How To Get A Kitten To Like You

When you first bring a new kitten home, the reaction might not be what you expect. Many kittens will instinctively hide — after all, they are in a brand new environment that they know nothing about. This can be scary!

One of the best ways to acclimate a kitten to its new home is by getting it to like you. If your kitten likes you, it can adapt to its new home faster, making your home more comfortable for everyone.

Read on to learn how to get a kitten to like you.

How Long Does it Take to Get a Kitten to Like You?

Don’t expect your kitten to like you after one or two days. While you picked them out and are excited to have them in your home, your kitten doesn’t know what’s going on and might be frightened. So, give your kitten time to warm up to you.

Also, your kitten’s personality can impact how long it takes for it to like you. Some kittens might take weeks or months to warm up. Others could be right at home after one day! Just be patient with your kitten and know that, over time and with some work, your kitten will grow to like you.

6 Steps to Get a Kitten to Like You

Respect their space

Everyone needs space, kittens included. Let your kitten approach everything at a pace that makes them comfortable. If they are showing signs that they want to be alone, leave them alone. Remember, kittens are naturally curious, so over time they’ll come out of hiding to see what’s going on. Don’t force casual interactions or your kitten could keep its distance.

Plenty of playtime

Kittens won’t stay hidden forever, and they crave playtime. When this happens, be ready with a variety of toys. After playing a few times, you’ll get a feeling for how your kitten likes to play and what toys they enjoy most. Gradually, your kitten will grow to trust you more and associate you with having fun. To get the most out of playtime, learn how to play with a kitten. 

Keep a clean, quiet living space

Not much is going to scare a kitten more than sudden, loud noises. Keeping a quiet living space will let your kitten grow comfortable in its home, meaning less hiding and more social interactions. You’ll also want to keep your home clean — this includes regularly cleaning your kitten’s litter box, food bowl, and water bowl. A healthy environment is necessary to get a kitten to like you.

Give your kitten high-quality food, water, and litter

Kittens are growing animals and need highly nutritious food. We recommend mixing both wet and dry food while frequently changing brands to introduce your kitten to different types of food as we feel it is the best way to feed kittens. 

On top of food, we recommend getting a cat water fountain. Water fountains encourage drinking, reducing the risk of dehydration. Fresh, high-quality litter is also important for a kitten. You can review our list of the best cat litter for kittens. 

Figure out what they like

Every kitten is different, so you need to find out what your kitten likes so you can provide. Watch what they do when you’re not playing. Do you spend a lot of time looking out the window? A perch could be a great solution. Do they try to climb high? Maybe cat shelves would be fun. Do they yearn to go outside? Investing in a catio could go a long way. 

By finding out what your kitten likes, you can also learn how to avoid what they don’t like. Maybe your kitten doesn’t appreciate getting its tail pet, or maybe they don’t like being held a specific way. Avoiding things your kitten doesn’t like will help prevent any setbacks.

Provide them with everything they need

As long as your kitten has everything it needs, it should eventually learn to like you. We go over everything a kitten needs in our new kitten checklist, but the basics include:

• Bed
• Fresh water
• Fresh food
• Toys
• Scratchers
• Litter box

Note that getting your kitten what they need is the bare minimum. This list isn’t meant to suggest what you should get, but what you need to get.

How do you Bond with a Kitten?

Getting a kitten to like you and bonding with a kitten are entirely separate things. While a kitten may grow to like you, bonding is a deeper connection that can last a lifetime. The key to bonding with a kitten is by doing more joint activities that build trust, such as harness training. To learn more about bonding with your kitten, read our article on how to bond with a kitten.

Final Thoughts: How to Get a Kitten to Like You

With a little effort and a lot of patience, your kitten will grow to like you. You can speed this process up by giving your kitten a comfortable environment, playing with it, and giving it high-quality food, water, and litter. Kittens grow to like you at different rates based on their personality, so don’t get upset if your kitten doesn’t warm up to you immediately.

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