How To Make Cats Feel Comfortable In New Home – This article was co-authored by Tabitha Kucera. Tabitha Kucera is a Registered Veterinary Technician & Cat and Dog Behavior Consultant and Owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training in Cleveland, Ohio. Tabitha has over ten years of experience working in animal veterinary hospitals, farm sanctuaries, and cat and dog rescues. Tabitha has helped develop training and behavior programs for various hospitals and veterinary shelters and works as a consultant for many shelters and private veterinary practices. Her teaching credentials include lecturing at regional and national levels and at multiple veterinary technology programs. She is a Free Man certified speaker, a Certified Fear Free Practice Consultant, a behavior consultant for Cat Pawsitive Pro, and the host of the podcast, Tails from a Vet Tech. She is currently on the board of the Pet Professional Association’s Cat Committee and is the President of the Association of Veterinary Behavior Technicians. She is a Certified Fear Free and Low Stress Handling Registered Veterinary Technician, certified cat behavior consultant, certified Karen Pryor Academy training partner, and holds the Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) designation in behavior.
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How To Make Cats Feel Comfortable In New Home
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Bringing A New Kitten Home
Getting a cute new cat is an exciting experience, but it’s easy to get scared during the early stages. Cats need time to adjust to their new surroundings and learn to trust you, and it is important to give them this space. If you want to make your cat comfortable around you, you must try to give it space, bond with it, and give it a proper pet.
This article was co-authored by Tabitha Kucera. Tabitha Kucera is a Registered Veterinary Technician & Cat and Dog Behavior Consultant and Owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training in Cleveland, Ohio. Tabitha has over ten years of experience working in animal veterinary hospitals, farm sanctuaries, and cat and dog rescues. Tabitha has helped develop training and behavior programs for various hospitals and veterinary shelters and works as a consultant for many shelters and private veterinary practices. Her teaching credentials include lecturing at regional and national levels and at multiple veterinary technology programs. She is a Free Man certified speaker, a Certified Fear Free Practice Consultant, a behavior consultant for Cat Pawsitive Pro, and the host of the podcast, Tails from a Vet Tech. She is currently on the board of the Pet Professional Association’s Cat Committee and is the President of the Association of Veterinary Behavior Technicians. She is a Certified Fear Free and Low Stress Handling Registered Veterinary Technician, certified cat behavior consultant, Karen Pryor Academy certified training partner, and holds the Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) designation in behavior. This article has been viewed 53,783 times. Bringing Home a New Kitten: What You Need to Know to Make Your Baby Feel Safe, Happy and Comfortable in Their New Home
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Are you thinking of adopting a new kitten? My husband and I raised kittens of our own and have fostered almost 40. This article will cover the basics of how to prepare your home for a new kitten and how to help your kitten settle into your home. I will also briefly cover how to curb unwanted behaviors and how to socialize your kitten.
How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat
You should first prepare your home ahead of time. Your kitten will need a food bowl, water bowl, litter box, scratching post, soft bed, cat brush, and toys. It is vital that you use a loose litter until your kitten matures; some kittens will eat litter and litter can end up in their intestines and cause serious health problems and even death.
If possible, bring your kitten home when you have a few quiet days to spend with him. Try to bring him home in the morning, so he has time to get used to your home before bedtime. Also, collect the scent from your kitten’s current environment to ease the transition. Rub an unscented cloth on his siblings, his bed, and other surfaces he comes in contact with. Put this cloth in his kennel and then in your house.
Make the car journey home safe and enjoyable. Secure the cat carrier in the back seat with a seat belt or place the carrier on the floor behind the passenger seat. Spray cat pheromones on the carrier and drape a blanket over it. Play quiet music or talk calmly to your kitty on the drive, and keep the drive gentle.
When you get home, put your kitten and her carrier in a small, quiet room away from noise and commotion. Then open the carrier door and let her explore her new surroundings. Keep the room door closed at first so your kitten can get to know one room first; this will disturb her less than if you give her immediate access to your whole house.
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On a similar note, let your kitten dictate interactions for the first few days. If he comes up to you and rubs into you, go ahead and pet him. Otherwise, understand that it may be scary and uncertain what to expect. He may feel more comfortable hiding in his carrier or elsewhere in the room than interacting with you.
First, stick to the same diet and feeding routine that your kitten is used to. The stress of moving to a new home can cause your kitten to not eat much at first, and sudden changes in a cat’s diet can cause digestive upset. Once your kitten has settled into your home you can transition it to new foods and new feeding times. Remember that after weaning, kittens lose the ability to digest the sugar in cow’s milk so it can give them diarrhoea. Also, if you feed people kittens they could turn into beggars. If you have any concerns about your kitten’s eating habits, contact your vet.
After a few weeks, your kitten should be more comfortable in your home. At this point, she might start to test boundaries, so it’s important to teach good manners early on. If she starts to squirm or bite, say “OW!” and then all interactions cease until it stops. Play sessions at different times throughout the day should help her release her energy in an appropriate way. To prevent furniture destruction, provide her with scratching posts and chew toys and sticks. The scratching post should be high enough for your cat to reach its entire body while using it. If there is furniture you don’t want your kitten on, use pins to lure her to acceptable places. Also, give her acceptable climbing options. You should also keep your counters free of food, so you don’t teach her that countertops can be a great source of snacks.
As well as encouraging good manners, it is important for you to start socializing your kitten. When kittens are 8 to 16 weeks old their personalities are formed and they are more open to new experiences. Proper socialization during this time will start your kitten off on the right foot and give him skills that will last a lifetime. To do this, expose it in a positive way to as many people, animals, places, sensory stimuli, and handling. The key word here is positive; otherwise, a new experience may frighten and upset your kitten. Exposing your kitten in a positive way involves using reinforcers that he likes, be it treats, toys or attention. It also involves watching his body language to find out how he feels and continuing with an experience only if your kitten is comfortable with it. Exposure to things that may seem scary at first should be done very slowly.
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Although kittens can be tiring and challenging, they also bring fun and joy to our lives. Enjoy your new adventure! Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Allison Hunter-Frederick is a certified cat behavior consultant and trainer. She is also a mother to three cats and several revolving foster cats, a host mother to an international student, and a wife to a supportive husband. Allison is a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Pet Professional Guild (including the PPG Cat Committee), and Best Friends Network Partners. Currently, she volunteers with The Capital Humane Society, The Cat House, Lincoln Animal Ambassadors, and Love on a Leash. Whether you already have pets in the family, you shouldn’t
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