Welcome to Your New Journey!
Congratulations on welcoming a new furry family member into your home! To ensure a smooth transition for your cat as they embark on this exciting new chapter, please read the helpful tips below.
KITTEN and CAT-PROOFING YOUR HOME
Here are some tips for kitten and cat-proofing your home & creating a safe environment for your new ball of fluff!
Have a "safe" area to put the kitty when you first get home. Set up the room PRIOR to bringing the kitty home. A small bathroom, laundry room, or bedroom are great places to set up with food, water, a litter box, and toys. This way you can monitor their "input and output" and locate them if they aren't visible. They will most likely want to hide until they know they are safe.
Hide electrical cords: Electrical cords should be covered with cord covers or hidden away.
Hide valuables and breakables: Don’t place any valuables or anything that could break (glass, ceramics, watches, etc.) anywhere they could easily be knocked or pushed over. Including glassware left unattended on countertops and tables (wine glass, water glass, coffee cup, etc.).
Get rid of toxic house plants: Check all your plants against the ASPCA’s Toxic Plant List to confirm they won’t make your cat sick if they nibble on them. Learn more about the most common poisonous plants for cats.
Secure furniture: Make sure furniture is secured and isn’t going to be knocked over if your kitten jumps or climbs on it.
Add baby locks: Consider adding baby locks on cabinets, especially those that contain cleaning chemicals. Otherwise, ensure chemicals are stored securely where your kitten can’t reach them.
Close toilet lids: Make sure all toilet lids are closed when not in use. Curious kittens can slip and fall in and potentially drown.
Put human food away: While a number of human foods are safe for cats to eat, some can be toxic or, at the very least, give them a tummy ache. To play it safe, put away all human food and avoid giving them human food treats until they’re an adult.
Put away any medicine or medical equipment that could be knocked off the table and possibly spill out.
Check all screens and doors: Ensure all screens and doors in your house are secure and don’t have holes your cat could squeeze through.
Block access to any appliances: This includes wood stoves, kitchen stovetops, water heaters, and furnaces.
When you pick up your new family member, you’ll need a sturdy cat carrier to transport them home safely. Look for a carrier that is made of durable materials, has proper ventilation, is easy to clean and has a comfy floor pad. Learn more about how to choose the best cat carrier. Once home, keep the carrier in an accessible location so you can easily grab it in an emergency or when you need to take your kitten to the vet.
Your kitten’s food and water bowls should be made of non-toxic materials and appropriately sized. Opt for bowls that are shallow yet wide to help prevent your cat whiskers from rubbing against the bowl (cats hate that!). The water bowl, specifically, should hold at least one cup of water. (Kittens need about 2 ounces of water per 2.5 pounds of body weight per day.) For kittens who eat too quickly, slow feeder bowls help slow down your kitten’s eating pace—promoting better digestion and reducing the risk of vomiting and bloating.
Litter boxes and litter are vital supplies for your kitten’s hygiene and well-being—not to mention, the cleanliness of your house. Additionally, you’ll need a scooper for your kitten’s litter and a litter mat to catch stray bits of litter.Choose a litter box with low walls, so that your kitten can easily climb into and out of it. Ideally, you should have one litter box per cat, plus one extra. (Making sure your cats have adequate space to do their business can help prevent potty issues such as peeing and/or pooping in places other than the litter box.) For an adult cat, a box with higher walls can help prevent “missing the box” issues. Learn more about choosing the best litter box for your feline friend.
Kittens are naturally curious and playful creatures, and cat toys provide a fun and interactive way for them to expend their energy and satisfy their instincts. Toys also help prevent boredom and reduce destructive behaviors, such as scratching furniture or getting into mischief (their specialty). Cat toys include everything from small plush toys and wand-style toys to interactive toys and ball and chaser toys.
When kittens aren’t pouncing, playing and exploring, they’re snoozing. With the typical kitten sleeping anywhere from 16 to 18 hours a day, it’s crucial to have a cozy bed for them to sleep in (when your lap isn’t available, of course). When choosing a cat bed, consider the size, the materials and the design. If possible, have it be machine washable.
