Well, you’re considering getting a kitty? It’s not unexpected, given that felines are among the biggest and most beloved animals, and it’s simple to understand why. If you’re really a first-time feline parent or an experienced feline fan, you’ll adore these cheerful fur babies.
Although felines are known for being self-sufficient and low-maintenance animals, they do have a few special requirements that you should understand in an effort to provide the ideal lifestyle for your beloved feline. So, when you get a kitty, ensure you’re ready to meet these basic needs in order to maintain them fit, cheerful, and intellectually engaged. This kitten adoption checklist will help you get ready to welcome your beloved kitten.
Before Taking Your Feline Home, Make Sure:
- The significance of a feline’s territory cannot be overstated. They consider their domain in the same way that the majority of people regard their clothing: without them, they feel incomplete and defenseless. If we were naked in a hall full of people, everyone would feel the need to cover themselves or run away! Felines, if they originate from families or the wild, are prone to hiding in unfamiliar territories. Felines who are too nervous or undersocialized might disappear for up to 7 days! Offer a little place for your feline to hide or lure for the initial days. A restroom or a washing area are good options.
- Fill up your feline litter till 1-2 inches and keep the box in their bedroom so they may utilize it without interruption. Admittedly, everybody needs some space when it comes to urination and bowel activities, and providing this would help prevent kitty litter rejection.
- Make a feeding table containing water and meal dishes. It should be kept far away from the waste bin.
- Felines enjoy hiding in small spaces to escape from everything, and you may create someplace for your newest feline as their own quiet hideout. It could be a nice idea if they arrived back in a feline carrier. You might even create one by punching a hole in the bottom of a container for them. If you want, you may get a padded feline bed from an animal goods store. Ensure the area is sufficient for the feline to get up and spin along in any situation. To avoid being frightened, feline “feng shui” presumably demands that she be should be able to view the bedroom door far from their hideaway spot.
- A feline’s nails must be kept short and blunt, which they accomplish via clawing. Give your feline a perfectly approved clawing location if you don’t want it to be your furniture and mattress. A few are constructed of flexible plywood and placed on the ground; everyone else is poles that must be high enough for the feline to climb up and claw. You may persuade your feline to utilize the pole by spraying it using catnip or suspending a treat from the top. They’ll figure it out. A clawing pole should be placed in every area with soft furnishings, possibly restricting entrance to it. To prevent clawing, apply adhesive tape (found in the animal supply shop) to the edges of soft furnishings.
- Examine your home from the perspective of an inquisitive feline, looking for jumping and seeking options. If your feline becomes accustomed to your house, you might discover them sitting on the high selves of upper dining room drawers, so ensure there’s no stuff on the showcase above or on additional book shelves that could be harmed or tossed out.
- Help hide any openings or vents that allow pipework to be accessed. A kitty may quickly slip into either of them. You don’t want firefighters jackhammering the hard surface to get your feline out of the property.
- Purchase a feline tree if feasible for your beloved addition to the home. Felines like surveying their area; thus, a tall platform is a common hiding place.
- Discuss the general principles for your new feline with any other adult friends and family. Advise them never to scare them as well as to maintain their bedroom door closed.
- Prepare yourself to expose your feline to other animals. Maintain their window locked and never allow your second animal inside without permission.
Choose a feline with a similar temperament to yours
Felines, like humans, have distinct personalities. Long-haired felines having wide faces and bodies are often more laid-back than slim felines having small faces and shaved sides, who may be more energetic. Adoption therapists could provide guidance in matching the feline’s temperament to yours.
Which cat breed should I adopt?
Should I adopt male or female cat
Choose a doctor beforehand and make an appointment for a checkup during an initial couple of days after the adoption
On your initial appointment, be sure to include any health documents you obtained from the recruiting facility. Felines, in fact, must precede us to the meeting – well before the examination – just so the employees may pat the feline and inform you how you’ve picked the most wonderful pet ever.
Before bringing a feline home, ensure everybody in the household is ready
Taking the family members to the rescue or animal services center is a good idea. If you’re getting a new feline and already have animals, talk to the animal shelter about how to create a positive effect on both of them.
Plan for a feline’s short- and long-term expenses:
- The fostering organization would almost certainly require payment to cover the costs of rescuing undesired or abandoned pets. The registration cost you invest would be a small proportion of what you’ll invest in your cat during its lifetime.
- Before taking your new feline to your house, you might have to arrange to have him or her sterilized and vaccinated. Some charges are required for all animals, such as:
- Meals
- Frequent veterinary examination
- Licensing in accordance with state laws
- Collars and identifying badges
- Cat litter and container
- Basic maintenance tools and accessories.
