Procedures

Giving A Home To A Cat

Requirements:   

• Large litter tray and litter scoop
• Cat litter
• Food and water dishes
• Veterinary approved pellets – kittens must have KITTEN pellets until
• they are one year old e.g Hills, Royal Canin or Iams
• Toys do not need to be expensive (Rolled up paper, empty toilet paper containers, ping-pong balls, bits of string dragged along, are all-time favourites)
• Bed {a clean cardboard box with bedding is fine}

Procedures:

Select one room in which to put the cat initially. Put the litter tray on newspaper in a corner, and the food and water dishes on another piece of paper, not too close to the tray. If the cat is nervous, the bed should be put under a chair, for instance, or in a dark place so that he feels safely out of sight to begin with. Make sure that windows {even small top openers} are firmly shut. Then collect the cat in a proper cat carrying basket {not a cardboard box}, covered with a towel to reduce panic, and lined with several layers of newspaper. Don’t let the cat out until you are in the room with the door shut – let him explore, or hide for a time, and give him as much of your reassuring time as possible. Don’t force him to be picked up unless he likes it. The stress of being moved usually affects the cat’s appetite for a day or two, so tempt him with small portions at first, in order not to waste food.

Keep him in the room for the rest of that day and overnight, so that he becomes used to it and knows where his litter tray is. If you are going to work the next day, feed him and clean his litter tray by scooping out droppings and damp patches into a plastic bag, {which can be tied up and put in the dustbin}, then leave him where he is until you return. Should he hide, perhaps under a bed, for more than 24 hours, try to coax him out by getting a thin stick with a few leaves on the end and wiggling this enticingly for him to play with. Don’t grab him as soon as he appears; just let him play with the stick for a while after coming out until it becomes a familiar game.

Before letting him out of the room, make sure that all windows and doors are properly shut. If your house is large, try leaving just a few doors open at first, such as the lounge and kitchen, so that he isn’t overwhelmed by too much unfamiliar space, and then let him explore on his own feet{not carried}. Make sure that the door to his room is left open for him to return to his food and litter tray if he needs to. At bedtime he can be put back into the room for a few nights, if you wish. If you want to air a room, make sure that the door is shut while windows are open.

A new cat should be kept in the house for about 3 weeks, so that he becomes completely familiar with it as his base. During that time, take care when going through a door to or from the outside that he doesn’t dash past you. If he does escape, don’t try to grab him, just approach slowly and speak to him quietly, before picking him up. If he does not co-operate, he will usually respond to a bit of string wiggled in front of him and you can lead him back indoors with this, or slowly move behind him and “shepherd” him back in front of you, through the open door.

If you already have a dog or cat, let them get used to each other gradually. They will know that he is in the room and will smell him under the door. When you open the door to that room, remember to leave it open, so that he con dash back inside if alarmed. It is quite natural for the resident cat to spit and perhaps growl at the intruder into her territory to begin with, so don’t be angry with her for being “jealous” or she will just get more confused. Make sure that your existing animals get extra attention, as well as the newcomer, to begin with.

Before letting him out, get him used to being called by name and coming to the sound of a box of cat biscuits being rattled. When you first let him out, choose the time when he knows you are preparing his food {as an incentive to come back in}, then just open the door and let him go out on his own. He may be reluctant to do this at first, but it is best not to rush him by carrying him out. Stay with him, talking quietly, for a short time then get him in again and feed him. Time outside can be increased and he will explore further each time. If he goes next door be sure to tell the neighbours that he is your new cat, and try to coax him back.

It is essential to make sure that he is inside at night, perhaps by luring him in with his supper after closing the door and windows. If you decide to move his litter tray to another room, such as the bathroom or laundry, do so gradually so that he always knows where to find it. To begin with, it is advisable to keep him inside while you are out or at work.

Litter Tray
Clean this twice a day as described above. Once a week the litter can be thrown out {in the dustbin} and the tray and scoop washed with clean water – disinfectants are distasteful to cats – dried with kitchen paper and filled with clean litter, about 3cm deep.

Food
An adult cat can be given about 40g of cat biscuits in the morning, beside fresh water, and in the evening about 1/3 of a tin or one pouch of moist food. Any food not eaten by the morning should be discarded, or given to the dog if you have one, and the dish washed. Some cats like milk but their digestive systems were not designed to digest it, so they can be upset by it. Fresh water is quite adequate for them.

Grooming
Cats like to be brushed gently and this helps to avoid fur balls and excess hair in the house. A slicker brush with tiny wire bristles gets out a lot of loose undercoat and, although it looks fierce, apparently feels very nice! If you have any queries about your new cat’s behaviour, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for offering him a loving home.