VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2

Want a cuddling, trusting, head-bumping, kissy-faced, demands-to-be-petted cat?
A few are born that way, but many must be helped along by socializing - the art of handling young kittens in specific ways to develop trust, love, and that hedonistic desire for attention, lots and lots of attention.

Kittens as young as three weeks are finally large enough to be stroked with more than a single finger and, usually, can now be picked up and held without the mother getting too anxious.

Begin by petting the kittens everywhere; don't neglect the face: pet the nose, use your thumbs to stroke gently at closed eyelids, rub the muzzle in the direction of the whiskers, scratch the sparsely haired area in front of the ears. Find out what each kitten likes the best: some like scratches under the chin, some the area on the back just in front of the tail, some even like their feet, I mean paws, rubbed!

Every time you pick them up, bring them close to your face. Let them feel your breath - and your friend's breath, your neighbor's breath - remember you're socializing them for their eventual adopters. But remember, don't do this with mouthwash-fresh breath. This will actually sting their eyes! Try it yourself on your adult cat and watch their eyes squeeze shut in defense.

Next hold a kitten upright, one hand under the hindquarters, one supporting the back and head. Slowly tip him backwards. At the first sign of discomfort, bring him back to an upright position. But keep trying until

the kitten is lying on his back in your hand, as if he is lying in a hammock, head back, paws just hanging there, relaxed, trusting, content. While he is on his back, be sure to rub his tummy and scratch under his chin.
Four weeks of age is also not too young to begin pressing on the kitten's paws so the nails are exposed. This is so the kitten won't react too much when his nails are clipped.

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A mom and four kittens were recently turned in to Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation. The litter originally consisted of seven kittens. What happened to the other three, you ask? Teenagers threw them from a freeway overpass and they died. Not before the kids poked and prodded the kittens with sticks and tried to pry open their eyes.
Harming helpless animals is a despicable act. Compounded is the fact that children who harm animals grow up to harm adults. Animal abuse goes beyond the immediate harm to the animals, it also harms the community. These kids need to be dealt with immediately and their actions taken very seriously. In this case, it appears that one boy is already in juvenile detention.

The mom, named Jacqueline, has since adopted three orphaned kittens and is raising a total of seven kittens on her own. She is very friendly and an excellent mom to the kittens. She spent Mother's Day nursing her babies without complaint. What a trooper!