Integrating a New Kitten into the Household
Bringing home, a new kitten can be very exciting for everyone in the family. Make sure the environment is calm and that the kitten isn’t overly handled within the first few days so they have to time to get acquainted with their environment.
You can provide them with their own bed/blanket to sleep in and make sure they are shown where the food, water, and litterbox are.
Provide fresh water 24/7 and meals should be
provided in small amounts several times a day (which regress to twice a day feeding when they are an adult). When you change their food, transition slowly over a week to prevent gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea and vomiting.
If you have children, make sure to supervise the children with the kitten. Let them know how to properly handle the kitten and to give space as needed.
Introducing Your Kitten to Other Pets
Introducing a new kitten to other animals in the household can difficult, there are some basic steps to getting both pets to at least call an inter-species truce.
Introductions must be supervised, and they must be handled with planning, care and patience. Under no circumstances should cat-dog introductions be handled by throwing the animals together and letting them work out things on their own. That method can be very stressful or may even lead to injuries.
Your kitten should be confined during the early stages of introduction to a small area where he can feel safe while becoming acclimated to the sounds and smells of the dog or other cat. Be sure the room has everything he needs, and make sure frequent one-on-one visits.
Your kitten should be confined during the early stages of introduction to a small area where he can feel safe while becoming acclimated to the sounds and smells of the dog or other cat. Be sure the room has everything he needs, and make sure frequent one-on-one visits.
When the animals don’t seem very interested in each other and the kitten feels secure enough to come out from under the bed, you can allow them to get on with their new lives together. The amount of time that it takes the animals to get here depends on the individuals, so follow their pace. Take the time to manage your pets’ introductions properly, and you could be setting up a friendship that will last for the rest your pets’ lives.
