Mary Allen
The day has finally arrived: your new cat is coming to you. With these tips, your new roommate will feel at home in no time.
The basic equipment for your cat
Before your purring companion comes to your house, get the things that belong to the basic equipment. Are important:
- a food and water bowl,
- a cat basket or a snuggle cave
- a cat blanket and/or a pillow,
- one or more litter boxes
- Cat litter,
- a scratching post or board,
- a transport box,
- a comb
- some toys,
- cat food and
- Treats.
If an outdoor cat comes to your home, tick tweezers are also recommended.
Extra tip: One of the most important pieces of furniture for your cat is a stable, solidly manufactured scratching post. Since there are now great models for every furnishing style and cat taste, you should consider buying several trees for your four walls. Your cat will be happy if it gets a change – and your furniture will thank you for it too.
Safety for your cat
It is important that you prepare your apartment or house for your new family member because there are a few sources of danger lurking that you may not even think of at first.
First of all, you should provide your windows or your balcony with inserts to prevent slipping through or with a cat net to make them safe for cats. You can even create entire outdoor enclosures with it.
If available, fence your garden in an escape-proof manner and cover the pond, swimming pool, or rain barrel.
You keep the washing machine and dishwasher, the oven, and the microwave closed and provide the stovetops and the sockets with child safety devices. It is better to remove poisonous plants completely and please also close paintwork, cleaning agents, and medicines so that they are cat-proof.
You should also avoid open fire because your cat will find the flickering light interesting. Unfortunately, their paws or whiskers are then burned faster than you can see.
Set up a warm (sleeping) place for your cat
Your cat spends more than half of the day sleeping and dozing. A beautifully designed sleeping place makes every cat’s heart beat faster.
Set up a quiet and hidden cave for your velvet paw and a raised spot on the window sill with a view. Depending on what preferences your house cat has, he will choose his favorite place.
Make sure that the places are protected from drafts, moisture, and direct sun. Apart from that, there are no limits to the design with pillows and fluffy blankets. If you use blankets or pillows, make sure that they are easily washable.
Extra tip: If your cat finds your human bed more interesting than the prepared places, put a treat every now and then in the intended cat sleeping place to make it more attractive. Unless you want to give her the luxury of sleeping in bed with you.
Step by step in the new home
In the beginning, it is important that you give your cat enough time and rest in its new home. This way she can get to know her new surroundings and explore everything. Initially, it makes sense to place the cat in a separate room, where everything that it needs will be located. Often this becomes the future refuge from stress or danger.
It doesn’t take long for curious animals to venture out of hiding. But don’t be too upset if your new roommate is a bit more cautious. After a certain time, the urge to explore will win out. Then expand the area for your cat to include more rooms.
Extra tip: You shouldn’t move the spot where your kitty can relieve itself in the future. A move is already a lot of excitement for your animal, further changes in the new home quickly overwhelm the cat.
Give familiar food
For your four-legged companion, everything is new and unknown at the beginning. It is therefore important to give the cat stability and orientation through familiar food and reliable processes. This way the cat feels safer and faster. Adopt the previously familiar feeding times and the type of feeding. This gives you continuity.
It is best to initially mix small portions of wet food with oatmeal, as some cats tend to have diarrhea or loss of appetite due to the excitement and change.
You can also mix the probiotic powder with your cat’s food to regulate the gastrointestinal flora and support the immune system. If the loss of appetite or diarrhea persists for a long time, consult a veterinarian.
Your cat’s personality
Cats are always small grab bags, but after a few days, maybe even weeks, your kitty will gradually reveal its character. Depending on what your purring companion has experienced before, your cat will approach you confidently and without prejudice and conquer its new kingdom with its tail stretched out and its ears pricked.
But it can also happen that your cat crouches in a watchful position and runs through the room looking for cover because the shy ones long for a safe, quiet place from which they can calmly process everything new. Consideration is the be-all and end-all and you should stay in the background unobtrusively.
Extra tip: Nevertheless, offer your house cat regular contact. Ideally, sit on the floor for this, because cats like to meet at eye level.
Spend time with your cat
In order to get closer, you should initially spend a lot of time with your new pet, obviously noticing your cat. Sit in a chair, read a book or watch a movie.
At some point, your new roommate’s nose will want to sniff you. The more relaxed you appear, the more likely your cat will dare to approach you. Be very calm and speak softly to your cat when it approaches you.
In the case of adult cats that have already experienced a lot, it can take months before they allow themselves to be petted for the first time. Don’t rush your animal friend. Because patience is worth it: If the cat rubs its head on your leg for the first time, the ice is broken.
Extra tip: It can help to spend the night with your purring companion, because sleeping people seem much more harmless to velvet paws. At some point, jumping onto the warm duvet next to you is very easy.
Slowly introduce your cat to other family members
Do you already have a cat or dog living with you and are you bringing another animal as a companion? Then please don’t expect your existing pets to happily welcome your new cat.
In the beginning, you should first confront your newcomer in his room with only one reference person. This also has the advantage that the new cat will no longer smell too foreign when it finally meets the other animals. This can facilitate mutual acceptance.
Other family members should not enter the room until your cat trusts at least one person. Enlighten your children about the behavior of the new family member. Make the little animal friends understand why your four-legged friend is not a natural playmate and what natural needs a cat has.
“Guide” your cat properly
It is not without reason that cats are considered headstrong with demanding characters. They just do what they want, according to popular belief, and decide what pleases them or what is beneath their dignity.
On the one hand, this is mostly true, but on the other hand, it is not entirely true. You can definitely take advantage of your cat’s quick wit and intelligence and steer unwanted behavior in the right direction. Your kitty will strive to engage in behaviors in front of you that evoke positive resonance and avoid those that cause trouble.
Consistently correct any quirks you dislike and reinforce desired behaviors with loving praise and treats.
The trip to the vet
After the first acclimatization period, you should take your cat to the vet for a visit. Prepare this “outing” well to make the experience as positive as possible for your cat.
It is recommended that you only show your animal to the doctor’s office the first time. A short time later you take her there again and let the doctor examine the cat carefully. In this way, any existing diseases are recognized and can be treated.
Extra tip: Due to the change, your cat may initially experience stress reactions, perhaps this also manifests itself in a so-called “stress cold”. Stay calm and check with your veterinarian. After that, you should follow the annual vaccinations and two to twelve worming treatments (depending on the type of housing) per year.
The extra tip: Give her a lot of love
Love your cat for life. Show her how much you love her and how nice it is to have a four-legged friend waiting for you when you come home. Your cat will thank you with gentle snuggling, soft purring, and every comforting meow.
- Important if you adopt an outdoor cat
- Keep your adventurer indoors for at least the first six weeks.
- Write down your cat’s chip or tattoo number.
- Use flea or tick repellent that you can apply using the “spot-on” method.