New Kitten Tips
Start small. When being taken to their forever home, these tiny little guys have gone through a lot and are now in a new, unknown, and "scary" place. It’s best to start with a small simple room without a lot of hiding spots, a litter box, food and a few toys. This will familiarize them to a new space and eliminate potential for accidents. Once they are comfortable with you and their new space (usually a few days), you can start to open up new areas of your house for them to explore. Always allow them access to that safe room, so that if they get scared they can return. Don't give them the whole house all at once or they may get lost and not know when the litter box is when they have to go. As they get more comfortable with you and your house, you can begin to open larger areas for them to explore.
Keep it simple. You’ll want to make sure they are comfortable with where their litter box, food and water in the safe room is. Start by putting them in the litter box and push their paws into it to give them a feel for it. Even if they don’t need it, at least they will know where it is when they do. It may be tempting to play with your kitten when you first get them and unleash all the cats toys you got them throughout your home, but it’s usually best to avoid confusing them when you first bring them home.
Show them lots of love. This should be a given, but when you first bring your kitten home it’s important to show them plenty of love by giving them pets, treats, and attention in their safe room. Occasionally, a kitten will be timid and fearful when first brought home, they may even hiss. This means they’re afraid, and it’s important to continue to show love and affection if this happens. Remember, this is the first time in their life that they have been alone, away from their mom and littermates, so it’s best to show them that you’re not scary and you love them while they warm up to you. The timid scared kittens tend to be the most loving and sweet once they get to know you. Another great way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to buy two kittens from the same litter. The kittens will be comfortable since they're taking on this new adventure together, and they will have a buddy for life.
Take any diet adjustments slow. For the first week or so, it’s important to very slowly start mixing the food in the care pack you got with your kitten with the food you intend to feed your kitten. We strongly recommend grain free kitten food only (it's all we feed our princes and princesses). We also recommend supplementing grain free canned kitten food once a day.
Pay attention to behavioral changes. If your kitten starts doing something unusual or misplaced, pay attention and be ready to correct their behavior. For example, if your kitten starts digging at a blanket, pillow, or your bed instead of litter box, chances are he is confused about where his litter box is. It's important at this point to move them from wherever they are to the litter box immediately. This will train them to become familiarized with where their litter box is in their new home. Or, if they start scratching furniture it's important to correct this behavior and move them to the cat scratcher. You might also consider placing tin foil on the furnace temporarily to discourage the behavior.
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