How to Make a Cat Feel at Home After You Move to a New House
If you have just gotten a new kitty or even a more mature cat from a shelter or other type of adoption, one of the big questions that you may ask yourself is how you are going to help to make your new cat feel as comfortable as possible when you get it home.
When it comes to cats in general, while they are extremely independent, they can also become quite skittish when they are exposed to a brand-new environment that they are not familiar with. With this in mind, just know that it is going to take your cat some time to fully adapt and start feeling comfortable in their new home. While you are waiting for your cat to get to that point, there are actually a few ways that you can help to speed that process up. Here are some of the best ways to help make your cat feel more comfortable when they are in a new home or environment.
Learn from Your Past Experiences
If this isn’t going to be the first time that you have brought home a new cat, you actually have an advantage over someone who has not. You see, you are able to use your past experience bringing a new cat home to help you figure out the things that can potentially work to help alleviate any potential feline relocation anxiety. While yes, each cat is going to have their own unique personality, at least you will be somewhat prepared for the new cat that is now in your life. All you need to do is to simply strengthen and reinforce all of the things that you did in the past that were seeming to work. With that in mind, you should always remember that just because something worked in the past with a previous cat does not mean that it is going to work this time with your new cat. So be sure that you have an open mind when trying things out.
Cat-Proof Your House
Even if you are successful when it comes to making your cat feel as though they are right at home if you have not taken the time to cat-proof your house, a lot of your anxiety is going to be transferred onto them after the welcoming period has come to an end. Cats are naturally very curious animals. As such, it is essential that you take precautions and make sure that there are certain safeties put into place around the home. For example, it is crucial for you to keep any and all of the harsh cleaning chemicals and solutions that you have, any medications, anything that may be toxic or contain toxins, and any other substances that can be potentially harmful to your cat out of their reach.
Besides just cat proofing the inside of your home, you are also going to need to take a peek outside and make sure that the yard around your home is safe for them as well. Be sure that you get rid of any potentially harmful plants that may be growing in the yard or around the house. If there are things that can easily be broken laying around, such as china, glassware, or even ceramic pieces, should all be stored in a place that is secure and out of the reach of your new cat. Also, you are going to want to make sure that you keep your toilet bowl lid down. If you don’t have one, you will need to go out and get one.
Remember to Take Things Slow
In case you didn’t know, it is going to take between 1 and 2 weeks before your new cat is going to start feeling as though they belong to their new environment and can finally start to relax. During this initial ‘break-in’ period, it is going to be best for your cat if you can avoid inviting people over such as friends and family, as all this is going to do is simply prolong the adjustment period, meaning that it will take even longer for your new cat to get comfortable and actually feel like they are home.
What your main goal to do should be to focus on just you and your cat during this time. Once your cat starts to eat and eliminate on a more normal basis, then it is alright to start inviting people over and introducing your cat to new faces in their home.
Allow Your Cat to Hide in a Safe Place
While it may sound silly to you, but when large cats are out in the wild, they will often times tend to feel more secure when they are inside of their dents when certain ‘new’ situations may arise in their environment. Taking cues from your cat’s much larger cousins, you can add a cat house or give your cat a certain area of a particular room that they will be able to feel much more comfortable in whenever one of these ‘new’ situations should arise in their home.
This will not only help them to feel much more secure, but it will also give them a place that they can observe and watch all of the new faces that are coming around. In certain situations, it may be a good idea to have a place that is much higher up than anybody else can get too. Just keep in mind that you are going to want to help play to your cat’s natural predatory instincts. If you do, it will help them to feel much more comfortable and safer, as well as have a place to go to when they just need to getaway.
When you get a new cat, no matter if they are a brand-new kitty or a more mature cat that you just adopted from the animal shelter, the transition to a new home can be a very difficult one which causes a lot of excess stress and anxiety. When you follow the tips mentioned above, you will not only help to eliminate this excess stress and anxiety, but you will also help to make your cat much more comfortable in their new environment.
