Ready For A New Family Member? Tips For Helping Your Adopted Cat Transition To Its New Home
Posted on: 22 July 2018
Share
If you're in the market for a cat, make sure you check out a local animal shelter such as Happy Life Animal Rescue first. There are many beautiful cats just waiting for the opportunity to be part of a loving family. Adopting a cat from a local animal shelter just may save a life, especially since pet overpopulation often requires animal shelters to participate in euthanasia programs. Adopting a cat is slightly different than adopting a kitten. Most cats are set in their own ways and will require some extra love and attention. However, it's well worth it to adopt a cat. Here are four steps you can take to make the transition easier once you bring your cat home from the shelter.
Start Out Small with a Small Space
If your new cat has spent a lot of time confined to a small area in an animal shelter, your large home may be too much for it to handle right away. This is particularly true if you have other pets in the house. To help your cat have an easier time assimilating to its new home, start out with a small space. This will ensure that your cat doesn't get overwhelmed trying to navigate a whole house right away. Begin by setting your new cat up in a room of its own, either the laundry room, bathroom, or guest bedroom that isn't being used.
Give Your New Cat a Sense of Belonging
Your new cat will need to feel like it's part of the family, which may be difficult at first. One way to help your cat transition to their new home is to give it a sense of belonging. Provide your new cat with its own bed, litter box, and feeding system. That way, your new cat won't feel the need to share its space until it's ready to.
Provide Several Scratching Posts
If your cat had an extended stay at the animal shelter, it might not have learned appropriate behavior. Unfortunately, that could translate into bad habits such as scratching up the furniture. To help your cat learn proper behaviors, especially when it comes to scratching, be sure to provide it with several new scratching posts. Providing multiple places to scratch will help you protect your furniture while your new cat learns the ropes.
Let Your Cat Make the First Move
You may want to start showing your cat lots of love and affection right away. However, if your cat has been confined to an animal shelter, it might not be ready for all the physical contact. Be willing to let your cat make the first move. That way, it knows that it can approach you for affection when it's ready.