Bringing Your New Kitten Home

Bella,9 weeks old

So you've decided to welcome a kitten into your home, congratulations, they are both affection and inquisitive, and filled with playful energy.

Your new feline friend will now be dependent on you to make the transition from his/her mother's care to your home as comfortable and as easy as possible.Below we will discuss some important factors to keep in mind before and once you've brought home your new bundle of joy.

Cat Proof Your home

Before bringing your new kitten home, you will need to cat proof your home. Cats can easily get themselves into trouble by nibbling on electric cords or eating a piece of a toxic house plant. Make sure that all electric cords are safely put away or tightly secured. One thing that we did, and I know it's going to sound silly, but we got down on your hands and knees and look around our house at the view that our cats would be looking around at.

You will then get an opportuinity to see exactly what he/she will be seeing, and you will probably see some hanging electric cords, dangling drapery or blind cord or some coins on the floor, especially pennies, ever notice how they just seem to appear on the floor out of nowhere, or at least they do in our home. Make sure to cover electric outlets,these covers are inexpensive and can be bought at any hardware store.

Remember to tie up all drapery cords or blind cords, cats can easily get tangled playing with these cords. If you have any house plants try to put them in a out of reach location for your new cat, if your plants are really big floor plants, then it's time to do a search on the type of plants you have to make sure it's not toxic to cats. Here is a list of plants that are toxic to cats.

Buy Cat Supplies

There are some essential products that you are going to need for your kitten or new cat. Here is a list of the basic items you will need.

• Cat Litter
• Litter Box
• High Premium Cat food (Wet or Dry)
• Scooper
• Water Bowls(Ceramic or Stainless steel)
• Food Bowls (Ceramic or Stainless steel)
• Scratching Posts
• Cat Carrier(to bring home kitty and for vet trips)
• Some Cat Toys

There are several different types of cat bowls to choose from, to find the safest one for your cat read How To Find The Safest Cat Food Bowls.

All of these items can be bought at your local pet store and should be bought prior to bringing your new cat home.These are just the basic items that any cat owner needs,but there are also additonal items like cat beds, cat collars, cat treats, however as time goes by and you do a bit of research and get to know your new cat, you will find out which products work best for your feline friend. Your cat's food plays an important role in keeping your cat healthy, to find out more about feeding your kitten a healthy diet, read Kitten Food: A Healthy Start For Your Cat.

Start using Natural Pet Friendly Cleaning Products

It's important that before you bring a kitten into your home you switch over to natural cleaning products. Before becoming a pet owner we used to use basically any cleaning product that got the job done, but now we used vinegar and water to mop our floors and wipe down counters and baking soda to clean the bathrooms and for other cleaning jobs, add a squeeze of fresh lemon, if you like that lemon scent.

Baking soda is excellent at removing soap scum, and cleaning your tub, toilet and sinks.Vinegar kills bacteria off of your kitchen counters, appliances, windows and kitchen sink, it"s also a good stain remover for your carpet and clothing.Baking soda is also great in preventing cat litter odor, to find out how to prevent your home from smelling like used cat litter read How To Finally Get Rid Of Cat Litter Odor.

There are also pet friendly environmentally friendly commercial green cleaners that are made from plant extracts, Simple Green is one of many, they can be found in some pet stores, grocery stores and online. Pine-based cleaners contain a dangerous substance called phenol, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in your cat. When we get our sofa cleaned or our living room carpets, the first question we ask is,"are the cleaning products pet friendly?"

Prepare A Quiet Room

Your new cat will be nervous and a bit scared at first. It's best to find a quiet room in your home to place and open the carrier once you reach home. If your cat is anything like our cats, he/she will remain in the carrier for a bit and may run into a hiding spot for awhile. Be patient, give your kitten some space to come out when he/she is ready.

Place some fresh water and food in the room that your cat is in. Talk to your kitty in a calm tone, let him/her get used to your voice.There is no specific time as to when your cat will settle in, some cats hide for several days,our first kitten hid for two days until she smelt us eating chicken, that brought her out from under the bed.

Ask the previous owner or shelter if they have an item of your cats that you can bring home, such as a blanket, this familiar item will help to make your cat feel more comfortable.Keep other pets out of this room until your kitten is comfortble with his/her surroundings.

Cats like to explore their environment and get used to it, after all they're animals that love familiarity and routine. So give your cat a chance to become familiar with your home, with you and then slowly other pets and family members.

Find A Vet

Finding a vet is an important part of keeping your new pet healthy and happy. Your vet will be your personal guide and advisor when it comes to your cat's health needs, to find out how easy it is to find a vet in your area read, Cat Veterinarian:How To Find Your Cat's Doctor. Your cat will need to have a physical examination to make sure that he/she is healthy and to discuss any necessary vaccinations. There are some essential vaccines that your cat will need to help keep him/her healthy,to find out which ones are necessary and which ones aren't read Cat Vaccines.

Introducing Children

When a kitten is brought into your home, children should always be supervised when interacting or playing with your new kitten. Kids should be taught not to corner or chase their new cat, but be encouraged to play with the cat using cat toys.

Cats are very affectionate and can teach children respect for animals, however sometimes kids engage in rough play, pulling the cat's tail, which can easily result in a cat feeling threatened and reacting aggressively.

Each child should be introduced to the kitten one at a time, and shown how to gently pet the cat. Kids should be told that although cats do enjoy playing, sometimes they just want to be left alone, especially during meal time, sleep time and when using the litter box.

Similar Topics

Newborn Kitten Stages Of Development -What To Expect Over The First Three Months Of A Newborn Kitten's Development.

Vet Appointments - How to get your cat into the carrier and ways to make the vet appointment less stressful for your cat.

Questions To Ask A New Vet - A List Of Important Questions To Ask Your Cat's Potential New Vet.

Cat Scratching Furniture Can Save Your Furniture - Cat scratching is healthy and natural, purchasing furniture for your cat to scratch can help to prevent your cat from damaging yours.

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