Bringing Home a New Cat or Kitten

Bringing home a new cat or kitten is always exciting. You cannot wait to introduce the new addition to your family and friends; and you are already looking forward to years of happy companionship. The way you introduce your new cat to your household can make a big difference in how well he makes the adjustment.

Remember that cats are very much creatures of habit. They like things to be predictable and pretty much the same from day to day. You will be taking your cat out of a familiar environment, putting him into a noisy, moving vehicle, then expecting him to adjust to new surroundings, new people and perhaps, new animals. This is a lot to ask, and no matter how wonderful you and your home are, even the most easy-going cat is likely to be stressed and nervous! To make the transition as smooth as possible, take things slowly and give your cat plenty of time to get used to his new home.

Before you bring your new cat or kitten home

Making some plans ahead of time will make the transition to a new home much easier for you and your cat.

First, make an appointment with your veterinarian to have your new pet examined. If possible, schedule the appointment so you can take your cat to the veterinarian immediately after picking him up.

Make sure you have a sturdy travel crate for the cat to ride in. Most of the time the trip home will involve a car ride. When cats are nervous, they may feel more secure in an enclosed space. An unrestrained cat can be a real driving hazard, especially if she climbs down by the pedals, or jumps onto your shoulder. Having your cat in a carrier can also be helpful in case the cat vomits, urinates or defecates, which some cats will do if they are nervous.

The sense of smell is very important to cats, and it will make them more comfortable to have something that smells like their former home. For kittens, it is especially helpful to take a towel or blanket the kitten has been sleeping on with you to his new home. Make arrangements ahead of time with the breeder or shelter, possibly bringing them a towel for the cat to sleep on for several days before you pick her up. Place the towel in the carrier for the ride home, and leave it in the carrier for your new pet to sleep on the first few days.

To limit the number of changes your new pet will need to experience the first day, before you get the cat, find out what food and litter the cat has had, and try to get the same brand. If you want to change brands later, slowly (over the course of a week), mix the new brand in with the old brand.

Before you bring your new cat home, put his food, water, toys, scratching post, and litter pan in a quiet room you can close off, perhaps a spare bedroom. If the new cat is shy, fearful, or you have other cats, the use of the product Feliway may be helpful. Feliway is a product that was designed to help reduce anxiety in cats. It contains pheromones from the cat's face. Pheromones are chemicals which are used to communicate with other members of the same species. You may notice that a cat often rubs her face and chin on vertical surfaces. She is leaving a scent there which contains these pheromones. The pheromones from the face have a calming effect on other cats. You may wish to spray Feliway in the cat's new room, in the cat carrier before and after you pick up the cat, and around the house, if you have other cats. Alternatively, you can purchase a plug-in form of the product to use in the house.

The initial introduction to your home

Cats need to become thoroughly familiar with new surroundings before they feel comfortable. An entire apartment or house can be overwhelming all at once. Many cats will hide under beds or furniture, sometimes for days. It will be much less stressful for your cat to learn about you, your family and your home a little at a time. This is even more important if there are multiple people and/or pets in your household.

When you bring your cat home, place him in the room you have fixed up for him, keep this room closed off, and let him explore that area first. Let the cat come out of his crate on his own; do not try to coax him or tip the crate to force him out. Cats are curious and most will soon come out to explore their surroundings. If the cat seems very timid, you can leave the room for a while and check back later. If you really want to stay in the room, get a book and read. When the cat is ready to come out, stay where you are and let him come to you. Talk in a soft, reassuring tone, pet him if he seems interested, but do not try to pick him up. Leave the open carrier in the room, so that he has a safe retreat if he wants one. Give him time to learn that he can trust you.

The introduction to other family members

Introduce other family members slowly. Have them come into the room one at a time to pet and play with the cat. Have younger children sit down, then show them how to gently stroke the cat's fur and offer her a few treats. Make certain that children understand that they are not to chase the cat, hurt her or bother her while she eats, sleeps or uses the litter box. If there are no other pets, you can let the cat begin to explore the rest of the house in a few days.

The introduction to other pet cats in your home

If you are bringing your new cat into a home with other cats, keep in mind that there are diseases and parasites that cats can transmit to each other, and some of these are fatal. Before you bring a new cat into your household, take it to your veterinarian for an examination and stool sample check. Your veterinarian will be able to tell you what vaccinations your cat needs and check your cat's stool for intestinal parasites. Your veterinarian can also perform blood testing for feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Then you can bring your new cat home without concerns about compromising the health of your current cat(s).

Keeping the new cat in a quiet, separate room is especially important if there are other cats in the house. The other cats will quickly become aware of your new cat's presence. The cats will usually sniff at each other under the closed door. Do not be surprised if there is some initial hissing. Help the cats get used to each other's scent by rubbing a towel over each of them in turn. Feeding them on either side of the door that closes off the room the new cat is in is also helpful. They will start associating the smell of the other cat with a good thing (food). After a few days, take the new cat out of its room, put the old cat in that room with the door closed, and let the new cat begin to explore the rest of the house for a few hours each evening.

