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| What to do when bringing home a new cat or kitten.
Bringing a new kitten or cat home is very exciting; however, it is also fairly traumatic for the cat especially if he/she is a kitten. Make sure that you prepare for your cat's arrival before he or she comes home and make sure your home is quiet and kitty proof when kitty arrives. As a general rule of thumb your should follow the following procedure when bringing a new feline into your home. Also note that it is a good idea to have any new pet seen by your vet before bringing that animal into your home. This will reduce the possibility of that cat inadvertently passing on a disease or illness to the other animalsin your home. Cat proof your home Cats are very VERY curious so check all escape routes if you plan to keep your cat indoors. Move all toxic materials so that they are out of reach for your cat. And remember cats are amazing jumpers so just putting items on counters is not good enough. Remove all poisonous items from your home. Cover (using baby guard plugs) outlets and hide cords as cats like to gnaw on such items and chew them or wrap themselves. If you already have a cat or another pet think about how the arrangement of bringing a new cat home will work, and if it even will work. Buy all necessary items before hand These include: food and water bowls, food, litterbox, litter, scooper, scratching post, cat tower, cat bed, toys, collar, identification tag, leash, travel crate and a brush. Bring your cat home in a kitty carrier or cardboard box Coming home will be traumatic for your cat so minimize any undo stress in the car and on the journey home by keeping your cat safe and contained in a cat carrier. You can purchase a carrier before you adopt your cat. Most shelters and pet stores will also have cardboard carriers that you can also use to transport you new kitty. Using a carrier will make it less likely that your new cat will escape and your cat will feel safer with less new and foreign space around. remeber to talk to your new cat(s) on the way home in a sweet calm voice so that they begin to adapt to the sound of your voice and also it will let them know that you care. Bring your cat home to a calm environment Once you bring kitty home make sure your home is quiet and calm. Your kitty will need time to get used to his or her new surroundings. First bring the box or crate into one room and open the crate but don't take your cat out. Let him or her come out on his or her own when ready. Once your cat comes out of the carrier let him or her explore. Don't run around after your cat showing him or her where things are or picking him or her up too much. You probably want to place the litterbox and food and water in sight so he or she can find them on his or her own. Give your cat some time to get used to things at his or her own pace. If you have children or other pets you may want to keep them away for awhile. You can introduce them to your new cat slowly and only after a new cat is comfortable with the surroundings themselves. Remember, cats hate stress so be very conscious of over-stressing your cat with too much stimulus. Bottom line - don't push it. What to do if your cat cries or meows Your cat may, especially if he or she is a kitten and misses mom, cry or seem frightened the first few nights. If this happens make sure to comfort your cat and give your cat lots of attention. Remember that your cat is in a completely new place with new people and so many different smells that are strange to him or her, so try your best to make him feel welcome and to help him adjust. Let kitty sleep with you too if you can. When I adopted SpikeIf human comfort doesn't seem to do the trick you may also want to consider getting another cat as a companion. That's why adopting kittens in pairs is so much easier on the cats and on you. Start to show your cat around Once your cat is comfortable with the house you can start to show your cat around and let him or her know where things are such as litterboxes, food, water, a scratching post etc. Keep a routine for your cat Cats LOVE routines, they are creatures of habit, so help them out. If you feed your cat only at certain times make sure to keep those times consistent. Keep grooming and play times consistent as well. Your cat will feel more and more comfortable not only as he/she gets used to the new home, but also finds a suitable routine to grow into. Begin establishing rules and proper behavior Only after your cat is completely used to you and your home should you start to train and discipline your cat. At this time you can start teaching your cat name recognition, your voice, proper social skills, how to go for walks, and rules on jumping and scratching. This may seem like a lot of work but it really isn't. BACK |