Information provided courtesy of chewy.com
Wouldn't it be great if you could bring home a new cat, introduce it to your other cat, and have them shake paws before becoming fast friends? Unfortunately, this is not a realistic scenario. Cats are highly territorial animals, especially toward other cats. So, what is the best way to introduce a new cat to its fuzzy roommates?
Introducing your pets to each other gradually will minimize the risk of either animal becoming scared or even too aggressive. Your animals may do some initial sniffing or they may just stare at each other. It’s also possible they will simply growl or hiss at each other. Don’t worry — this is also normal. The introduction process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Cats can be territorial, and we’ll discuss what to do if there’s initial conflict between the two animals.
Here are three ways to introduce your new cat to your old animal.
1. A space of their own.
Your new cat will likely need some time to adjust to you and their new living situation. To help him acclimate without overwhelming him, keep your new cat in a small room with his own litter box, food, water, scratching post, toy and bed for several days to a week. You can separately feed your newcomer and your other pet(s) on opposite sides of the door to this room. This will allow the animals to associate an activity they enjoy, such as eating, with one another’s smells. However, be cautious not to put the food too close to the door, otherwise the cats might get upset by each other. As time goes on, be sure to gradually move the dishes closer to the door until your pets are able to eat calmly while standing opposite each other with the door in between them. Be sure to spend equal time with your new kitty in his room as you do with your older cat in his room to ward off jealousy.
2. Familiarize each other with their scents.
Getting each cat acquainted with the other’s scent is a big part of getting them comfortable with each other. Now that you’ve begun the process of getting the animals used to each other’s smells, it’s time to kick that up a notch. Swap their blankets, beds or toys that the animals use. If there are more than two animals in the house, do the same for each animal. Once they all feel comfortable with this step, it’s time to open up the barrier door and let your new cat wander around the space while confining your usual pet(s) to the new cat’s room. You may want to pace the new cat and allow him into one or two new rooms at a time over a few days.
This is another opportunity for the animals to experience each others’ scents without meeting face-to-face quite yet, and it allows the new cat to get to know his new surroundings without the other pet(s) scaring him off or frightening him when he’s exploring. You can repeat these exercises several times a day, or whenever you’re home to supervise. If you need to leave the house, place your new cat back in his room and the usual pet(s) back in their respective spaces. If the animals seem calm and collected with these experiences, you may prop open the dividing door to let the animals see each other; again, this is to be done only when you’re around to supervise.
3. The big reveal.
If your animals are responding well to the door being propped open with a gate in between them, it may be time to introduce your pets to each other gradually, face-to-face. If you’re lucky, the cats may do some sniffing and licking, which means it’s all been a great success. Or they may also sit and stare at each other, or they may growl and hiss at each other and walk away — and hopefully not go on the attack. Again, this is to be expected. This may go on for a few days and then you may break out a toy and find that they’re happily playing together, best friends at last.
If you’re not lucky, your cats may be very stressed and show signs of agitation, such as flattened ears, growling and crouching. To ward off a rumble, you may clap your hands together loudly or throw a pillow or toy to provide a distraction before the agitation turns into a fight. If the cat standoff continues, herd them into separate parts of the house once more to calm them down. The calming down process may take up to 24 hours, so be patient. If your cats have acclimated to each other, then congrats! You’ve successfully integrated your new cat with your old cat and have triumphantly added more fuzzy cuddle time into your life. If the kitties are still circling each other angrily, don’t fret. Follow the next step to continue your bonding process.
If your cats are still side-eyeing each other across the room, it’s best to continue repeating steps 1 and 2 until you, and your cats, feel comfortable moving onto step 3. In the meantime, try keeping your previous pet’s routine close to what it was before the new cat on the block arrived, and make sure all the cats have a safe haven to escape to if they’re feeling scared or upset. Don’t ever try to break up a fight by picking one of the cats up, or you might end up as collateral damage. If after a few weeks the cats are still fighting, even after you’ve started the introduction process over again, you may want to consider getting advice from a vet or animal behaviorist.
This handbook has been reviewed by a local veterinarian and provides many helpful links for new cat owners, which could also benefit seasoned cat owners.
Click on the cat below for access to the handbook.
