Lots of kittens can seem timid when they first move to a new home. It's understandable, as leaving the only family they've ever known to start another life with a new family is a pretty big deal! Here we offer our tips for helping your new arrival feel at home in no time.
Settling in
Lots of kittens can seem timid when they first move to a new home.
It's understandable, as leaving the only family they've ever known to start another life with a new family is a pretty big deal! Here are our tips for helping your new arrival feel at home in no time.
Take it slow
Don't be in a rush to remove the cat carrier your kitten was transported in. Instead, leave it in the corner of the room where your kitten will sleep to create a familiar refuge. Initially, a new kitten might hide quite a bit until they become more accustomed to their new home. Don’t worry, it won’t be long before they will be out and about exploring their new surroundings.
Essential items
Provide your kitten with a litter tray on one side of the room and a fresh bowl of food and water on the other. You might like to also supply a few other hiding places such as a cardboard box (a perennial kitten favourite!) to help your kitten feel safe and secure.
Leave your kitten's food and water bowls, as well as litter tray in the same spot so they can be located easily.
Keep things quiet
In order for your kitten to adapt to a new environment and settle into a regular feeding and sleeping routine, the household should be kept relatively quiet and visitors kept to a minimum for the first two weeks. Children should be reminded that the new kitten needs lots of rest and should not be over-handled.
Wait before making introductions
If you have other pets at home, it’s best not to introduce them just yet. Provide your kitten with their own space for the first few days or weeks. This will help boost your kitten's confidence levels.
Exploring the home
Once your kitten has settled in, and developed a regular routine of eating, drinking and using the litter tray, they will become curious about their new home and be keen to start to explore. Ensure this is well supervised, and limit your kitten to the areas of your home where you spend the most time. This provides the opportunity to reinforce desirable behaviour.
Finally, remember not to let your kitten outside until they are fully vaccinated. If they arrived fully vaccinated, it's still best to keep your kitten indoors for the first 2 to 3 weeks.
Other pets in the home can then be introduced very slowly and only under close supervision.