The current VIN date & time: Eastern

VIN Kitty Kindergarten: Creating the New Improved Cat Through Early Socialization (BHVR906) Self Study

This course is a self-paced, non-interactive course.

Presenter: Sophia Yin, DVM, CAAB, M.S. Animal Science (1966-2014)
Course Open: January 1-December 31, 2022
Total CE Credit: 1.5
RACE Category: 1.5 hours Medical

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Course Information:
Potty problems? Inter-cat aggression? Antisocial behavior? Many people think that these are part of a cat's nature or just something they need to accept. It turns out that these and most other cat behaviors can be prevented with early socialization and training. A few techniques applied early can change the course of a kitten's life.

Looking for more Sophia Yin behavior courses? Consider enrolling in Low Stress Handling® Silver Certification. A comprehensive review of ten individual courses, including Kitty Kindergarten: Creating the New Improved Cat Through Early Socialization (BHVR906). Participants will learn to understand and improve the individual's or hospital's ability to create a low stress environment and handle animals in a less stressful manner. Enroll in Low Stress Handling® Silver Certification and receive 15% bundle discount compared to the cost of individual courses. More information/enrollment: Low Stress Handling® Silver Certification Self Study

To earn a certificate of completion the participant must complete all learning modules and score 80% or better on the end-of-course test. Completion of the course will take a minimum of 107 minutes. Participants must complete the participation requirements by December 31, 2022 to be eligible for a certificate.

To learn more about the requirements for earning a non-interactive CE certificate, please refer to Non-Interactive CE Certificate Requirements.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, the participant should be able to
  • understand the sensitive period of socialization -- what it is, why it's important, and how appropriate experiences during this time can help you create a friendly, interactive, and sociable cat.
  • desensitize and counter-condition cats so they enjoy toenail trims, injections, and handling procedures, making treatments at home or in the hospital a breeze.
  • train cats to perform simple, but essential tricks such as sit, come, and touch their nose to a target. These tricks can be used to replace unwanted behaviors.
  • identify the components necessary for a successful kitten socialization program.

Level and Prerequisites: This basic VIN CE self-study course is open for enrollment to veterinarians and veterinary support staff actively interested in feline early socialization. This course is open to VIN and VSPN members only.
Accreditation: This non-interactive course is approved for 1.5 hours of continuing education credit by RACE for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists. (RACE 20-842043)

Course Agenda:

Module 1: Kitty Kindergarten: Creating the New Improved Cat Through Early Socialization
Total Time: 97 minutes
Video: 97 minutes
Polls: 10

Module 2: End of Course Test
Total Time: 10 minutes
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course.

Module3: Course Evaluation

To learn more about the requirements for earning a non-interactive self-study CE certificate, please refer to Non-Interactive CE Certificate Requirements.


Enrollment is closed.


Tuition: VIN/VSPN Member $35
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

  1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  3. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to starting the course. If you wish to withdraw after you have started this self-study course, please contact the VSPN office 800-846-0028, ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director

VIN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357