Moving in Your Four Paws
BEFORE BRINGING YOUR CAT HOME
The new cat’s territory is of great importance. Here is what you need to have ready when your cat arrives home:
The new cat’s territory is of great importance. Here is what you need to have ready when your cat arrives home:
- Provide the new member of the household with his own quiet space for the first few days or weeks until he gets acclimated with his new surroundings. A laundry room or a small bedroom would work well.
- Your new cat needs to feel safe and comfortable in his new space, so furnish the space with amenities, such as a litter box, food and water bowls, and a few toys.
- Place the litter box in an area of the room where he can find some privacy. Fill the litter box with one or two inches of litter.
- Place the food and water bowls away from the litter box. It is important to differentiate the spaces.
- Create a safe haven for the cat to hide in during the settlement process. You can buy a covered cat bed or you can use a cardboard box turned upside down, with two doors cut out. The cat will feel more secure if there is an escape door to use an as exit.
- Once your cat feels familiar with the different rooms in the house, make sure you do not have anything on display that can be knocked off when he starts climbing on the furniture, shelves, or cabinets.
- Observe the body language of the cat. Your cat may need to occupy a separate room in the house for up to a week before he ventures out to the rest of the house. The best thing you can do for your cat is make him feel secure.