Page 23 - Complete Cat Care: How To Keep Your Cat Healthy and Happy

◁ Handle with care
Show children how to stroke their pet gently and
calmly. Explain that cats should not be picked up
unnecessarily or overwhelmed with attention.

and should definitely not run loose
in the same room as an adult cat.
Feline hunting instincts are very
close to the surface.

Establishing a routine
Setting up a regular routine right
from the start will help your cat
feel secure. Establish feeding
times and use these as an
opportunity to teach your cat to
come when called. Kittens may not
know how to use a litter tray (see
pp.86–87) and, in the strangeness 21
of a new home, even an adult cat
can have accidents. Place your
kitten or cat on his tray at regular
intervals, such as after a meal,
until using the litter tray is second
nature. To avoid problems later on,
them to play with. Scratches, tears, trapped but has somewhere to run stick to the rules about no-go areas
and a terrified cat make the worst to if tempers become frayed. After for your cat—for example, do not Bringing your cat home
possible start, so supervise children a few such meetings, the chances allow him to sleep on the bed
if necessary while they are getting are that the cats will tolerate one "just this once."
to know their pet. Discourage another, even if they never become
loud voices and boisterous games, best friends. Resident cats seem to
and step in at once to prevent be less likely to show aggression
inappropriate handling. toward a young kitten than to
An older cat already in the another adult cat.
household will almost certainly Introductions between cats
take a dim view of a stranger and dogs are not necessarily
encroaching on his personal the problem you might expect.
territory. Never place litter trays or Although much depends on the
food bowls side by side and expect breed, not all dogs are inveterate
the resident and the newcomer to cat chasers. For the first few
sort it out for themselves. Keep the meetings, keep the dog on a leash
cats apart to begin with, but allow and give the cat space to back
them to become accustomed to off. Talk to both animals softly,
each other's scent, either by give them equal attention, and
swapping food bowls (so that they praise your dog if he behaves well.
also associate the scent with the Never leave the two alone together
pleasure of food), or by moving until you are confident that the
them into each other's rooms. After relationship is going to be peaceful.
a week or so, introduce them but Small pets, such as hamsters or △ Using the litter tray
Cats need a little time to get used to a new litter
do not leave them alone together. rabbits, are probably best left out tray in an unfamiliar position. They dislike being
Make sure that neither cat feels of introductions to the newcomer on view, so place the tray in a discreet corner.

US_020-021_Bringing_your_cat_home.indd 21 24/10/2013 14:58