Kitten behavior varies based on the kitten, but all kittens go through similar developmental stages. When kittens are around 2 months old, they experience many behavioral and developmental changes that are important to their temperament as adults.
Weaning Kittens
Many experts recommend that you leave kittens with their litter for four months. However, kittens may miss out on a lot of human socialization if they rely on their mother and littermates for that long.
Kittens can be weaned at two months, which is often when new kitten owners receive their kittens. By this time, they have developed their motor skills and are beginning to learn social behavior. You will begin to see them lick one another, a grooming behavior that is very important among adult cats.
Kitten Play Behavior
Kittens at this age also begin to play. Play behavior is incredibly important to carnivores because it's through play that they learn hunting and protection skills. Through play, kittens begin to jump and bat at objects. They also learn how to use their jaw and claw effectively.
These interactions also teach them how to read other cat's signals, helping them communicate with other animals as they get older. These interactions help them learn to develop and understand hierarchies among other cats with whom they may come in contact.
If you adopt a kitten at this age and don't have other kittens, he could miss out on valuable skills. Spend at least 30 minutes to an hour each day playing with your kitten at this age, using toys, so he can still develop those skills.
Behaviors you can expect to see include:
- hugging
- ambushing
- licking
- tossing
- pawing
- mouthing
- holding
- tail chasing
- pouncing
Socialization for Kittens
Kittens have a much smaller socialization window than dogs. Studies show that kittens that are handled during their first two months have bigger brains. The handling reduces fear to humans and other cats, causing the cats to be braver, more playful and even more eager to learn.
By two months, kittens should be exposed to things with which they may have to be accustomed in the human world, such as people of all ages, other pets such as cats and dogs and loud noises such as pans dropping or cars backfiring. After the first two months, this socialization window is lost forever, and as adults, the cats will be more fearful and less friendly.
During this time, kittens will be adventurous and active, so it's a good time to teach your cat behaviors that you would like him to perform later in life. Clicker training is a great way to train your kitten and can make him an active learner for life, eager to participate in training.
Teach your kitten to enjoy the clicker by giving him tuna or another meaty treat each time he hears the click. Once he is eager to participate, start clicking when he performs desirable behavior. He will soon be offering behaviors to get your attention and earn treats.
The first two months of your kitten's life are some of the most fun because they are beginning to develop their personalities. They are adventurous, active and playful. If you continue to develop these traits, you will have a social, well-adjusted cat.