The next step is to let the cats see each other, yet still keep them separated. An old screen door or a piece of Plexiglas works well for this. Another option is to prop open the door of the new cat's room, just enough so that the cats can see each other and put a paw through, but not enough that they can get through the door. After a few days of this, try feeding the cats together, but at opposite ends of the room. Monitor the cats during this time, and separate them except at mealtime. Each day, move the food dishes very slightly closer to each other, until the cats are eating side by side. The idea is for the cats to associate each other with the pleasant experience of eating. It is not unusual to hear occasional hissing, but this should decrease as the days go by. If things do not seem to be improving, try decreasing their interaction for a few days.

Once the cats seem comfortable with each other, you can move on to the final step. Open the door all the way, allowing the cats to come and go as they please. Monitor them closely, in case they fight. Do not leave them alone for any length of time until you are sure they will get along well. Make sure there is at least one litter box per cat. This helps to prevent a more dominant cat from stalking the other and keeping him from using the litter box.

The introduction to a pet dog in your home

Introducing a new cat into a household where there is a dog is a little different. Keep them separated, with the cat in its own room, for the first few days. Then pick a time when the dog is outside or crated, and let the cat begin to explore the rest of the house. Once the cat seems comfortable in the house, you can begin introducing the dog and the cat. Keep the dog on a short leash, give the command for a sit or a down/stay and allow the cat to come into the room. If the dog is remaining quiet and the cat seems interested, let the cat come over and investigate the dog. The main concerns here are that the dog might get aggressive, or that the cat might claw at the dog's face. Knowing some of your new cat's previous history can help you know what to expect. Obviously, a cat that has been chased by a dog in its previous home is much less likely to do well in a new home with a dog. Some dogs are wonderful with cats, while some can be a threat. There are some dogs who instinctively see small animals as prey to be hunted. Monitor the dog and cat closely and do not leave them alone together until you are certain they will get along well. Make sure there are safe retreats in the house where the cat can get away from the dog. A baby gate across the doorway of one room works well. Position the gate 4 to 5 inches above the floor for young kittens or older cats who cannot jump well. Make sure litter boxes are out of the dog's reach, also, to prevent the dog from eating faeces and/or litter, or keeping a frightened cat from using the litter box.

Knowing your cat's history, taking care to pick a cat likely to fit in well with your household (see also Should I Get a Kitten), and taking the time to gradually introduce the newcomer, will greatly increase the chances of your new cat becoming a happy, permanent member of your family.

The kittens have arrived, have nursed, and are now sleeping with the queen. She will curve her body around them and look very content as they nurse and sleep.

Feeding and nutrition

The queen should be allowed easy access to food, water, and a litter box. Place everything she needs close by, but out of reach of the kittens. Monitor that she is eating, drinking, and using the litter box.

Within 2-3 days, the queen's appetite will about double from her pre-pregnancy intake. She will need a near constant supply of a high quality kitten food and water to maintain her weight and health while feeding the kittens. She should still have her supplements of vitamin and mineral tablets. She should not look gaunt or thin if her weight is maintained. Ideally, she should weigh the same at weaning as she did when she was bred.

A healthy kitten is firm, plump, and vigorous. Kittens nurse about every 1-2 hours. If they nurse until their stomachs appear round and they sleep quietly, they are eating enough. If they are crying and moving a lot, they are not eating enough. They may be swallowing air which makes the stomach appear larger. As they become weaker, they will lay still and not cry. Kittens develop a preference for which teat they nurse from within days of birth. They locate the same teat by smell. Before, during, and after nursing, the queen will lick the stomach and perineal area to stimulate urination and defecation. She will continue to do this for 2-3 weeks.

A normal kitten weighs 100 grams plus or minus 10 grams at birth. Those with weights under 90 grams at birth are more likely to die within the first days of life. The minimal weight gain should be 7-10 grams daily, although, they may lose weight slightly in the first 24 hours after birth. A kitten's weight should double within the first 14 days of life. Kittens should be weighed daily or every other day for the first two weeks of life and then 2-3 times a week until weaning. Failure of weight gain is often the first sign of illness in kittens.

The kittens will begin to imitate the queen eating and drinking around 3-4 weeks of age. A secure shallow water dish should now be available at least part of the day. At this age, the kittens can start receiving kitten mush. A high quality dry kitten food can be placed in the blender with liquid kitten milk replacer and hot water. This should be blenderized until the consistency of human infant cereal. The kittens should receive 3-4 meals a day of this to start. Once the kittens have checked it out, walked in it, and have eaten some, the queen can be allowed to finish it and clean the kittens. Each week, decrease the amount of the milk replacer and water that is added and the time of blenderizing, so by 7-8 weeks, the kittens are eating dry food. Once they are on dry food, it may be left in with the kittens. As the kittens eat more solid food, the queen may be let away from the kittens for an ever longer period of time. By the time they are 7-8 weeks old, they should be fully weaned from the dam's milk, eating dry food, drinking water, and using the litter box. As weaning progresses, the amount the queen eats should be decreased. If the weaning is not rushed, she will naturally start decreasing milk production as the kittens increase their intake of solid food. Starting the fifth week of lactation, add a small amount of premium adult food to the queen's diet and slightly decrease the amount of kitten food. Keep gradually increasing the adult food and decreasing the kitten food, so by the time the kittens are weaned at 8 weeks, the queen is on all adult food. During the last week of weaning, the dam's food consumption should be less than 50% above the maintenance level and declining towards the maintenance level.

