Begin with touch, not with a brush
A kitten who dislikes being handled will dislike grooming no matter how soft the brush is, so the first lessons are about hands. Stroke the areas a brush will later travel, in the order a cat usually tolerates best: cheeks and chin first for many kittens, then shoulders and back, and only later the tail and hindquarters. Keep one hand still as an anchor while the other strokes, speak quietly, and release her the moment she leans away or her tail starts to flick. Two calm strokes followed by freedom teach a stronger lesson than ten strokes that end in a wriggle and an escape.
Introduce the brush as furniture before it is a tool
Leave the brush where the kitten plays and sleeps so it becomes an ordinary object with her scent on it, and let her rub against it herself. Then use it for a single stroke in the middle of a stroking session, brush, hand, treat, and put it away. Soft bristles or a rubber grooming glove suit most short coats for this stage; what matters is that the first sensation is mild and brief. If she startles at the sound or feel, go back to hand stroking for a few days rather than pushing through, because early associations with grooming tend to harden into adult habits.
Time sessions to a sleepy, settled kitten
Choose moments when your kitten has played, eaten and is drifting, not when she is mid-chase or hungry and fractious. Sit at her level, let her choose to come onto your lap or stay beside you, and work in a quiet room without other pets competing for attention. Keep a consistent end signal, such as the treat and a particular phrase, so she learns the shape of the session and that it always finishes kindly. A few sessions a week at this length will quietly add up to a cat who settles for a full brush as an adult, when coat care actually becomes necessary.
Handle paws, ears and mouth in passing
Gentle grooming is also rehearsal for the handling an adult cat needs. While she is relaxed, briefly touch a paw and release it, lift an ear flap and let it drop, and touch the side of the mouth without opening it, each followed by a treat. None of this is an examination; it simply teaches her that these touches are brief, painless and followed by something good. If she growls, bites at the brush, or flattens her ears and tries to leave repeatedly, shorten the sessions again and rebuild, and mention persistent handling distress at her next veterinary visit so pain or sensitivity can be ruled out.
Make it a shared, scheduled habit
Kittens learn fastest when every person grooms the same way, with the same brush, the same short length and the same rule about stopping when she walks away. If one person holds her in place for a long session, she will start avoiding everyone at grooming time. KinsLe Care Teams helps the household stay consistent by assigning the little grooming sessions as a named duty with a completion mark, so the kitten gets regular, identical practice from whoever's turn it is.