Adopting a Cat or Kitten

Getting Your New Cat Adjusted
It will take a while for your cat to adjust to his or her new environment, so when you arrive at home we recommend keeping him or her in one room for a few days until he or she feels comfortable. Then you can slowly expand access to the whole house.
Be sure to show your cat where his or her food, water and litter box are located. Keep the litter box as far away from the food and water as possible.

Another thing that may help your cat feel comfortable is to leave the Bideawee carrier in the room. The carrier has the cat's scent in it and it gives her a comfortable and secure place to sleep or hide.

If you have other cats, the best way to help prevent them from getting a cold is to keep them separate for the first two weeks.

Introducing Your New Cat to Your Other Pets
All cats are territorial by nature. To give time for each animal to adjust to sharing territory, they should be introduced slowly to the other pets already living in your home.

As indicated above, cats should initially be kept in separate rooms. To begin the introduction process, we recommend first switching the cats' beds so each one can smell the other's scent. The next step is to allow the cats to meet each other. They are likely to avoid each other, even run from each other initially. This is normal behavior.

The best thing to do is to observe and supervise, but leave them alone to figure out the relationship. It's important not to force them. It is unlikely that you will need to intervene to separate them, but it's a good idea to have a towel handy in case your intervention is needed.

Litter Box Training
While he/she was at Bideawee they used the box. Normally they will continue to do so. Show your new cat where the litter box is the first time you take them into the house. Do the same every time you move the litter box to a different location. Fortunately, kittens generally house train themselves. Show them where the box is located and they pretty much do the rest. However, because of their age, accidents may happen.

Keep the litter box clean so the cat will use it every time. A dirty litter box may deter them from using it. If your kitten starts to have accidents you should leave the kitten in a smaller area with the litter box, food and water while you are away during the day so that they cannot wander too far from the litter box. Do this for two or three days and you should be able to give your kitten the run of the house without problems shortly thereafter. Clean the litter box completely at least once a week: empty out the litter and excrement, rinse and clean with soapy water. Dry the litter box and refill it with fresh litter.

Prevent Scratching
Keep their nails short, give plenty of scratching posts, and play with your cat daily. Usually two to three play sessions per day for 15 minutes is sufficient. Be sure to use kitty teasers and not your hands to play.

Diet for Kittens
Kittens should be fed kitten food until they are 8-12 months old.