Bringing Your New Kitty Home
Bringing your new cat home for the first time is very exciting
for you and your new cat, but if you already have a kitty at home,
you may want to take some steps to ensure that both kitties adjust
to the new situation. Conversely, if this is your first kitty you
will want to pick up a few supplies and take a few steps to safety-proof
your home.
Introducing the New Cat
to the Resident Cat
When a new cat is being introduced into a home where there is already
a resident cat (or cats) it is especially important to give the
new cat a safe haven. Provide the cat with his/her own room in which
to adjust, before introducing him/her to the resident cat. This
allows the newcomer and the resident cat a chance to get used to
one another's scents before their first face to face interaction.
The best way to let cats meet for the first time is to put the
new cat back into the carrier and put the carrier on the floor in
the resident cat's territory. Observe their interactions for about
1/2 hour then return the new cat back to its room. If there was
a lot of hissing, growling or even swatting then return the cat
to his/her room, keep the door shut and repeat the process a few
times each day until the aggression subsides.
Cats hate change, so whenever there is something new in their lives,
the slower the introduction, the better. If the carrier visits have
been calm, then once the new cat is back in his/her room let the
new cat out of the carrier, but now leave the door ajar, letting
them meet each other face to face. Let the cats interact for about
1 hour, then return the new cat to room, even if they are interacting
calmly. This time apart allows them to process the information they
gained while they were together. It also allows them both to regain
their sense of territory and confidence, which encourages a favorable
interaction at their next meeting. Continue this process daily,
lengthening the amount of time they are together a little each time.
The key to introducing cats to each other is patience. What we
most often perceive as fighting is in actuality their way of working
out their territory. This is an essential part of how cats learn
to live together in multi-cat household and they must go through
it. Our intervention prolongs this process. So for the most part,
let them do what they will and stay out of it. Your anxiety about
their interactions can feed their agitation, so try to be calm and
encouraging, letting them know that they are acting appropriately.
The only times our intervention may be necessary is if their exchanges
with each other draw blood or if one is continually chasing/dominating
the other one. This often causes depression in the cat who is being
chased. Slight depression, lasting a few days to a week is normal.
Prolonged depression is not. The best way to intervene is to squirt
them with a spray bottle containing water. Or, better yet, just
squirt the one who is instigating the aggression. A spray bottle
works well because it startles them silently and they don't necessarily
associate the punishment as having come from you. If a spray bottle
isn't handy, a loud noise, such as clapping your hands also works
well. You never want to get in the middle of a cat fight. Cats in
the heat of battle can redirect their aggression towards you and
cat bites to humans can become serious. The average amount of time
it takes for cats to establish the rules of territory with each
other is 2 weeks to 2 months although it can take longer.
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A List of Supplies you will
Need:
You may also want:
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Kittyproofing your Home
Cats, like children, are curious, and will get into just about everything.
Some cats (like our cat, George) can even learn to open cabinets!
Here are some ways you can make your home a safer place for your
new cat.
Chocolate, anti-freeze, cleaning products and some plants (in particular:
philodendron, elephant ear, amaryllis, lilies, dieffenbachia, oleander,
Jerusalem cherry, eucalyptus, azalea, ivy, pyracantha, and plant
bulbs) are toxic to cats. Please ensure that these are safely out
of reach or better yet, in a locked cabinet. If your cat gets into
anti-freeze, the effects can be deadly - you will want to get
the cat to the vet immediately!
Electrical wires should be covered or sprayed with bitter apple
or another repellant to keep cats from chewing on them.
Find a way to fasten up the cords on your drapes or blinds and
ensure that all window screens are securely fixed in place to avoid
accidents.
Cats will eat rubber bands, sewing thread, yarn, strings, ribbons,
sewing needles, thumb tacks, cigarette butts, balloons, plastic
wrap and baggie ties. Please train your whole family not to leave
these things around.
Cats love to hide and get under things includig recliners, so make
sure there isn't one hiding before you recline your favorite couch
or chair. Same goes for sofa beds. Also, keep the doors shut on
all appliances to ensure kitty doesn't crawl in.
By taking these few simple precautions, your kitty will be kept
safe and happy in his or her new home.
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