Adjusting to a New Pet in Your House

By Suzanne Alicie

As firm believers in responsible pet ownership, we never advise giving a pet as a gift unless you are sure it is wanted. Many times parents take advantage of a holiday or birthday to give their children a much desired pet, or one weekend they simply give in to repeated requests for something furry and fun. No matter what the occasion of welcoming a new pet into your home, there are many ways in which your family will have to adjust. There are also ways you can prepare beforehand to make it easier on everyone involved. 

A family discussion of the responsibilities that each person will have once the pet arrives, the doling out of pet chores and preparation of the home for the presence of a pet will help everyone be prepared for the excitement and upheaval that a new pet can cause.

Depending on the age of the children involved, more than likely the kindhearted parents will have to take care of most of the responsibilities of having a new pet, although children enjoy feeling as if they are taking part in caring for their new pet as well. The most common new pets for children are kittens and puppies; there are pros and cons to each of these from the point of view of the caretakers and ultimately responsible parties.

Kittens

Sweet, cuddly little kittens are generally very easy to train to the litter box. This may make you think that there will be no issues with adjusting to a kitten in the house. But in fact, kittens are nosy, they will be underfoot, under the furniture, in the closet and shooting through the door. There are a million things around the home that can be dangerous to kittens, and some careful kitty-proofing will be necessary.

A scratching post and a specified place for food, water and litter box will make the adaptation to a kitty easier. Also, it’s important to keep in mind that baby gates aren’t going to be very effective with a kitten because they can climb, they can swing and they can get wherever they want to go unless there is a solid wall or door between them and that place. Learn more about how to prepare and deal with a kitten by reading Bringing Home a New Kitten or Cat.

Puppies

An adorable puppy will be a challenge for even the most willing parents. You will have to deal with paper training, training the puppy to go outdoors, and teaching the puppy what is and isn’t appropriate to chew on. Plus, the fact that puppies are also nosy will quickly become apparent when you find your puppy in a closet chewing on a favorite shoe or stuck inside a box in the pantry. However, with puppies a baby gate will be your best friend; you will be able to keep the little cutie in a certain area or room! This subject is explained in more detail in our helpful RPO article, Dog Proofing Your Home.

All the members of your household will have to learn to watch where they step, learn how to clean up after the new pet, and always keep an eye on the doors so that the pet doesn’t escape. Pet proofing is important to make sure that your new pet is safe and stays healthy. 

House plants, toys, electronics and wiring are all possible hazards for kittens and puppies. Before bringing a new pet into the home or giving one as a gift, learn about the dangers around your home. Taking the time to prepare your home for a pet can help make sure that your new friend has a forever home, and that you are ready to be a responsible pet owner. 

Read more articles by Suzanne Alicie

How to introduce a kitten to your cats at home

Did you, or someone in your family, get a new kitten for the holidays? Do you have other cats at home? Here's some tips from cat owner Mary Beth Frezon, who just added a little kitty to her feline family.

Q- Mary Beth, please introduce us to your new kitten.

MB- My new kitten's name is Molly - she's now about 9 weeks old, she was about 6 weeks old when she was delivered by my co-worker Josh. His cat had four kittens and when he said there was an all black one in amongst the other tuxedo kittens I knew I had to meet her.

Q- How many cats do you have at home?

MB- Molly makes four, although it seems more like 3 honking big cats and a smidge. Deirdre is probably about 10, and the two brothers Archie and Erasmus are about 4. Collectively they're known as the three honking big cats - 3hbc.

Q- How did you introduce the kitten to the cats? How did they react?

MB- I left the newly cleaned and dusted empty carrier out for a few days beforehand and all the big cats wandered in and out and sniffed it all over. I took the carrier to work with me on the designated kitten-pick-up day. She rode home in it (with a little side trip to see my parents).

When I got home, for some reason I thought it would be interesting to take her out of the carrier and set down the empty carrier again. So I put Molly inside my sweater, went inside and let the big cats re-inspect the carrier. Many puzzled looks as they all crowded around it. They paid absolutely no attention to me or to the little black kitten head sticking out of my sweater.

After a few minutes of this, Molly started squirming around and hopped down to the floor. All the big cats came over for a closer look. She did her arched back, puffed out fur thing and without a hiss or growl, all the big cats were just gone. That's sort of the normal thing to happen - small kitten puffs up and maybe gives a little hiss and all the big cats vanish.

Q- What is the cutest/funniest thing about your new kitten?

MB- She was really well socialized and is quite affectionate, although I have to say she's a daredevil and rather fearless. The cutest thing she does is sort of this kitten-godzilla thing where she does a four-footed pounce move followed by walking towards them on her two back legs. They look at her like she's lost her little kitten mind.

