Guide for first-time feline parents

If you are adopting a feline companion for the first time, here are some tips that may be useful to you.

The arrival of a new furry friend is always a reason for joy and excitement. But if it is the first cat you adopt, there are always some points to keep in mind.

Every cat is different, and as with people, each one has its own personality and character. When adopting a feline for the first time, we have to take into account several factors: where it is going to sleep, if we have the house conditioned, where it is going to be its play and eating area?

In addition to the basic things that we will ask ourselves, we also have to take into account the age of the animal. It is not the same to adopt a kitten of two months old, than one year old, than 5 years old? They do not have the same energy!

Small kittens have a phase of "destruction" when they are growing up (and it is completely normal) that they scratch and bite everything, because they are learning to use their nails and that can "bother" a little bit. Just like if it is a young cat (from 7 months to 2 years old), it has already gone through that destructive phase but it still has a lot of energy and needs to play and move around. While an adult cat (from 3 years old) will already have a very marked character and personality and will be calmer.

Prepare your home

One of the most important parts is the preparation of our home to make our new cat feel comfortable and safe. Depending on whether we live in a house or in an apartment, we will have to adapt it in one way or another.

The most important part is to avoid that our feline escapes, since from the shelter we recommend that the cat does not go outside. For it is important to give him a good life and to condition the windows or balconies with resistant mosquito nets or grids, that in addition to avoiding that he escapes, avoids that he could hurt himself, since if he jumps from a great height he could have serious consequences.

If, on the other hand, you have a terrace or garden and you want to let it sunbathe outdoors, it is also advisable to adapt that area so that it cannot escape.

Essential things

On the other hand, cats need some basic things for their daily life, such as a litter box and sand to keep it clean every day, a drinking and feeding bowl, food according to the age of the animal, a comfortable bed and a toy.

It is important the area where the litter box is going to be installed, for example, because the cat will use it to do its needs and must be calm. So we must make sure that it is in a place that is not too noisy and has easy accessibility.

Cats are very curious and probably need to investigate everything, but apart from that, they need to have their resting, playing and eating area. Normally it is usually the most crowded area of the house, to have company and where he will spend more time. In this area we will leave water and food nearby, as well as a comfortable bed and a scratching post.

One of the essentials, if we want to avoid scratches on furniture and doors, is the scratching post. A good scratching post will be our salvation in this case, since he will use it to "sharpen" his nails.

In addition to the scratching post, it is convenient to have some toys, so that the animal can release energy, such as balls, mice, tunnels or remote-controlled toys. As well as some toys to play together, because although cats are quite independent, they also need their humans. For these cases we can use cane toys with some final piece or feather.

You must be patient

Animals can suffer stress with changes, so we must be patient if we see that the first hours or the first days of arriving home he hides or does not pay attention to us. It is a defense behavior on the part of the feline and we must leave its space and be patient and little by little it will open up to us.

It is important not to overwhelm the animal with hugs and kisses, or pass it from arm to arm to prevent it from being overwhelmed, feeling uncomfortable and reacting defensively by scratching or biting.

Conclusion

We know that the entrance of a new member in the family is very exciting, but we must make sure that we have everything we need before the entry of the animal at home. As well as their safety, also avoiding that they have access to dangerous objects (such as glass) or toxic plants.

In addition, we must take into account their medical needs, veterinary check-ups and hygiene. As well as, it is interesting, and from the shelter we recommend, the sterilization (we tell you why in our blog) and the use of the microchip.