Cats and kittens need to be able to smell their food to eat well. If a kitten has a runny nose, keep the nose area clean and provide fresh food several times a day. Weigh these kittens daily to make sure they are continuing to gain weight.

Sanitation and litter box training

The nesting box needs to be changed at least once a day at this stage. The queen is stimulating the kittens to urinate and defecate for the first several weeks of life. Around four weeks of age, they will begin sand-scratching behaviour. Initially, they follow the queen to the litter box and play in it. Gradually, by about six weeks of age, they learn to eliminate in the litter box. A cake pan with short sides that the kittens can climb over works well at this stage for a litter box. Kittens learn to bury their faeces by watching the queen burying hers.

Temperature

The nursery area should be maintained about 75-80°F for the first week. Then it can be gradually dropped to about 70°F. If a heat source is used, it should not be warmer than the queen, as the kittens head for the heat source to nurse. Kittens will lay side by side or piled on top of each other to stay warm and for the contact. If they are spread throughout the box, the temperature may be too warm. Kittens need the extra heat, as they are unable to regulate their body temperature until several weeks old. The rectal temperature of a newborn kitten is about 97°F and rises each week until about 4 weeks of age when it is a normal adult temperature of 100.5-102.5°F.

Health of the queen

Each mammary gland and nipple of the queen should be checked at least once a day for redness, hardness, discharge, or streaking colour. If mastitis (infection of the mammary gland) develops, the veterinarian should be contacted immediately. If caught early, milking out the affected gland and applying hot compresses will help prevent a spread of the problem. Sometimes, antibiotics are necessary. If the queen develops multiple glands with mastitis, the kittens will need to be bottle fed. The kittens' nails should be trimmed weekly starting within days of birth. This will help prevent some of the scratches on the queen's mammary glands. The deciduous teeth start coming in around day 11. Check the mammary glands of the queen daily for bites.

The queen will have a bloody discharge from her vulva, which may be quite heavy for several days. It should decrease in amount, become darker, and be almost gone within 2-3 weeks.

Kitten health care

Unthrifty kittens should be examined as soon as possible by a veterinarian to check for birth defects. Some defects such as a cleft palate are not compatible with life. These kittens should be humanely euthanized. Death of kittens after 4 days of age should be rare.

Vaccinations are started at about 6-7 weeks of age. Ask your veterinarian which vaccinations are necessary for your litter.

The American Association of Parapsychologists and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have made the following recommendations for de worming kittens:

In kittens, because prenatal infection does not occur, egg excretion begins later than in puppies, and in most areas, the risk of roundworms and hookworms in cats is comparatively lower; de worming for kittens can be started effectively at 3 weeks of age and be repeated at 5, 7, and 9 weeks. Drs. Foster and Smith suggest that owners of newly acquired kittens should obtain the de worming history of their new pet and contact their veterinarian to determine if additional de worming is needed. The queen should be de wormed at the same times as the kittens.

A health check done by a veterinarian at 6-7 weeks of age before the kittens head for new homes should include checks for heart murmurs, hernias, ear mites, other parasites, eye disorders, etc.

Normal kitten development

The umbilical cord normally falls off in 2-3 days. Infections of the umbilicus are rare in clean, well-managed catteries.

Kittens will twitch and jerk while they sleep. This helps develop the nervous system and muscles. The kittens crawl well by 7-14 days of age, walk at 16 days, and have a normal gait at 21 days. They need to be on footing that offers traction. By 4 weeks of age, the kittens follow each other and actively play with each other. By 5 weeks of age, the kittens pounce and stalk in their play. At this age, they will also begin grooming themselves and each other.

Kittens are born without teeth. The deciduous (baby) teeth start to erupt at 2-4 weeks of age. All of the deciduous teeth are usually present by 8 weeks of age.

Kittens learn to use a scratching post by watching the queen use it. A solid secure post should be available by 3 weeks of age. Do not allow other surfaces for them to scratch at this point. Once a pattern of using the scratching post for scratching is established, it is followed fairly consistently.

The kittens' eyes will begin to open around 7-10 days of age. Do not pry open the lids for any reason, as the immature eye is not yet ready to handle light. Some kittens will take a day to open the eyes while others will take 3-4 days. The retina matures around 5 weeks of age and the kitten sees clearly. The eyes will have a bluish colour to them at first and then change to their adult colour over time. If the eyes appear white or solid blue, take the kitten to the veterinarian right away.

The ears open at about 14 days of age. The kittens should hear clearly by 4 weeks of age. Deafness may not be noticeable while the kittens are together and first noticed only when the kitten is in its new home. White cats with blue eyes are frequently deaf because the gene causing deafness is linked to the genes necessary to produce this combination of