How to Introduce a New Cat to Your Home

Bringing home a new cat can be really exciting, but daunting too. With kittens, it can be easier, as they will not have such a long background with a previous owner. But older cats may not be so simple to introduce to your home. Here are a few suggestions to help make the transition easier.

How to introduce a new cat to your home #1 Patience!

If you bring a tiny kitten home with you, the first thing you will need is a lot of patience. My cat was 7 weeks old when we got him. What we did not expect was for him to cry incessantly for the first week he was with us! It almost made me regret our decision. We found out later, that he was most probably pining for his mother. So if you find yourself in this situation, just be patient with the cat and give him time to adjust.

How to introduce a new cat to your home #2 Show the cat where its water, food and litter tray are

A new cat will be nervous of its new surroundings, different smelling carpets and so on. But one thing you can do to make the cat feel at home more quickly is to introduce the cat to his water, food and litter tray, the three staples in a cat's life, straightaway. If the cat does not seem interested, pick the cat up and take him over to where these items are. The cat will feel more settled if he knows where he can find sustenance and a toilet.

How to introduce a new cat to your home #3 Let the cat explore the house

Cats are very inquisitive by nature, so let them roam around the house. The cat will sniff just about everything in his path. He is trying to familiarize himself with his new surroundings when he does this. So let the cat wander. You can help by openings all the doors in the house, as the cat gets to know where everything is. He will soon know where to go.

How to introduce a new cat to your home #4 Be welcoming!

Unlike guests who are here today, and gone tomorrow, this new pet cat is hopefully here to stay. So be welcoming! Use the cat's name to call him (if he already has a name) or call him by his new name as soon as possible. Make a fuss of the cat and give him lots of attention. He will appreciate this, as he forgets his old home and learns to view your home as his.

Introducing a new cat to your home does not have to be too stressful. Before long, you will wonder what all the fuss was about as the cat becomes the newest family member.