In addition to modeling their mother’s behavior and incorporating her attitude, kittens also learn social manners and boundaries through interactions and playtime with siblings. But it is the father’s genetics that provide the blueprint for a kitten’s personality development.
- Paternal genetics plays a big part in cat personality type, despite the fact that father cats don’t rear their young.
- Though a kitten’s distinct personality begins before birth, the example set by the mother can modify genetic influences.
- Early, friendly socialization with people will cultivate curiosity and friendliness in kittens.
- Experiences between 2 and 8 weeks of age mold a kitten’s personality.
All of these inputs, along with early exploration, help kittens build self-confidence, including those produced by unfriendly toms. Yet kittens raised in the same home by the same people develop completely different personalities. And that’s because females in heat will mate with multiple toms. It is quite common for siblings within a litter to have different fathers. Which brings me to the photo.
Several years ago, a black & white feline strolled into the life of a recently retired cat lover. Naming her Inky Dinky, he told everyone she was a he because Inky was spraying the trees edging the rural property. But Inky wasn’t warning off other cats; she was advertising her willingness to mate and it appears more than one tom answered the call. The cat lineup represents two litters, all nurtured and raised by Inky Dinky.* Which explains another cat fact: From early spring to late fall, non-pregnant females can go into heat every 3–4 weeks.
Inky Dinky and her offspring were spayed and neutered.
*Inky was not available for the photo shoot. The 2nd cat from the left looks like his mother.
