Adopting Feline Grace

By William Hawke

So the big moment is finally here. You have got a new cat and you have just begun a relationship that is likely to be filled with undiluted fun and affection. Welcome to the wonderful world of cat ownership. Now it is the time to introduce your kitty to his/her new home. With just a little planning and patience, you can ensure that your cat’s adjustment period will be as quick and stress-free as possible.


Groundwork

Set up a separate room for the newcomer. Provide he /she with his/her own litter box, food and water dishes, and a comfortable place to sleep in, unwind and/or hide out. It will be important for the little tiger or tigress to have his/her own space for at least a week or so. This will give the cat enough time to become accustomed to the strange new sounds and smells around him. It will also give your other pets (if you are lucky enough to have them) the time to become accustomed to the newcomer’s smell, without the stress associated with a face-to-face meeting.

Catty business

Make sure the newcomer’s room is ready with fresh food, water and litter. It is especially important that the litter be fresh and clean, so after you have prepared the room, shut the door and keep your other pets out. Bring the newcomer in his/her new quarters. While this is being done, you should give your other pets lots of attention: play their favourite game with them, or just have a cuddling session.

Resist the temptation to go to check the newcomer immediately. Leave him/her strictly alone for at least a couple of hours. When you do finally enter the room, stay only long enough to accomplish necessities: cleaning litter or replenishing food or water, or for a brief getting-to-know-you session. Naturally, everyone in the family, especially the kids, will be excited about the new arrival. Children should be invited to visit the new kitty …but one at a time. Try to keep your children quiet and seated on these visits, so they do not frighten the cat, if he/she is not used to kids.

Your other pets will certainly want to investigate the newcomer, and perhaps would even exchange bad words with him/her underneath the door! No matter what, do not allow the newcomer out or your other pets in at this stage. This is the worst mistake you could make, so resist it.

Continue to confine the cat but do spend some time with him/her each day. Also continue to pay extra attention to your other pets. Yes, it’s hard to resist the novelty of a new pet, but it will pay off in the long run in terms of less stress for everyone concerned!

For two to three days, continue the entire above-mentioned procedure. Then after the session of extra attention with your other pets, confine them to another room. After that, allow the newcomer to explore the rest of the home. You should sit quietly and allow him/her to explore; he/she will want to do a very thorough job and probably won’t be interested in playing or interacting with you just then.

The length of time that you should leave the newcomer out and your other pets confined will depend largely on how comfortable they seem to be with the arrangement. If your other pets are howling for release, or if the newcomer takes a quick look around and then retreats to the safety of his/her room, make this first session a short one. You can always repeat this exercise later in the day, for a longer duration.

When you have restored your feline pet to his/her private room, release your other pets. They will no doubt be very busy for a while, checking out every sniff or sign of their new housemate. Once again, give them lots of extra love and reassurance, so that they never get the feeling of being neglected.

The coming out ceremony

After five to seven days of acquiring the newcomer, eventually it is the time for a face-to-face meeting. However, before that make sure that all your pets are fed. Moreover, you should maintain a calm disposition. If you are nervous, your animals will pick up on it and will also become tense. Before the meeting, your other family members also need to be calm and quiet. Make sure to explain this, especially to the kids: no loud talking or noises, no sudden motions, no grabbing. Children too young to follow these instructions should not be present during the meeting.

Just in case an actual fight or tussle develops, have a squirt bottle filled with cold water at hand. You should never try to break up a cat or a dogfight by involving yourself physically, but a good dousing of water generally works wonders. Besides that, when you finally let the newcomer out, don’t make a big deal out of it. Everyone should be as casual about it as possible, and should ignore the newcomer as much as possible, while paying extra attention to other pets. Chances are that if you have followed these instructions so far, there would be nothing untoward to mark the occasion. However, don’t leave the newcomer out for too long at first, even if all is going smoothly. As the days pass, the process of getting acquainted can become more frequent. 

Bring your new feline to a caring veterinarian for a wellness exam within one week after adoption. Provide the same diet he/she had had at the shelter, at least for the first week or two. If you wish to switch on to a different flavour or brand, slowly make the switch over, starting with a quarter ration of the new food, mixed into his/her old favourite.

After seven to ten days...

Continue to increase the length of time the newcomer is out of his/her room, but also continue to ignore him/her as much as possible. Remind family members to do the same, especially the kids. At the same time, continue to confine the newcomer anytime you aren’t at home. Take your cue from the animals. If you observe them carefully, you should be able to tell when the cat has been accepted, and when it is safe to leave him/her alone with other pets. 

As the newcomer becomes more integrated to his/her environment, you can leave the door to his/her room open more and more. Eventually, you’ll be able to move that extra litter box to wherever the other litter boxes are kept, but it’s probably a good idea to have multiple boxes for multiple cats, as many cats don’t like to share. The newcomer’s food dishes can also ‘come out of the closet’ and join the others. Once settled in, a young cat or kitten will be eager to play. Stock up on interactive toys such as feather wands and kitty fishing poles to engage the cat’s attention. 

Preventing bad habits

A little training since the day your cat first arrives at your home, will help to prevent any bad habits from getting established. Here are some tips to check three most prevalent bad habits among these little tigers.

Scratching: Scratching is a normal cat behaviour to leave its scent on its territory, get exercise, and groom its nails. Most cats will leave your expensive furniture alone if you redirect their scratching instincts to an acceptable spot. Invest in a kitty condo big enough for your cat to stretch out on, and if you see him/her scratching, take him/her to the post. Rub a little catnip on the condo to enhance its appeal. Please do not declaw your cat. It’s painful, leaves your cat defenceless, and often causes emotional problems that arise from the suppression of this very natural activity. 

Jumping:  Cats prefer to jump on the kitchen counter and table. Cats love high places, so they perceive the kitchen counter as a great place to watch the world go by. If your cat also finds food up there, they get a major reinforcement for this bad habit. Best solution is to find another spot in the kitchen where it’s ok for your cat to hang out from on high, like the top of the refrigerator. Then persistently move your kitty there every time she jumps on the counter. Repetition and consistency are the keys here, but eventually your cat will get the idea.

Not using the litter box: First, have your cat checked by your vet to rule out an urinary tract infection. Next, try changing the type of litter, for many cats are very sensitive to particular litters. Try unscented litters, remove hoods from boxes, move the box to a more private location, or clean the box more often. Provide multiple boxes in multiple cat households. Also, if you have a kitten, be sure it actually remembers where the litter box is. Sometimes in a big house, a small kitten can feel lost, in which case it will look for the nearest unobtrusive corner to go and relieve himself/herself. 

However, despite all the patience and hard work, despite all the teething problems, introducing a new cat or kitten to your household is exciting, challenging, and rewarding. With time, love and patience, your new pet will settle in to become a wonderful and unconditionally loving companion.