Making your Furkid feel at home.
Seal Lynx Color-point playing with toy
Welcoming your new kitty home is an exciting experience, however this excitement may quickly be dampened when your new kitty isn’t as confident or friendly as when you last saw him or her.
Every kitty behaves differently in a new home. New humans, social dynamics between other furkids , it can be a lot to take in. Some kitties adapt quickly whilst others are more cautious.
We must understand that this exciting new beginning for us is shadowed by their experience of leaving their first home and companions behind. The kitten is suddenly trust into a foreign environment with new smells and giants enthusiastically trying to touch or talk to it. The whole experience is not dissimilar to a young child going off to school for the very first time, away from everything familiar.
Here are some tips to helping your kitty assimilate better. ( Not faster)
“Preparedness is the key to success and victory” - Douglas MacArthur
Go Shopping
There is no better excuse. Bringing home a new kitty requires being prepared. Purchase items that kitty is familiar with. Reach out to your cattery for advice and tips on what your kitty is used to so that he/ she can feel a slice of home when he first moves into his new furever home.
We strongly encourage a good air filter for any bedroom that you plan to share with the kitten even thou you may not suffer from allergies. Allergies may develop at any point in our lives and being prepared ensures the best outcome. This is especially so if you did not have a cat growing up.
Recent studies seem to indicate a lack of exposure in childhood may cause an individual to develop reactions as an adult as the immune system is unfamiliar with more substances.
https://www.carolinaasthma.com/blog/what-causes-a-person-to-develop-allergies/
Cat proof your home
Being in a new environment, kitty may exhibit excitement and explore all the difference sights ,scents and sounds, unaware of the dangers in its new environment ; or perhaps it maybe longing and searching for a way back to its previous home. Neither situation is ideal and may result in accidents or misadventures. It is absolutely crucial and necessary to make your home safe for him or her to explore.
Where possible allow kitty a safe room where it may be kept should you need to entertain guest or leave the home unattended for long hours.
Kitties love an outdoor area a sheltered catproof balcony or catio would be a great area when they get exceptionally active or when allergies flare.
A perch with a view of the outdoors would be a good alternative for those that are unable to enjoy that luxury. Even thou cats are unable to synthesize Vit D from the sun, some time basking in it does seem to alleviate their mood.
Avoid visitors in the first week
Excitement , Noise and New scents may result in kitten returning to its stressed state before it is entirely comfortable and out of its shell. A comfortable kitten is confident and will decide when it is ready to greet and play with your visitors.
Do not force kitten if he or she is uncomfortable, allow him space and continue to entertain your visitors after a week. It is important that all possible escape routes be sealed and monitored in event that guests unknowingly allow kitty to escape and kitty may get lost in the process.
Learn to Recognize their body language
Telltale signs of stress in a kitty can be seen when they cower lower to the ground and slink about. Their ears are pressed back, they sometimes pant and cry or start grooming themselves excessively causing bald spots. Never pick up a stressed kitten.
Refrain from carrying your kitten and walking around with it for the first few days. Wait till kitten and you are both comfortable. Despite kitten allowing such attention whilst in cattery, a new environment may cause a heightened response and trigger a fight or flight in kitten, setting your relationship with him back.
The benefit to reading about cats and their secret language us that you will be able to recognize the physical signs that your kitty will show to communicate love, affection and comfort or signs of pain, discomfort illness or poisoning
The following link provides a easy to understand basic look at a cat’s body language
https://www.tuftandpaw.com/blogs/cat-guides/the-definitive-guide-to-cat-behavior-and-body-language
With your love and patience, your kitty will reward you with their ultimate display of comfort , trust and affection. Your kitty will show signs of purring like a motor cycle, giving you head bumps, winking at you and kneading to let you know that it has gotten absolutely comfortable reining its new castle.
The WinterForest Method
WinterForest cats have free rein of the home and have a doggy companion. They are accustomed to most sights and sounds of a home environment. During our home visit we will furnish a set of instructions on how best to acclimatize our graduates, advise on the temperament of the selected kitten and how best to comfort them. We will also highlight areas of concern if any for rectification.
Prior to going to their new homes, graduates will need a cat tree, suitable large litter tray ,comfortable carrier, food and water bowls.
We encourage placing the carrier within sight of the the litter tray and allowing the graduate to come out of the carrier by itself.
Keep noise and fast movements to a minimum for the first 3 days and allow the graduate to explore small areas during this time.
Provide a soft fluffy surface like a fleece blanket or soft fluffy cushion in a cool sheltered hideout for kitten to go to whenever it feels stressed.
You should place water and a small amount of kibble or freeze dried raw food for the graduate near his carrier. Food and water should not be placed near litter trays. Cats do not use the facilities where food is placed.
Initially, the graduate may prefer to explore or feed only at night when temperatures are cooler and the house is quiet before adjusting to your schedule and becoming a fluffy pillow occupying companion.