Bringing your new pet home
Bringing Your New Pet Home
by Nathalie Mireles
August 4th, 2019
Bringing your new pet home can be scary. How will your new pet adapt to their new surroundings? Will they get along with other pets? How can you make this transition go smoothly and stress free for your new family member? Keep reading for our best advice on bringing home your new pet!
Help your new pet to develop a routine which meshes well with your lifestyle.
Set boundaries right from the start. If there are places the cat is not allowed to go (for example the kitchen counter), make that clear right away. If you allow it at first, it will be harder to retrain later.
Redirect your cat if it does something you don’t like rather than punishing it. Your new friend won’t automatically know your rules.
Introduce your cat to your family first and let it have some time to adjust before bringing other new people into your home.
Prepare a safe room.
A safe starter room for the new cat will provide the cat with the quiet and safety he/she needs while becoming familiar with the scents and sounds of your home.
Any room will do as long as it has a secure ceiling and door.
Put the food dish, water dish, and litter box in the safe room.
Give your new kitty a place to hide.
Nervous cats appreciate a box or a sheet over a chair so they feel they have a safe haven to which to retreat.
If you’ve adopted a shy cat, avoid rooms with large furniture to hide under. This will only make it harder for you to interact with your new friend.
Place a piece of clothing or other item (ex. pillowcase) which has your scent on it in the room. This will allow your new fur-buddy to get used to your scent.
Place a new scratching post in the room.
Scratching is a natural calming behavior for cats
Having a post with no other cats’ scents on it is less stressful.
If your cat seems particularly stressed, you might consider a product called Feliway available at most local pet shops. Feliway imitates natural cat pheromones and can help your new feline feel more comfortable.
Spend some time with your new cat.
Play with your new friend
Read a book in the room where you friend is staying
Chat with a friend on the phone so the cat gets used to your voice
If your cat is nervous, frequent short visits may be better than fewer long ones.
Give your cat time to warm up to you and their new environment. If your cat is nervous, read their body language. Gradually build up to more advanced interactions like holding/carrying the cat. Don’t force any behavior with the cat, if they are not ready or seem scared or annoyed by the interaction as it may make them less likely to accept basic interactions like petting in the future if their first experience is a negative one. If they don’t like being held, try petting or feeding them treats to get them more comfortable with hands on interactions.
Make sure to supervise all children’s initial interactions with new pets to make sure they are appropriately gentle and handling the cat in a safe way for the cat and themselves.
Transition your cat beyond the safe room.
Once your cat feels confident in the safe room, let your him/her explore the rest of the house in stages.
Close some doors so your cat doesn’t get overwhelmed. Too many new spaces at one time can be stressful and frightening.
9oiLet him/her explore a few areas at a time.
Have a great day!
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