NEW CAT
PARENT GUIDE

Thank You for choosing to adopt instead of shop.

All of us at A1 Pet Emporium would like to thank you for choosing to adopt your new family member. A1 strives to support our local rescues. We would love to hear your adoption stories. Please feel free to share your stories on our Facebook page, Twitter or Instagram. If you ever have any questions, concerns or need anything, know that our staff is here to assist you.

Congratulations on your new family member!

Thank you again for adopting!

1. PREPARING YOUR HOME

• Be prepared: Before bringing your new fur ball home, outfit your home with all the supplies you could possibly need.

• Coming home: The first thing you should know about your new pet is that most cats hate to travel. For the trip home, confine your pet in a sturdy cat carrier. Don’t leave them loose in your car, where they might panic and cause an accident, or get out when you open the car door. They may yowl and cry and try might­ily to get out of the carrier, but don’t give in.

• Upon arrival: After the ride home, they will, most likely, not be in the mood for fun. To make their transition to your household as comfortable as possible, select a quiet, closed-in area, such as your bedroom or a small room away from the main foot traffic, and provide them with a litter box, food, water, toys, and a scratching post.

  Let your new pet become acquainted with that limited area for the first few days. Be sure to spend plenty of time with them in that room, but if they’re hiding under the bed, don’t force them to come out. If necessary, sit on the floor to talk to them and offer treats. Let them sniff all your belongings and investigate all the hiding places.

  Your new cat may be full of self-confidence and itching to get out and make themselves at home. Or they may be timid and need more time to adjust.

  Avoid conflict when bringing a new cat into the family by carefully introducing them to any other pets.

2. THE FIRST WEEK

• Give them a crate: Over a few days, slowly help your cat become familiar with the rest of the family, including other pets and household members. Make sure they always have access to “their” room so they can retreat to it if they feel nervous. It will take a little while, but they’ll eventually start to feel comfortable at home.

Cats vary in terms of how demanding they are as pets. So let them guide you to the level of attention they want, whether it’s your hand for petting or your lap for sitting. Provide them with the necessary creature comforts and give them the companionship they seek, and they’ll be content.

For more GREAT information on how to introduce your cat to other pets in your home or how to help overcome stressful situations, please visit humanesociety.org and search for “Bringing Your New Cat Home.” It is loaded with some excellent information.

3. HOW TO KEEP YOUR CAT STRESS-FREE AND HAPPY

Once you can check off each of the four main steps below, your cat should be feeling relaxed and pleased with life.

• Play with your cat: Since physical activity can reduce stress, playing with your cat for 10 to 15 minutes twice a day may help both of you feel more relaxed. 

Here are some tips:

• Wind down the play in the last couple of minutes so your cat can calm down, and always end by giving your cat a treat or a meal.

• Set aside a couple of special toys for your playtime, then put them away for later.

• To keep toys interesting, rotate them every few days.

• Chase: The best type of interactive toy is a fishing-rod toy that has a 3-foot rod attached to a 3-foot string that has a couple of feathers at the end of it. Cats love to grab and pounce on these feathers as you move them around. Some cats also enjoy a cat laser light. Cats usually love these toys because they get to chase “prey.” When playing with your cat, try to simulate the cat's hunting of prey as best as possible. Prey slinks, stops, hides, makes sudden movements and moves away from the cat.

• Fetch: Some cats are like dogs; they love chasing treats or dry food and then returning for more.

• Rolling: Cats adore chasing balls made out of aluminum foil or other material, the rings from beverage bottles, or catnip mice.

• Catnip Toys: Most adult cats love catnip. Buy some high-quality catnip and rub it on the cat’s existing toys or the scratching post, put some on the floor, or stuff some in a sock and tie the end.

Make your home interesting! Boredom can cause stress, so give your cat interesting or fun things to do on their own. Try these:

• Scratching Posts: The best posts are at least 3-feet high, sturdy, and made of sisal (a rope material). Place the post in a prominent location that’s easy to get at. Since cats like to scratch while playing, encourage them to use the post by playing with them near it. Put some catnip on the post, too.

• Hidden Food: Cats love to find hidden food. Leave out treat balls, which are plastic balls with holes; once you put treats in and put the ball down, your cat will learn to move the ball to make the treats fall out the holes. You can make your own treat ball by sealing the ends of a paper towel roll and poking holes in it.

• New Things/Investigate: Cats love to play with paper bags (cut off the handles), cardboard boxes, aluminum foil balls, and crinkled wrapping paper.

 Make your home feel safe. For a cat, a safe home is essential to feeling happy and calm. The following things will make your home a refuge:

• Hiding Places: Cats need to have safe hiding spaces throughout the home. Several options include cat carriers, cardboard boxes, space in closets or towels draped over chairs, cat trees, or soft tents (sold in pet-supply stores).

• High Resting Spaces: Cats often seek security in high spaces where they can observe the home environment. Cat trees are the ideal high resting space.  You can also make a safe place in your home by clearing space on bookshelves, desks, window sills, and adding a cat perch to the wall.

• Calming Products: Various products release scents in the air (that we can’t smell) or natural chemicals that can calm stressed cats. These products include Comfort Zone Feliway Plug-In Diffuser, L-theanine, a chewable supplement that is clinically proven to reduce cats’ stress levels and flower remedies, such as Bach’s Rescue Remedy.

• Multi-Cat Household: If it’s a multi-cat household, make sure there are enough resources for everyone. Provide multiple litter boxes and multiple food and water bowls, many high resting and hiding spaces, as well as individual attention and interactive playtime with each cat.

• Maintain Routine: A change in your cat’s eating, resting, or play routine caused by something like a new work schedule, a vacation, or a new baby in the home can really make your cat nervous and insecure. If you know your cat’s routine is going to be changed, help your cat adjust by gradually shifting to the new schedule beforehand.

Make sure your cat has lots of playtime and interesting things to do as she gets used to the new schedule.

• If the change is short-term, such as a vacation, jump back to the old schedule as soon as possible when you return.

• If the change is long-term, make sure the new routine is consistent so your cat can rely on it. If it’s work-related, try to leave and return home at the same time. If your new baby’s needs make the old playtime impossible, schedule the new playtime at the same time every day.

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