You’ve decided to bring a cat into your home. Maybe you’re bringing an outdoor or stray cat inside. Or you’ve decided to adopt from the shelter or help out a friend who is moving and cannot keep their cat. You go out and buy the litter box, the food and water bowls, toys, a bed... You finally bring Kitty home and she runs and hides under a bed or behind a couch. What do you do now?!
One thing to understand is that cats do not like change. Cats are typically solitary, independent creatures who do not like anything in their world to change. This includes going to a new home, rearranging furniture in the house, an owner’s schedule change, or another animal entering or leaving the home. So don’t feel bad when you bring your new cat home and she runs and hides. This is a whole new world to her.
When you bring your feline friend home for the first time, allow her to have one room, preferably a quiet, low traffic room (typically a bedroom or bathroom). Put the litter box in one corner, food and water in another. You can add a bed, scratching post, or toys. See how your new friend reacts. She may be curious and want to explore. If she seems scared or wants to hide, that’s okay. Allow her to do what makes her comfortable.
Check on Kitty a few times a day over the next couple days. If the food, water, and litter box remain untouched and Kitty is always hiding when you come into the room, move the items closer to her hiding spot. She may be afraid to venture out too far until she’s more comfortable with her new surroundings. You can slowly move the items back to their corners over time. Also take a few minutes and sit quietly in the room, allowing Kitty to get used to your presence. Don’t force her to interact with you. Allow her to make the first move. Once she seems settled in, is eating and using her litter box, you can let her out of the room to explore the rest of the house.
Or Kitty may be the exact opposite. She may come home and be ready to explore, nothing to fear! Still allow her a day or two in a room by herself to acclimate. This is especially important if you have other pets in the house, as they also will need time to acclimate to the newcomer.
Make sure to show Kitty where her litter box is, and where the food and water is. Observe her when she’s exploring to find her favorite spots, and you can set out a bed or scratching posts in those areas.
Another situation we hear of often is of cat owners moving to a new home or apartment with their feline friend. Cats can sense when something different is happening. Once you’re ready to start moving things out, make sure your cat is confined in a safe spot away from the commotion of moving and where she cannot slip out the door. When you’re ready to move Kitty, preferably when most of the moving is completed, make sure you have a room where Kitty can stay at the new place that is quiet and contains her bowls, litter box, bed, etc. These items will be familiar to her and will help her settle into the new place. When you are completely done with the move, if Kitty seems ready to explore, you can let her out of the room.
Feliway is strongly recommended whenever a cat is placed in a new situation, including a new home or before and after a move. Feliway is a pheromone that may help calm your cat. It comes in a spray, which is useful for carriers, bedding and cars, and also in a plug-in diffuser, which can be plugged into an outlet in your cat’s room. For more information on Feliway visit www.feliway.com/us.
Suburban Animal Clinic recommends all new pets be seen by a vet soon after adoption/purchase. This allows for record transfer and to make sure the pet is healthy and up to date on vaccines, heartworm prevention and parasite checks.