Causes of fear
Kittens may not be handled for many reasons. The main one is the animal's fear of humans. The cat is afraid, avoids it, and does not immediately trust a strange, unfamiliar creature. However, this is not the only reason for this kitten’s behavior.
The kitten usually loves to be in the arms of the owner
Other cases include the following:
- Inconvenience. The cat needs to be handled correctly. If she feels discomfort, she will not sit in one place. For a more comfortable position, place one hand under the chest, the other under the hind legs. There must be a fulcrum. It is allowed to choose any position, but provided that the animal is comfortable.
- Fear of heights. Despite the fact that cats can easily overcome almost any obstacle, there are individuals that are afraid of heights. Such a cat will feel uncomfortable in a person’s arms, and panic may develop. Unfortunately, these may be the consequences of neurological problems.
- Bad memories. If people treated the animal poorly, threw it on the floor, or the cat itself accidentally fell from a person’s lap or hands, then it may retain unpleasant memories. The fear of repeating a negative situation will push the animal away from the owner, and it will be afraid of new contacts.
- Strong odors. Cats do not like strong smells and try to avoid such places. If a strong aroma emanates from a person, then the cat will not approach and will not allow him to be touched. Therefore, during the process of hand training, it is recommended not to use harsh perfumes.
- Love of freedom. Cats are wayward and freedom-loving animals. If they are not in the mood, they are unlikely to want to sit in your arms for a long time. Some breeds do not require frequent contact at all. It is recommended to be patient with such persons, but you should not expect any special effect.
Cats easily get used to hands if you follow all the rules of training
If the kitten does not want to be held, there is no need to be nervous or worry. Perhaps the small pet has not yet completely adjusted to the new place, especially if it is an animal from the street. After some time, it is recommended to carefully try to pick up the baby. If it doesn’t work out right away, then you shouldn’t despair. A little patience and affection will help you get the desired result.
Important !
In some cases, babies themselves come into the arms of the owner, seeing that no one is offending them.
Why does the kitten not want to sit in your arms?
Unfortunately, not all small kittens are happy to sit quietly and spend time in the arms of their owner, especially in stressful situations or if the pet is very scared. In addition, not all furry cats require increased attention and avoid close contact with humans. This applies not only to wild street adult cats, cats of certain breeds, but also to kittens that you came out of a helpless little lump. But you really want to cuddle and caress your beloved pet.
Cats tend to be arrogant. In most cases, cats allow themselves to be loved, accept our care, guardianship, and attention. Even a small kitten will not always sit quietly in your arms, allowing itself to be squeezed for hours. Remember that cats are very capricious and freedom-loving animals.
Why don't cats like to be held? The reasons for this behavior may be the following:
- Breed characteristics , genetic predisposition.
- Fear of heights, loss of balance. There are cats that are afraid of heights, weightlessness and do not like balance. Sitting in your arms, the kitten experiences fear and discomfort.
- Incorrect socialization, adaptation.
- Frequent stressful situations , mobile type of nervous system. If the cat is frightened or has suffered severe stress, even the calmest kitten, experiencing anxiety, will try to escape from the hands and run to a safe place.
- Rough treatment of animals. Cats remember their abuser very well, and if you used physical violence, the pet will no longer fully trust you.
- Strong unpleasant odors , according to the cat, emanating from the owner and his hands. Cats do not like the aroma of perfumes, especially citrus notes, or the smell of tobacco. Perhaps you have previously petted another cat or dog and the smell of the “stranger” scares the kitten away.
Street kittens and pets taken from shelters are reluctant to make contact. Since childhood, animals have not received much attention from humans and have been deprived of love and affection. It is possible that a street kitten was offended by a person, and the animal harbored a grudge against us for the rest of its life and no longer trusts the person.
Some breeds, due to their breed characteristics, also do not need increased attention and affection. For example, the British, Norwegian Forest, Scottish Fold, Siamese and their crosses.
Active, hyperactive, inquisitive kittens are reluctant to sit in your arms. It is difficult for them to sit in one place, much less on your lap or hands. After all, there are so many interesting things in the world.
Basic taming methods
It is recommended to take into account several rules on how to accustom a cat to your hands. They will help you achieve contact faster and not scare the baby.
Treats from hand
How to make friends between a cat and a kitten: ways to reconcile pets
Treats received from human hands will allow the cat child to calm down and understand that no one will offend him. A well-fed baby relaxes and in most cases allows himself to be stroked or even picked up.
At the initial stage, you can give food from your hands, then put it on your lap. The desire to eat a treat will lead to the pet going to be picked up. However, you should not hold the animal if it wants to jump. This may alarm him and cause him discomfort.
Calm voice
Cats are calm animals, therefore it is recommended to talk to them quietly and affectionately, without any manifestation of aggression. The animal will feel the attitude and will approach the person without fear. Such pets really like affectionate speech, so they can easily be handled on their own.
Smells you like
You can attract your cat's attention with scents that are pleasant to him. A curious baby will definitely want to look at what smells so nice and will make contact with the person. In pet stores you can find special sprays containing specific pheromones that attract the animal. As a last resort, you can spray the solution on your palms and let the cat smell it.
Attention! It is not recommended to constantly use sprays that attract your pet to avoid addiction.