Q- Do you have any tips for introducing a new cat to others?

MB- Despite the tales of cat aloofness, they're actually quite social beings. Every group of cats has a clear social structure once you get to know the members. It's important to let the cats adjust to a new member on their own and only take action if it looks like someone is really going to get hurt.

No amount of holding the kitten up to the big cats and saying "look! cute kitten" you should like her!" will help this process, and usually doing that just results in the big cat taking a whack at the little one which makes everyone unhappy. Especially me because I should know better!

After awhile the big cats think the kitten is a special kind of toy that never runs down and there may be some chasing or pretend batting back at the bold little thing. This is usually followed pretty quickly by ear-licking and butt sniffing and next thing you know they're curled up nearby each other.

Another way to introduce a new cat is to keep them in a room separately and let everyone sniff around the door. Screened porches are good for this too.

I always tell people to expect a few weeks of hissing until everyone settles back into place, but I've never had any real cat fights or injuries. (Photo to the left--the black blur you see is Molly, playing with Erasmus.)

The hardest part in all this is of course remaining a neutral human party, especially because there's this adorable new kitten looking for attention and a warm lap. I try to spend some extra time scritching and paying attention to all the big cats individually and as a group. Then I spend time with the new kitten by herself.

Thank you Mary Beth, and all the best to Dierdre, Archie, Erasmus, and little Molly!

Bringing Home a New Kitten or Cat

By Julia Williams

If I followed my heart, I would have a whole house full of cats. But as a responsible pet owner, I must follow my head which says three is my current limit. Now, many people would say three cats IS a house full, but never mind. If you are lucky enough to be adopting a new kitten or cat (or “angel with fur,” as I like to call them), there are some things you’ll need to do before you bring them home. Planning ahead for the fluffy new arrival will ensure that this transition goes smoothly, for you and your household as well as your new kitty.

The first thing on your agenda is shopping for all the essential supplies. You don’t want to bring the new kitty home and then run all over town looking for the things you’ll need to make them comfortable in their new surroundings. Essential supplies include a sturdy cat carrier, litter box, kitty litter, scooper, cat food and water dishes, grooming brush, cat bed or cat blanket, high quality cat food, scratching post and some toys. You might also way to pick up a book or two on cat care and behavior.

If you’re adopting a kitten, be aware that they are very fond of climbing and jumping, and they play enthusiastically with no consideration for your valuables. Therefore, kitten proofing your home is advised if you wish to keep your precious Ming vase in one piece. You’ll enjoy your rambunctious kitten’s antics a lot more if you move your breakables to a safe place for the time being.

You might also want to move any houseplants that are situated at floor level. Kittens (and even adult cats) are very attracted to plants, and they might chew on the leaves, sit on top of the plant or dig in the dirt. Moving your plants to less accessible areas, like the top of a bookshelf or outdoors in nice weather, will ensure that they don’t become a plaything for your kitty. Many common houseplants are actually poisonous for cats and should be removed from your home entirely. The Cat Fanciers’ Association has a detailed list of all the plants to avoid.

When it’s time for your kitty to come to their new home, it’s imperative that you transport them in a pet carrier. A loose cat riding in the car is a surefire recipe for disaster, as is carrying them from car to house in your arms. If possible, bring a towel for your new kitten or cat to sleep on for a few days before “moving day,” so it will have something familiar in the new surroundings. This will comfort the kitty and help it feel more secure with this big change.

Arrange to situate the new kitten or cat in a quiet place in your home, like a spare bedroom. It should be someplace where the kitty can be away from the hustle and bustle of your home, particularly if you have children or other pets. It’s also a good idea to limit introductions to family members (both two and four legged) for the first few days, which allows kitty to settle in, and minimizes the stress of being in a new environment. Put all of the new kitty’s essential supplies in this room for the time being.

Don’t force the kitty to come out of the carrier, just open the door and let them come out when they’re ready to explore. Leave the open carrier in the room so the kitty can go back into it if they get frightened by something and want a safe place to hide. But don’t be surprised, though, if they take up residence under your bed or in the back of your closet for those first few days. Eventually your new kitten or cat will become braver and venture out to explore their room.

It’s a good idea to arrange to bring your new kitten or cat home on the weekend or at a time when someone can be there with it for a few days. It’s frightening for an animal to be taken to some strange new place and then left all alone. Being there for this transition will help the new kitty bond with you and feel safe in their new forever home. And, it will go a long way toward creating a well-adjusted, happy cat.

I hope these tips on bringing home a new kitten or cat will help you to take good care of them. I only wish I could be there to give your new kitty a “welcome home” kiss.

Read more articles by Julia Williams