- Other expenses might not have been necessary, but they are strongly advised:
- Extra maintenance products or specialist trimming (based on your new feline’s demands)
- Permanent identity, including a microchip or implant
- An extra collar
- Toys and a mattress
- A crate or transporter
- Unexpected costs: Injuries and illnesses might necessitate expensive emergency veterinarian treatment. Banners and prizes are examples of recovery efforts for lost pets.
- To conquer any hurdles that these concerns create, a feline having severe health or mental impairments might need specialized expert assistance.
Time Factors:
- Felines must be served either one or two times a day, sometimes frequently in the event of babies, and must have access to clean drinking water at all times.
- A great feline owner should devote a minimum of 1 hour every day to his or her feline companion. This might involve things like teaching, exercising, cleaning, and socializing, or it might just be lounge period.
- A feline having a lot of enthusiasm requires extra workout time and engaging items to provide them company.
- Felines with lengthy hair require 20 minutes of brushing every day to avoid tangling.
- Felines having some health disorders might require extra care, such as hypoglycemic animals receiving precisely timed medications.
- Adopted kittens might require extra cuddling and reassuring attention in the first several weeks.
Get all the things prepared before the feline comes
Make sure you’re ready for your rescue kitty to feel totally at ease. Your feline would require a litter container, kitty litter, meal and water dishes, food, clawing poles, hygienic and exciting games, a comfortable mattress, a trimming tool, tooth cleaning supplies, and toenail removing cutters.
Cat-proof your house
A new feline would immediately show you the importance of not leaving anything lying about. Food placed on the dining table may encourage your new acquaintance to climb on countertops in the hopes of catching a meal. Remove any leftover objects that your feline could munch on, keep an eye out for electric lines, and collect odd things such as safety pins that they might ingest and could lead to choking hazards.
Introduce your feline to existing neighbors and family members one at a time
A feline may take many days to adjust to different surroundings. It’s a good suggestion to confine the newest arrival to a small bedroom (with something like a waste bin, feed and water, games, and the feline cage aside and empty with blankets underneath) when he or she has adjusted to the unfamiliar setting; this seems to be especially necessary if you own other animals. If you’ve recently acquired a kitty, socializing is crucial. But try to go slowly.
Make certain your new feline is part of your family’s evacuation strategy
You most likely have a strategy in order to evacuate your children to protection in the event of a crisis. Make changes to this program to support your cats. List your vet’s contact information and the current address of the nearest 24-hour cat care to your diary.
First day of arrival:
You are already prepared for your creature’s arrival back. Keep them indoors in a pet cage if possible. This would make them feel comfortable. They’ve noticed a deal of enthusiasm, so introduce them to their guest bedroom right away. (If they’re going to acclimatize in your restroom, ensure the commode flusher is closed.)
Before removing the container, shut the restroom entrance. Don’t really try to remove the feline. Let him or her emerge according to their own will and examine their living situation. Now step out of the bedroom. Yes, go… Keep in mind that you’re providing the opportunity to adjust. Prepare a modest quantity of high-quality feline food. Put it gently beside the water dish. Preferably, you should limit their access to the entire extended group, although everybody will inevitably like to meet them. Advise everybody of the guidelines you’ve established.
- Allow the feline to approach you as you lie on the couch. Do not push it. Allow them to come to know one another at their natural pace. If the feline does not respond, let them rest and wait until tomorrow. Some felines are very terrified, and they might return to their hiding place and refuse to step out while you’re there. They might still leave the home at midnight once it is peaceful. Allow time for them to adjust.
- Your recently acquired feline might not consume enough or often enough initially. It is usual for re-homed felines to refuse to consume for many weeks. If the feline is not hibernating and is actively begging for love, you could unlock the gate and provide them another space. Repeat this process till the feline has been exposed to most of the bedrooms in their current apartment. Ensure their water is changed often and they have been consuming it.
For the next weeks:
This could require another week or more for your feline to acclimate. Wait patiently.
- Bring your freshly acquired feline to the doctor for its initial health checkup less than a week after adoption. Carry any vaccination records you possess from the hospital alongside you.
- Your feline will exhibit symptoms of wanting to venture outdoors of their protected area while they acclimate. As they progressively extend their area, ensure no other animals or relatives disturb them. They could be excited to begin, so bring some games. Many felines enjoy feather poles from the vet clinic, although handmade items are frequently preferred. A bundle of plastic wrap or a shopping bag to conceal under might be entertaining.
Conclusion
Introducing a new kitty into your home is thrilling; however, it’s possible to get wrapped away in the frenzy of feline care and neglect to appreciate this beautiful stage of your beloved feline’s life. By planning ahead of time for your cat’s homecoming, you’ll successfully move into their future household much easier. You’ll be shocked at how fast your beautiful tiny companion develops, so capture plenty of photos and make effort to cherish early childhood!