Have a new cat? Help give them a smoother transition to your home.
While it’s not something I recommend without a lot of research and thought into it, cat adoptions spike a lot over the holiday season. Check out my post on Holiday Pet Adoption tips which applies all year long. Don’t get a pet if you’re not ready for a lifetime commitment of love. So what happens once the glow of the holiday lights has dimmed and furriest family member is trying to adapt to it’s new surroundings and family? We humans play a big part if not the most important part in helping our pets adapt to being a happy and healthy member of the family.
Say hello to our Oliver, whom we adopted about four years ago, during the holidays but only after we had thought long and hard about it for several months. He is one of the happiest and loving cats, heck pet we’ve ever had in the family.
Here are some tips we hope you will find helpful for yourself and of course your favourite feline/s:
- Let them hide: Cats love to sneak away to a favourite spot, especially when they are still weary of their new surroundings. Creating areas for your new cat to hide out by moving your couch out from the wall a few inches or pulling your bed covers down until they hit the floor is ideal so your cat can enjoy some alone time.
- Stock the pantry: Pick up a few necessary items prior to introducing your cat to his or her new home, but don’t go overboard as you’ll want to learn your cat’s personality and preferences. It’s important to have wet and dry food options, along with separate food and water bowls, to set up an eating station.
- Privacy, please: Everyone in the family deserves a little privacy and your cat is no different! Make sure you place the litter box in a quiet spot and away from your cat’s eating station. A litter box lined with 3-4 inches of Arm & Hammer ™ Clump & Seal ™ litter is a must have for a 7-day odour-free home—guaranteed.
- Lighten the load: Your groceries are heavy enough to load out of the car, now Arm & Hammer ™ Clump & Seal™ LightWeight litter contains the same amount of uses as our regular clumping litter, at half the weight, so you won’t need to worry about lugging heavy litter around with you. This is a life saver for me as I’m the one usually picking up the litter. I appreciate that it’s dust free as I have allergies and any dustiness sets off my sneezing.
- Prepare for playtime: Having different types of toys on hand is a great way to engage with your cat and determine his or her play habits. A scratching post is also essential—cats need to wear down their nails, so be sure to have this in place or your furniture will see the result.
- Spend some quality time together: In the beginning, visit with your cat frequently but for short periods of time. Visiting can mean interacting directly with your new cat in the form of play or petting, or quietly reading a book or chatting on the telephone in the same space as your new companion.
Oliver wants to you to know that we utilized a lot of these tips when we first adopted him and that’s part of why it was such an easy transition for him to join our family and be the happy, fun loving, cuddly cat that he is today. We hope you find the tips as helpful as we did and that you all have a happy life together, all nine lives too 🙂
KATE SARSFIELD says
We’ve always taken in rescue cats and once got a call from a local organisation who had taken in a young Siamese bought as a companion for a child with autism. Unfortunately the two didn’t bond and we were told that the cat was neurotic. Well, almost 20 years later, he finally passed away to that great fish pond in the sky after giving us so much pleasure for all that time!
Linda Manns says
I need to try this cat litter. I am tired of carrying these big heavy litter boxes. Thank you for this great information for us cat lovers
Edna Williams says
I adopted a kitten recently that I literally found on my doorstep. Thanks for the article!
Crystal Porter says
Cats love to move in here. They frequently adopt my mother too, she does feed them. I think that is why they keep moving into her house haha
lisa says
When I had a cat, he was already an adult when I got him. He was very shy and it tool him a few days of observation before he warmed up to us. After that, he was just fine. That is with us only. If the phone rang or we had visitors, he’d hide.
michelle elizondo says
I want a cat so bad and would love my kids to have one.
mousecat says
i adopted a cat a few years ago too and he was really scared at first but we let him be and after a while (a really long while) he came out to check out the new surroundings. He likes to follow everyone around now and prefers hanging out with people instead of being on his own these days
Alex B says
Best pets ever!
Elissa Mahler says
Great ideas! I will reexamine these once I adopt a new friend!
Ronald Gagnon says
We have a dog, a rabbit, hermit crabs so naturally we had to add a kitten (6 weeks old).she is now almost a year old.Our grade 12 teenager has wanted to be a vet since she was 3 and has even more understanding than your great suggestions advise
Angelehm says
Its very true,being prepared for a new pet can be the difference between success and regret. Cats need hidey spaces to safely observe new surroundings and a little time. They also need a private area for a litter box which must be kept clean or they could just refuse to use it. I do not have any cats now ,just 4 cat loving dogs but no room at the inn lol.If I ever do then easier is for me. i disliked cleaning that box or keeping it in the house. This type of litter might work for me.
Jay Nelson says
I find new kitties do well if they have a period of time to adjust – where they can watch the children and not have to worry about being touched.
ginette4 says
We adopted a cat last August..someone left her behind and my daughter started feeding her, she was pregnant had her babies and we recently had her spayed..she is now a member of the family…great post!
Sophia,M.,McConnery says
Been using the cheapest from Walmart.It is the one with all the protections,clumping,and smells amazing.It also comes in a HUGE box.Yes it is heavy.I want something that will work for my male cat.He likes this litter a lot!