British cats are very gentle and sweet natured. I take extra care to treat them gently. They also tend to be more vocal when picked up, so I especially work on holding them as much as possible.

My British litters are born in either my bedroom or bathroom with a space heater. This allows my husband and I to have frequent access with a moderate amount of daily noises.

During week 1: Kittens are just born and fragile. I make sure they have plenty of heat, clean linens and touch their paws and bellies for short periods of time. I also supplement their nursing with Breeder’s edge and a miracle nipple. I make sure they are getting fed and monitor their health closely. This is round the clock checking!

During week 2: Kittens have doubled, sometimes tripled in size. Because the kittens start to meow a lot when holding them, I make sure to cup them tight. I make sure to keep sessions super short, but frequent to build a positive experience. I notice the kittens start to relax and go back to sleep even while I am holding them. I continue to gently touch their paws, belly and ears. And lots and lots of kisses…

For week 3: I start to hold kittens for longer periods time, even taking them to cuddle on the couch or bed. I also will take short walks around the house with a kitten in tow. At this time, I also vacuum around the kittens as well as playing YouTube sound exposure videos on low volume. These activities help a kitten become unfazed by day-to-day life. I make sure kittens are comfortable during this process and not in distress in anyway as that could have a negative effect on a kitten’s mental health.

During week 4: I take a few minutes a day with a q-tip and practice “brushing teeth”, the sound of the blow dryer, practice nail clipping and practice running a comb through their backside. I continue to touch paw pads, belly’s and ears to get every kitten used to normal handling. I find much greater success in starting this handling process early.

During week 5-6: Kittens have been moved to a larger play area. They are now learning to litter box train. I play YouTube sound exposure videos a bit louder all throughout the day while my husband is at work and I have head phones on :D. These videos include children playing, pots & pans, car noises, even fireworks and blow drying sounds. I make a special point to carry kittens around while doing household chores. While this may take my normal cleaning 10x longer, the value of a young British kitten being so comfortable with being carried is very important to me! At this time I also make friends with my kittens. This means not always picking them up or petting them whenever, but asking ‘permission’. My kittens instantly adore me that much more!

For week 6-8: Kittens are playing, exploring, climbing and already fully eating raw solid food. They may nurse 1-2 times a day slowly tapering off. I never remove mother. She provides valuable lessons to her kittens up until the moment they leave. At this age I allow visitors such as friends and family to come hold and socialize my kittens. Kittens are being played with, photographed, held and cuddled everyday!

During 8-12 weeks: Kittens visit 1-2 daycares of children ages 3-5 owned by a close friend. Here they are exposed to lots of smells, sounds and a variety of supervised children holding them. Kittens get plenty of breaks and are on pause if they seem overwhelmed. Kittens also get many experiences in a carrier!

From 12-14 weeks: Kittens have now been spayed/neutered and are ready to go to their new homes. They may have been bathed 1-2 times already, but I also practice calm baths by using a lickable cat treat. This way kittens associate baths with a positive experience. Kittens are also used to the blow dryer and a pet dryer box. Kittens are also used to having their nails clipped, their bodies brushed and faux teeth brushing.