Are you worried that your cute little Kitten won’t grow up to be affectionate?
I mean there is a saying that Cats are very independent and they don’t need us.
Have you heard of that?
I want to let you know that this is not true at all!
Cats are very emotional animals and they are very sensitive too
Imagine, coming home from a hard days work and your Cat quickly runs towards you and brushes against your leg because he’s happy to see you?
How would it feel if you’re sitting and just chilling and your Cat wants to cuddle with you and sleep on your lap? It would feel bliss right?
I bet you’re thinking my Kitten will never do that!
My Cat, he loves to cuddle now but at first he was not like that at all
He’s going to be 12 years old, boy time flies as I still remember how when he was a baby, he wasn’t as affectionate as I thought he would be.
But as time went by and by meeting his basic needs and other things too, he now looks for every opportunity to cuddle with me!
He just loves sleeping on my lap!
I’m here to show you how you can raise your kitten to be affectionate…
Here are a few ways in which you can ensure yours is:
- Ensure your kitten notices your good intentions
- Do not treat your Kitten like an adult
- Be Playful with your Kitten
- Use the “Slow blink method”
In case you are a new cat owner and all this information looks or sounds a bit overwhelming, don’t worry, I’ll take you through it step by step….
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How To Raise Your Kitten To Be Affectionate
1) Ensure your Kitten notices your Good intentions
From my personal experience with young felines, the first step is usually to show them your positive intentions.
This can be in the form of:
- Offering her good food and clean Water
- Ensuring it has fun toys to play with
- Having a litter box that is cleaned regularly
Remember, they are animals and if you can make their lives just a little bit comfortable then they’ll warm up to you after some time.
Another way I got my kittens to be more affectionate was by spending time with them.
Cats don’t like owners, they prefer friends that take care of them. Sassy? Well, that’s a cat for you.
If you notice she is not the one to come out seeking attention, ensure you walk over to her and take the attention to her.
Once she gets used to it, she will be coming to seek it from you herself
2) Do not treat your Kitten like an adult
Chances are that if you are dealing with a kitten, their age ranges between 4 and 12 weeks.
This is a crucial time of development for the cats, as this is time that is usually spent in the company of her mom and siblings.
The quality and amount of care that you offer are what help cement trust. Kittens that are cared for, show this by their overreliance on their owners. You become their human parent.
Here are two ways to do this:
Cuddle the kitten and keep it warm as you try to mimic the situation with her mother and siblings
Keep her clean and away from older cats and other pets. This is because their immune system is not fully developed yet.
3) Be Playful with your kitten and your kitten will return the affection
Cats are social mammals the same way human beings are social mammals. This means that their young ones enjoy playing as much as a little child does.
So next time you think of forcing a hug on a reluctant innocent kitten, try and tease it instead.
A poke of the finger might be a bit too much sometimes as this might invite out the claws, so go for a piece of string or have her chase after a laser pointer.
You’re welcome!
Slightly similar to giving your Kitten attention but this is more interactive play.
Your Kitten is full of energy and needs to use it up. Play with your Kitten at least 20 minutes a day and provide him with a variety of toys.
This will build a special bond and connection with your Kitty and again, as time goes by your Kitten will remember this and will become more affectionate towards to you.
When my Cat was a Kitten I would play with him everyday and spend a lot of time with him and I think for this reason, he now is a cuddle bug and is affectionate towards me and my family members.
Having cat toys for you and your kitten to play with can help them grow to be affectionate…
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4) Use the “Slow Blink” Method To Show Your Kitten Affection
Love languages have been on the rise of late and It’s important to note that cats have a love language too.
Cats that like you tend to:
- Purr or meow when they are around you
- Curl up on your lap, or in your bed
- Rub their bodies on your feet
All these ways are ways your kitten can express affection, but most of these are difficult to reciprocate.
One that you can reciprocate, however, is the “slow blink” which experts say is the way a cat says I love you.
The next time you’re holding your cat or feeding it, try and flash it a slow blink and see if it responds. If it doesn’t give it a couple of weeks and see if it won’t come around.
These sort of techniques can be learned from studying the Cat Language Bible…
5) Communicate With Your Kitten To Increase Affection
Talking with your kitten is very important
It’s a great way of showing love and affection to your cat
The best part?
You could tell your kitten how much they mean to you and how much you love her in a way she understands
Connection is a beautiful thing
And by connecting with your kitten by talking to her at an early age will only make her more affectionate towards you
Did You Know…
The Japanese researchers found that cats understand humans, not just by voice tone but also identifying certain words including their names, the owners name, various commands you’ve used, and many other stunning eavesdropping techniques that you had no idea about.
However, talking to a cat like you would to a human (or a baby to be more precise which is how most of us do it) is not going to get you the results you’d like.
You need to learn how to talk in cat language, and this is one of my favourite guides on the topic…
In this guide you’ll learn
- Specific thoughts, phrases, and feelings that your cat also communicates via body language
- How to respond back to your cat more effectively than the normal basic words cat parents use
- Awesome new things about your cat that you never thought about!
In short, you’ll be able to take much better care of your kitten and become the best cat parent ever.
6) Give Your Kitten Attention And They Will Give You Affection
This is one of the most valuable things you can give to your kitty because they crave for this.
The more attention you give your Kitty the more he’s going to feel loved and that will put him on course to become a cuddle bug when he grows up.
When I say attention, I mean full attention without any distractions
We’re all guilty of being glued to our cellphones (I can be guilty too!) and it’s a distraction.
We can sometimes check our Cell without us even realizing!
When you’re with your cute little Kitten, then give him your undivided attention.
Show your Kitty how much you love him and he’ll do the same back as he gets older
7) Expose Your Kitten To Different Sounds And Experience
Get your family and friends to come over and meet your little kitty.
