Preparing Kittens For the Show Hall

Socializing kittens and making sure they are confident for their new family is only a part of the job description for a show breeder.

- Michelle Pelegrino

Taking 4-month-old kittens into a show venue can require a level of desensitization that may not always be possible in a home setting. Loud noises and crowds are just a small part of the environment our show babies deal with. Small cages, strange smells, and unfamiliar objects can all make or break a cat at their first show. Luckily some of our CFA members were willing to share some of their ideas on how to prepare your kittens for life outside the confines of their home.

One of the most obvious trials a show animal of any species will face is large crowds of people, and the noise that comes with them. Yelling, loud coughing, slamming doors, and crying babies are just some of the things that can be scary to a kitten. Playing recordings of cat shows, dog shows, and generic crowd noises at a loud level can be a great start for kittens who are too young to leave the house. Breeder Zayda Stephens of Meow My Persians mentions that football games and any other loud television programs or music are used early on in her kittens’ lives to desensitize kittens to a variety of sounds.