A cat can be a wonderful addition to the family, and there are many benefits to getting a feline friend. It’s important to be prepared when it comes to bringing a cat home, as you’ll need to know how to get the cat to feel safe, comfortable, and settled at home. This will always be challenging, especially if it’s an older cat and/or one that has come from a difficult background. There are a few things that you can do to speed up the process, though, and this post will offer a few suggestions that should help.
Use A Cat Transport Service
First, you need to make a plan for bringing the cat home. It’s not always possible to collect the cat yourself, so you’ll need to make sure that you use a specialist cat transportation service. A cat transport specialist will know how to make a cat feel safe and comfortable during transportation so that it arrives at your home feeling calm. You can compare cat transport specialists at places like Shiply. This will help you find a reliable company and keep your costs down.
Get Everything You Need
You also need to have everything ready for the arrival of your new pet. There are many items that will help the cat to get settled into your new home, such as:
- A bed
- Scratching post
- Bowls
- Cat food
- Litter box
- Toys
Provide Quiet, Safe Spaces
Cats need to have safe areas where they can hide, especially when they’re in a new environment. Therefore, you need to find suitable spaces around the home that they can make their own and turn to when they’re feeling scared or tired. Cats like enclosed spaces, so a cardboard box with bedding in it could work well, or spaces that are high up.
Let Them Explore By Themselves
You also need to allow the cat to explore by themselves and allow them to adjust to their new surroundings. It’s helpful to start them off in a quiet area of the house and then allow them to explore. It might also help to allow them to explore your home by themselves when you’re out of the house so they can familiarize themselves with it all without having to worry about people. They will warm to you over time, but cats will always be hesitant at first.
Let Them Come To You
Leading on from this, you should always let a cat come to you instead of forcing an interaction with them. Sitting still on the floor will encourage your cat to come forward and approach you on their own terms. It can take a bit of time, but the cat will soon adjust to you and its new surroundings after a while.
Bringing a cat home to be a part of the family is an exciting time, but it’s important that you’re prepared and know how to make a cat feel settled. It’s a bit more challenging than getting a dog, but the advice in this post should help and hopefully allow you to quickly form a bond with your new feline friend.
