wanted to be in by them. Dogs on the other hand was a different story. He was deathly afraid of dogs. So that is where the dog and kitty socialization began.

Gambler was hanging with me at the clinic while I worked because Glory was in season at home. Since he was there I thought Hank’s socialization with dogs should begin. I knew Gambler would be ok with Hank since he lives at home with a kitty that needed dog socialization as well. Day one went as expected when Hank saw Gambler he hissed and spit and poof’ed up.

When Gambler tried to take a sniff he slapped him across the nose and then Gambler backed up between the wall and the door and didn’t want anything to do with Hank. He was being a big wienie! This big tough Chesapeake was afraid of the kitty and let Hank get the best of him. This session was over and Gambler was brought back out later in the day to have another run at it.

Next session was having Hank out and about in the clinic and having Gambler walk past him to get him used to dogs walking around the clinic. Hank did much better at this. Gambler was leary of Hank because he didn’t want to get slapped again but he manned up and did the exercises. Hank stayed sitting and didn’t even poof up when Gambler walked past him.

A short video of Gambler walking past Hank.

The next week Hank really came out of his shell and he was getting more used to Gambler. He wouldn’t run and hide when he saw him. His poof’ing up was not happening as often. He started coming up to Gambler and hanging out with him when we were on our lunch hour. I gave Hank a carrot and he played with it right in front of Gambler. Gambler was bored with that because Hank wasn’t playing with him. He got stiffed for a carrot.

Hank didn’t have any fear of Gambler, he walked right up and ate out of his food bowl. Gambler looked at him like WTF but he let him eat. Gambler then took over the mother roll and cleaned Hanks butt after and Hank let him. I think Hank is coming around to dogs.

A short video of Hank playing with Gambler’s tail.

This week it was Nellie’s turn to do some socializing with Hank. He needs to get used to different dogs. Nellie didn’t know what she was in for. Nellie like Gambler lives with a cat and has no problems with them.

As you can see the first meeting Hank was a little scared but he marched right up to Nellie to say hello.

Hank would keep coming over by us as we sat on the floor. He would come over and say hi and then leave and then would be back to hang out longer.

Hank would go back to “his room” when he needed a break. Nellie followed him in and there was no noise coming from the room. I’m not quite sure what happened in there but Nellie came back out with no marks on her.

Hank has come around with people too. This was the first time Hank came up to me and crawled on my lap. He hunkered down and watched Nellie from afar and then Nellie came closer and he didn’t care. Not a peep was made or a hair out of place.

Nellie and Hank both decided to hang out with me. First Hank and Nellie had to share Nellies water and then they both laid by me and Hank started playing with Nellie’s feet. I think his socialization lessons have been paying off. Soon Hank will be able to hang out in the general population of the upfront clinic life.

If these exercises weren’t done Hank wouldn’t have gotten used to dogs and when he would come across one he would of been scared and when scared kittens/cats use their claws and teeth to defend themselves against danger. He is now learning that dogs are not dangerous and that he is safe around them so he can relax when he sees them and know that it’s just another day in the life of a clinic kitty.