As a kitten becomes an adolescent, they draw on all they have learned, so far, about the world.

We want those experiences to be good ones. But we, and they, can also handle the bad ones.

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Cats are more than the sum of their early experiences. This is not the only influence which shapes the cat to come.

Twin studies have shown that in humans, what we become is:

Our cat’s early environment is not the whole story. How the cat reacts can vary widely. The reaction, and how it works for them, will be just as important a contributor to the way our cat copes with life.

Temperament is how we describe certain clusters of traits in mammals which expresses how they handle adversity. It is an important part of the breed standard for purebred dogs and cats. It is our most important indicator to consider, no matter what else might have befallen the cat.

We often assume a fearful cat had a rougher past than a confident cat. Yet, animal rescue people have all experienced the opposite; a cat with no history of unkind treatment being far less friendly than a known abuse survivor.

Nature and nurture combines in ways which can be overcome, or overwhelmed.

With support, a cat with a genetic problem, like our cat Puffy, could make it to thirteen while being a delightful pet, because he had a wonderful temperament. We are helping Reverend Jim develop a mind so sharp that it was not able to be derailed, only diverted, by the severe neglect in his critical early months.

Olwyn arrived in our house, already bouncing back from near death from abandonment, and did not skip a step in her social development. While Mr. Bond is a delightful cat, but he wouldn’t have ever found a home until he found a person who could break through his shy shell.

We often do not get a chance to influence our cat’s early years. Yet, by raising a cat at any juncture, we contribute a great deal to their development. At any age, our sincere concern and our friendly tone will contribute a great deal to any cat’s human communication.

So if we have a cat with a challenge, whether they arrive with it or acquire it along the way, we should not be too quick to despair.

They learned these reactions. They can learn new ones.

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