Let your Kitty see different people and be around them.
Do the Vacuum, or show your kitten tap water running
The idea is to get your kitten used to all the things he may see later in life
All these sounds and experiences will help your Kitty understand and enjoy these things instead of being afraid later on in life
You’re just getting your Kitten to understand and appreciate all these things sooner rather than later
If you have children or you’re going to have children come over then do make sure they do not startle your Kitten because it can be scary for your Kitten.
Let the children near your kitty but under your supervision
8) Create a Cat Friendly Fun Environment To Foster Kitten Affection
Make your house Cat friendly. What I mean by this is…
- provide toys
- cat shelves
- a Cat tree
- maybe some safe plants
Make your house a place that will keep your Kitten happy.
Cat Trees Are Fantastic For Giving Kittens Their Own Space And Making Them Affectionate
Cats love being high above the ground which is why I mentioned Cat shelves and a Cat tree
This can give your Kitty a place of security and even just personal space.
Your Kitten will feel more secure and happy and grow to become a well adjusted affectionate Cat
Cat trees can be expensive so if you’re on a budget then you should check out my article
Top 5 best affordable cat trees
Want to know which cat tree I would recommend and I’m sure your little furball will love?
The armarkat cat tree
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It’s awesome
I have written a in depth review which you can check out by clicking the link below
9) Hold Your Kitten
Try to hold your kitten as much as you can without going overboard
Let your Kitten get used to being cuddled from a young age and they’ll want that when they get older
It’s a win win situation
Please make sure you don’t force your kitten to cuddle (I’m sure you won’t)
It’s also a great way to show your Kitten how much you love him and create a special bond between the two of you
10) Don’t Shout Or Punish Your Kitten
This is the worst thing a Cat parent can do
You probably won’t ever think about shouting at your Kitten or even worse punish them but you’ll be surprised how Cat parents resort to this
I mean yes, they can do things which can frustrate us but they’re not doing it purposely for example spraying or scratching the carpet. It’s in their nature so it’s up to you how you deal with these type of behavior.
I would recommend checking out my other articles to get an idea on how you can tackle these common behavior from the root of the problem
Punishing or shouting at your Kitten will make your Kitty afraid of you let alone become affectionate
Pretty much defeats the purpose of raising your Kitten to be affectionate
Always show love and affection (does your cat still show you affection?) to your Kitten and you’ll get the same back.
Learn instead the perfect way to communicate with your cat, here’s a good method you can learn more about…
11) Groom Your Kitten
Cats spend around 30% of their lives grooming themselves! But they wouldn’t mind a little help from their human slaves!
My Cat loves when I stroke him behind the ears of under the chin. Places where it’s hard for him to reach.
Try it yourself and see how much your Kitten will love it. He’ll probable start purring and sticking his head out more because he’s in bliss!
This also creates a special bond too
My cat LOVES to be brushed even though they don’t seem like the most affectionate cate usually but when the brush comes out it’s a different story.
Be sure to use a proper cat brush like this popular one…
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12) Give Your Kitten Treats
Cats love treats! Well my Cat does and literally demands for it
If we don’t give in then he’ll manipulate us by slowly blinking at me and meow in such a way that it hits the heart
Trust me, it’s hard to say no to that!
Anyways, you should give your Kitten treats too and watch he becomes your best friend!
Make sure you don’t overdo it because this will become a habit for your kitten and will expect a treat all the time
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13) Stroke Your Kitten
Similar to grooming your Kitten you should pet your Kitty too as much as you can from an early age.
This helps your Kitten to establish a positive and comfortable association with touching.
Let your Kitten learn your touch and scent
This will create a feel good connection in your Kittens brain when you stroke him
14) Talk Sweetly To Your Kitten
In a sweet, quiet calm manner as loud talking may scare them.
Make this a habit of talking to your Kitten and hold her closely to when you talk to him
Check out my other article out on how to talk to your Cat
If you take action on all these tips with your little feline friend then as your Kitten gets older he will become such a cuddle bug!
This is what you can learn from reading this guide…
RELATED – How To Make Your Kitten Love You
RELATED – My New Kitten Hates Me & How You Can Fix This
Are All Kittens Affectionate?
All kittens are different
Some may be affectionate right away whereas others may require time and patience
You see, some kittens may have bad pasts which will make it harder for them to show affection to you
But the more love and quality time you spend with your kitten, the more they will appreciate you and will show affection back to you
Do remember though, it does take time and patience
But trust me, it will be worth it
My cat was not affectionate at all at the beginning and it’s understandable because everything was new to him
But I kept spending time with him, giving him treats playing with him
And now? He loves sleeping on my lap!
He’s such a cuddle bug
Some cats just love to cuddle and be affectionate while other takes time
How Do I Raise My Kitten To Be More Affectionate?
Here’s a quick reminder of the 4 ways you can raise your kitten to be more affectionate and cuddly:
- Always ensure your kitten notices your good intentions by providing for her the basic needs
- Do not treat your kitten as an adult, remember a cat is like a child that likes to be left alone
- Be playful with your kitten
- Use the “Slow Blink” method to tell your kitten you love her
- Communicate with your kitten in a way she understands, by learning the Cat Language Bible#
- Give Your Kitten Attention And They Will Give You Affection
- Expose Your Kitten To Different Sounds And Experience
- Create a Cat Friendly Fun Environment To Foster Kitten Affection
- Hold Your Kitten
- Don’t Shout Or Punish Your Kitten
- Groom Your Kitten
- Give Your Kitten Treats
- Stroke Your Kitten
- Talk Sweetly To Your Kitten
Remember, cats are animals, and for them, gentleness will always result in gentleness. Happy petting!
Last update on 2023-03-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API