Bringing your cat home for the first time can be such an exciting yet daunting prospect. You’ll find yourself asking a million and one questions, from will my cat like me to will they settle and feel at home, but the main thing to remember is that your cat is now part of the family and they will learn to love you and their surroundings in time. Cats are extremely cautious animals, but with the right love and attention, they are extremely lovable creatures. So, here’s what to expect from the first 24 hours spent at home with your new feline friend.
Traveling Home
The very first thing you’ll experience with your cat is the journey home. It’s important to remember that cats aren’t the best when it comes to traveling, so they may become stressed. To try and prevent your cat from becoming stressed during the journey, be sure to tuck them up in their beds with blankets, keeping them nice and snug. This will make them feel safer and more secure, which in turn will keep them calm. If you want to be extra cautious for your cat’s first car journey, you may want to invest in the Feliway spray, that is available here from Petwell and you could also seek it out in similar stores, to help manage your cat’s stress. The Feliway Classic Spray is ideal for creating a calm environment for your cat to settle down and relax.
Welcoming Them Home
Now it’s time for your cat to enter their new home and see where they’re going to live from now on. One of the most important things to remember is to not fuss your cat too much. For the first day or two, cats are best off spending time in a quiet room, where they can get used to smells and other new things in their own time. If you do too much too fast, they’ll freak out and struggle to settle at all. Give your cat access to their litterbox so that they can use the toilet as and when they please and avoid any other pets from entering their quite space. It’s also a great idea to keep their cat carrier in the room too, as they may use this as a bed for the first few hours before they become curious and want to explore.
Dinner Time
Introducing your cat to certain foods can often be a challenge, finding out what they like and what they don’t. Make sure your cat has had a few hours at home to relax and wind down, getting used to their new home before you introduce them to their dinner. You may find that your cat doesn’t seem as interested in their food at first, but this could just be down to anxiety and nerves. They will come round in their own time, so give them some space and let them choose when they’re ready to have their dinner. It’s often worth getting a few different types of cat food, just to make sure you have other options should they take a disliking to your first option. There are some beautiful cat food bowls available on Etsy that you can use to entice your cat and make them feel really at home with, especially with the personalized ones!
The Introductions
After around half a day, you can start to introduce your cat to other members of the family. It’s important not to do this straight away as this can spook your cat but after a few hours of settling in you’ll find they’re much more open to socializing. Introduce family members and friends one step at a time, don’t have a large number of people heading into the room at once as this could overwhelm your cat and set them back a little.
Play Time
Now for the fun part. Take a look online at retailers such as Ancol for some exciting cat toys and spoil your new feline friend rotten. Cats absolutely love playtime, especially when a little catnip is involved, so now is the time to spend some quality time with your cat and enjoy playtime.
