This is a question that may surprise you: Is it necessary to socialize a cat? These animals began to share their lives with humans about ten thousand years ago by choice. They realized that where there were people there were cereals that attracted rodents ... their main food. At that time they lived free, but since our shelters became houses, flats or apartments they have had to adapt to living in an environment that is not natural for them.
Of course, they have. But during this adaptation process, people have had a lot to do. Not surprisingly, under the skin of every feline that sleeps on the sofa beats the heart of wild cats.
What is socialization?
Socialization is a term used to talk about people. It could be translated as the process by which the human learns the sociocultural elements of his environment and integrates them into his personality. In the case of the furry ones, it would be something like ''the process by which they learn to live in society with humans and other animals».
But now comes another question: why do they have to socialize with humanity? Weren't they lonely animals that could fend for themselves?
The human-cat relationship
Well the reality is that yes, but no. I explain: cats are perfectly adapted to living in a natural environment, but towns and cities have little of nature. And that's not to mention the amount of dangers that can be found. For this reason, cats, even the most stray, have no choice but to learn to tolerate the presence of humans (at least, those who take them to eat).
Many of the problems that felines have today is because they live in a place where, yes, they may be very loved, but their human family may not take care of them as they should. These animals need to scratch (a scratcher, for example), play three times a day for about 15 minutes (with a ball made of aluminum foil they will have a lot of fun), see their »world» from above (letting them climb furniture),… in short, they need to be cats and that the family let them behave as such.
It seems that we strive to humanize them:
- Bathing: what for? They spend a good part of their free time cleaning themselves. We should only bathe them if they have stopped or if they have gotten too dirty.
- Cut their nails: Cats without nails are like trees without leaves. Nails need them to play, hunt, climb.
- Ban them from getting on surfaces: They're cats. They jump, and they like to control what happens around them.
- We pretend that they are always affectionate, with everyone: this can not be. Each cat is unique, with its personality. If they don't want us to touch them, let's not do it.
And so many other things that these animals do not like, such as children pulling their tails for example.
You have to respect them, in the same way that they respect us, and try to make them happy.
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