Education
When training and raising a kitten, you need to take into account its breed. It is recommended to be aware that not all breeds love affection. British and Scottish Fold cats are very independent and do not want to spend time in the arms of their owner. It is possible to accustom such animals to your hands, but it will require patience and a long time.
Bengal cats, on the contrary, need to be taught to be handled from childhood, because they can grow up a little wild. It is worth noting that the majority of outbred domestic cats are very affectionate and easily go into the arms of their owner.
A cat should feel comfortable and comfortable in a person’s arms.
It is possible to tame a kitten during the game. The toy is gradually moved closer to you so that the baby follows it. When he is very close, the little thing he is interested in is given away, and the cat is calmly picked up. While the animal is engaged in the object, you can easily stroke it and talk to it calmly. Habituation will occur on an unconscious level.
Important! Your cat should also be toilet trained gradually.
You need to show him the tray and try to teach him how to use it. Some people are so good at this that their pets just go to the toilet.
How long will it take to tame
The duration of the taming process depends on the character of the animal and the patience of the owner. It is different for everyone, so it is impossible to give an exact answer - for some the process will take a month, and for others even a year will not be enough. If you do everything correctly and calmly, the result will not be long in coming.
If the cat does not go into your arms, but he is calm, has a good appetite, and there is no reason to worry, then it is better to leave him alone.
Important! There is no need to try to forcibly accustom the animal to contact, this will only make him angry.
Knowing how to tame a kitten in your hands, it is easy to achieve the desired effect. If you follow the necessary rules and have patience, you can achieve the desired results in a fairly short time. It is recommended to remember that not all breeds are prone to constant contact with humans, so you should not try to pick up the animal by force.
Scottish cats, both fold-eared and straight-eared, are distinguished by their plush appearance and good nature. These are true companions, in most cases completely devoid of aggression. But they have an interesting feature that their owners don’t like: the Scottish cat often doesn’t like to be held, doesn’t tolerate being picked up, and is often not happy about being stroked. And it doesn't match her plush appearance.
Let's make a reservation right away. The website "MURKOTIKI" surveyed about 20 breeders of Scottish cats and found out that slightly more than half of them agreed that the Scots are not very fond of hands. But about half said that their pupils are not like that, but the most tame and affectionate. From which we can conclude: such a feature as love and dislike of sitting on hands depends not only on the breed, but also on the genetics of a particular cat family. If your kitten has ancestors who love affection and they passed this on to their offspring, then the kitten will sit in your arms and love affection. However, even in the same litter kittens are born that are completely different in character.
But let’s return to the question of those cats who still don’t like hands. One can only guess about the reasons for this behavior and why some fold-eared cats are not affectionate. Sometimes the reluctance to sit on hands is associated with the size of the cat or male cat, if they are too large. Then the animal simply does not fit on your lap and especially does not like to be hanging over you.
But most often the roots of this behavior lie in the field of psychology. Scottish cats are most often cats with character who do not like anyone to limit their freedom. And being picked up is the most extreme version of lack of freedom.
At first, the Scottish cat can still be patient, but most often it immediately begins to meow pitifully. If this does not help, claws and teeth, growling and even hissing begin to be used. Afterwards, the owner risks being left with bloody hands if he does not release the pet in time.
There is a version that the British, whose blood is in the Scottish family, were originally palace cats and were specially selected so that they did not like to sit on hands and served only as interior decoration. Plus, probably, their northern independent character is reflected in them, because the English aristocrats hardly liked to torment these cats with their hugs, as we do.
Beginning cat breeders who bring a Scot into their family have a desperate question: Do Scots even sit on their hands? Yes, they are sitting. On holidays. But if a Scottish cat suddenly wants to come to the owner, she will chatter to him, and lie on his lap, chest, or even head, and lick him, rewarding him with a light, affectionate kiss with her teeth (this is how tenderness is shown in cats).
What can you do to make your cat love to sit in your arms not only when she comes? You can't train her to do something she doesn't like. But you can use a little trickery and achieve the desired effect. For example, many Scottish cats love to cuddle when they are asleep, so they can be stroked and picked up at this very moment. Others will happily sit in your arms if you stand next to the place that the cat is interested in, but which he cannot reach on his own. Still others are happy and sit on their hands if they are allowed to rub their hair.
What not to do
Why cats are afraid of water - reasons for fear of bathing
During the training process, you need to be careful and not show negative feelings so as not to scare the cat.
There are a number of actions that cannot be performed:
- Raise your voice, shout. Cats get offended very quickly and remember for a long time, so next time there will be no result at all. The animal will scratch, hiss and even bite.
- Show aggression, punish, deprive of food and attention. Such actions are also unlikely to give the desired result.
- Hold forcibly. If the pet begins to get nervous, wriggle out of his hands, and release his claws, then you need to let him out. Holding in one place causes the animal to panic and develop fear that will be difficult to overcome.
- It is better to protect kittens from small children. A child does not always understand how to behave correctly with an animal. As a result, both one and the other may experience stress.
The most important thing in the training process is calm. Cats are very sensitive to the mood of their owners and will also be nervous and worried.
It is easy to accustom a kitten to your hands while playing
