Your Carmel Vets Give Tips On How To Introduce A New Cat Into Your Home

Getting a new kitten is always exciting, but making sure you get off to a good start is crucial.  Our Carmel vets often here this question from new cat owners is:  “What is the best way to introduce my kitten into our home?”

Before you bring your kitten home, set up a safe and secure area/room where you can leave your cat when you are unable to supervise.  This area needs to have all the basic necessities for your cat including:  food, water, clean litter box, vertical scratching post, variety of cat toys, a puzzle foraging feeder, and a comfy resting place off the ground.  A common problem our Carmel vets see with kittens is chewing on inappropriate items such as electrical cords, string, plants, paper clips, rubber bands/hair ties, etc…  Make sure this area is free of any potential hazards including nooks and crannies where a kitten might get stuck or hide.

Your interaction with your new cat begins on the car ride home.  Always make sure to keep your cat in a secure carrier when driving.  This teaches them this routine for future car rides while providing safety for everyone.  Once the cat is acclimated to its new room, gradually allow small supervised visits to other areas of the house.

What about introducing my new kitten to other pets in the house?  Our Carmel vets see a lot of behavioral issues between pets and first impressions are very important.  If you already have other cats or dogs in the house, start with the same steps above.  Once the new cat is acclimated to their small space, allow the existing dogs and cats to come listen and smell near the door.  Then, short supervised visits associated with pleasant food or play will help everyone get off to a good start.  A crate or harness & leash can be used to control the pets during initial introductions if necessary.  Go slow and observe everyone’s body language during these supervised visits.  Gradually work each pet up with longer interactions to the point where they can be trusted without supervision.

Getting your new cat off to a good start in your home will save you lots of headaches and trips to our Carmel vets in the future.  For more information on our Caring Hands Compassionate Hearts, click on this link to Your Carmel Vets.