Introducing a New Cat to Your Household
Getting a new cat is always exciting – but introducing a new cat to your household should ideally be a process pervaded by a serene sense of calm. So handle your cat gently and quietly at all times and then if you feel the need to jump up and down and whoop in excitement because you have got a new cat – go and do it out of earshot in the backyard! Households with and without other cats in them will be slightly different environments for a new cat to enter, but here are some simple tips that you can follow when introducing a new cat to your household.
1. Give them space and time
Some new kitties will scramble bravely all over a new household and its inhabitants, checking everything out and doing a preliminary review of its new territory. Others will simply want to run behind the couch and stay there for as long as possible until you entice them out with treats and kindness. It all depends on your cat’s personality. Either way, giving your new kitty their own space and time to get acquainted with their new home is vital.
Kids and adults alike need to be introduced to cats slowly. Do not invade your new cat’s personal space by bounding up to it and grabbing it in a bear hug. Offer it your hand to sniff first, then venture a stroke, then later see if it wants to climb onto your lap…
If you already have cats in your home then it is a good idea to set aside a room as a ‘meeting room’ where the new cat know it can hang out and the old cat knows it can come and pay a visit if it wants to. By doing this, you provide the two cats with a neutral space for bonding in.
2. Make their space progressively bigger
Though they might protest at having to go into their cat boxes whenever it is time for a trip to the veterinarian’s, cats usually find some degree of confinement comforting, as long as the space that they are in feels safe and peaceful. So, one tactic is to start off by confining your kitty to a single quiet room with their own bed and toys and a single kind, gentle human presence. Later, once they know that that room is their base and they can run there whenever they like, you can offer your cat the whole bottom floor of the house to explore, and eventually the whole house and yard if you like.
3. Let them take some toys with them!
If your cat already has some toys and a blanket of its own, it is a very good idea to bring those into your new home and place them in its new cat bed. Cats find comfort in familiar things, and even a very young kitten will usually be able to bring their favorite toy from their previous home. Giving them some toys with catnip in as they arrive, in addition to the items they bring with them, is perfect for cheering a new kitty up!
Leave us a comment with your favourite tips!
