LAPSAdopting a Cat: Bringing Home Your New Family Member
While welcoming home your new feline friend can be a very exciting time for you, many new pet parents neglect to take into consideration how frightening it can be for the new members of your family. Transition is a very difficult time for animals as a whole, and for cats that have spent a large majority of their lives in an animal shelter, a brand new home, no matter how welcoming and populated with new toys or snacks, can still cause anxiety and insecurity.
Despite the fact that everyone is extremely excited to greet your new, furry friend, take a moment to walk in its paws. When surrounded by a whole new world of sights and smells to explore, the last thing your new critter companion is going to want is to be overwhelmed by a line of unfamiliar humans.
Allow your new pet to get acclimated to its new home. Often times, the best introduction for pets into a new home can be conducted by allowing the pet uninterrupted, full run of a small portion of the house, such as a single room. By placing the cat alone in a single room with somewhat familiar items, such as the crate or take-home box it was brought home in, your new companion still has a few familiar items for security, but also a plethora of new things to explore without interruption so that it may become accustomed to its new home with a minimal amount of stress. If the shelter has sent home any other items, such as a bed, blanket or favorite toys, be sure to keep these items readily available for comfort. Additionally, try to keep your new furry friend’s diet the same for at least the first week and allow your cat to transition to any new food gradually, mixing the new with the old and steadily phasing out the previous diet over the course of a couple weeks.
Once your new family member has become familiar with a safe haven within its new home, introductions with eager and excitable family members can begin. Young children often want to run up to new critters and expect immediate bonding. Close parental supervision is always necessary when young children are interacting with pets, but it is absolutely crucial during this new, welcoming phase of an animal’s life. If you have other cats or some canine companions as well, the same discretion should be used. All interactions with these family members should be closely monitored and desired behaviors should be rewarded immensely for both parties. It is not uncommon to keep the new pet separated from children or other furry family members for a brief period of time, to ensure the safety of all parties involved.
Finally, be sure to obtain all vet records available from the animal shelter or previous owner. If it is unclear when your new family member last visited a vet or whether it is up to date on shots, be sure to schedule an appointment with your vet as soon as possible. The additional stress from moving to a new home could make illnesses worse and the sooner any health issues are addressed, the sooner you and your new pet can begin to bond.
