PetKnows

On the way to work the other day I came across a “fluff” piece about a new trend in cat ownership: Kittengarten Classes. While I don’t own a cat, I found myself nodding in agreement at several points. I might even have exclaimed “Amen to that” once, to the amusement of the passenger sitting next to me on the train who peered over my shoulder to glance at the photo of a kitten on a leash.

While the idea of kittengarten classes might seem silly and unnecessary, they address a really important point. That is, very much like dogs, cats don’t inherently know how they are “supposed” to act in our homes. The idea of socializing puppies and learning to train dogs about your expectations of them is very mainstream. Since they basically toilet train themselves and they have a reputation for being very independent, however, most of us mistakenly assume that cats don’t require any socialization or training. But, according to Elise Gouge of the Houston SPCA, which has been holding kitten socialization classes since early 2007, “Cats don’t raise themselves. They don’t instantly love people; they don’t know how not to scratch the furniture.”

The second, implicit, premise of the class is that cat owners aren’t born naturally knowing how to do the right thing by their feline companions either. While most cat owners want to give their cats the best lives possible, they might not know how, and these classes provide a fun, low-pressure way to learn while also providing their kittens with an opportunity to play and socialize with other cats. Things like knowing how to play with cats, providing a suitably stimulating environment, basic health care, and teaching cats acceptable behaviors, are all things that are covered in kittengarten classes.

As the article pointed out, teaching our cats acceptable behaviors, as well as learning more about what make cats “cats”, also helps prevent or solve problem behaviors that might end with the poorly socialized cat being surrendered later in life. Gouge shares, “I’ve had cases with people who were thinking of surrendering their cat. [Kittengarten] … saved the relationship.”

While I don’t own a cat, this last point resonates with me because I do have two parrots – one rehomed and one rescued from a shelter. I participate in forums dedicated to parrot ownership and support local parrot rescue and adoption agencies. Too often I see exotic birds abandoned, borderline abused, or surrendered to rescues because the owners didn’t put a lot of thought into proper socialization and training (and they end up with unmanageable parrots), or because they mistakenly thought birds were low maintenance pets and don’t understand the animals’ point of view. While some owners do try their best, often they just get overwhelmed or frustrated and everyone ends up unhappy. In other words, I think this issue transcends cats and dogs. Classes such as these seem like a great way to prevent behavior problems for a variety of pets. (FYI: Phoenix Landing, of which I’m a member, does hold frequent seminars on this topic for new bird owners.)

I love the idea of Kittengarten classes and what they do to raise awareness about the importance of socialization and training for animals besides dogs. The more we understand that most pets require our guidance on how to exist in our homes, the more they’ll thrive and the better our relationship with our animal family members will be.

For information on kittengarten or other types of pet education classes in your area, contact your local shelter.

Photo Credit: Little Kitty, Big World by Dr. Hemmert

p.s. Have you participated in doggy daycare and kittengarten? If so, we’d love to hear about your experience.