Bring Your Kitten Home

Before bringing a cat home

You need to make your house cat proof, it’s not just for the their safety but helps protect your goodies too. Make sure there are no loose wires they can get themselves tangled up in such as blind cords. Tidy away and electrical cables, I’ve known kittens who love trying to chew through them. Check if your house plants are poisonous to cats, as many are. If they are, you can guarantee your cat will try to eat them (after all curiosity killed the cat), so give them away to friends or family. Your cat will see areas of your home you haven’t seen in a long time so get down on the floor and see if there are any hazards at that level too.

Just before bringing them home make sure you’ve been shopping and have everything your they need. This is just a basic shopping list, there are extra things that you will need very soon after you’ve brought your new addition home such a scratching post and outdoor cat house.

litter tray

cat litter

grooming brush

food

toys

litter scoop (if you get clumping litter)

litter tray liners – changing the cat litter tray so much easier with these

carrier to carry your new cat home in and take to the vets

food and water bowls

Things to organise before bringing a cat home

You need to find a good vet and arrange an appointment for your new friend to have a check up and to discuss their vaccinations. It might also be an idea to arrange some time off work so you can spend time in the day with your new kitty – think of it as the cat owners alternative to maternity leave!

Actually bringing a cat home

When you get home, only allow your them to explore a very limited number of rooms so it’s not too overwhelming. Also make sure they have everything they need and they know where it is, so take them to their food and water. Pick them up and place them in their litter tray, they don’t have to stay there until they use it, just allow them to familiarise themselves with it.

If your kitten hides when you first bring them home, then leave them be and let them venture out in their own time. Try not to scare to them, don’t be too noisy and don’t invite everyone round to look at your new furry friend. If they’ve has been hiding for hours try to coax them out with a toy, food or catnip.

If they still don’t venture out move their food nearer to them and leave them for a while longer, once they get hungry enough they’ll come out for a munch. Don’t forget to move it back to where it belongs after they’d had this nibble as it’s important to show your cat where their things belong. It’s important to find out what brand of food your cat was previously on and stick to that for the time being, you can always change it later when they are more settled.

After a few days you’ll find they begin to come out of their shell and you should spend time interacting with them and develop a bond, but don’t pester them all the time, just like us they like to be left alone for a while as well.

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