New cat owner -advice?

[meupatdoes]

So, along with purchasing a new house I am adopting a kitten from the rescue in PetCo who needs a home.

Therefore, my current dog (12 lb dachshund mix, very friendly, gets along well with roommate’s cat) and I will be moving into an empty house on Friday and I will additionally be picking up this cat.

Never having owned a cat before, I am not quite sure how to do this smoothly and seamlessly. I assume more is involved that putting a litter box down, showing the cat where it is, and letting the dog and the cat figure it out while I’m at work.

All cat ownership I have observed to date has involved simply having a litter box, cleaning it, and providing food and water and the cat kind of maintains itself and comes and snuggles under the blankets when it feels like it. But how does one GET to this point?

Any guidelines from people who have done this?

[onelanerode]

Well, from someone who was adopted by a 6-month-old tabby kitten approximately 2.5 years ago, toys are a must. A cat tree is also quite nice, because then you can use catnip (most cats love it) to “train” her to scratch and pick there and not on your furniture. We got ours from CL; a guy made it out of 4x4s and plywood covered with carpet, and it’s sturdy enough that our 55-pound hound can jump on it with no worries. Elinor loves hers, and while the acrobatics performed on it have been toned down a bit, she much likes sleeping in its various cubbies and perching on the top to stare out the window.

Toys … Elinor won’t touch it if it doesn’t rattle, so about the only thing she has are lots of rattly mice, which end up under furniture that she is now too big to fit under. A sweat scraper is great for retrieving them. A word about toys: you may want to keep them out of the dog’s reach until you’re sure he won’t eat them. One of our dogs ate a rattly mouse, which didn’t agree with him, and we had to take him to the vet to make sure it was progressing through his digestive tract and not getting stuck.

When we first got Elinor, neither of our dogs had been around cats, and they both thought she was food. One dog got over this pretty quickly and more or less ignores her. The hound, OTOH, was a freak about her for the first month, so they were kept separate (she was in her room when he was out; he was in his crate when she was out). As he started to deal with her better, he got to come out wearing a basket muzzle … I think about 3 months after she arrived he was OK with her. They are all loose in the house now when we’re home with no worries. In fact, Elinor usually plants herself in the middle of the huge dog bed and passes out, which causes some whining and angst between the dogs, who aren’t about to share the bed with her.

When we are not home, Elinor has a room upstairs (spare bedroom with elliptical and small cat tree in it) where she stays; she also goes in there at night, mainly because as a younger kitten, she had a penchant for chewing on power cords. :no:

I have always followed the litterbox rule of having one more box than you have cats, so I have two boxes for Elinor. One is a regular box and one has a top. She prefers the one with the top, but I wanted to do everything I could to be sure she used a litterbox. We just put her in there and moved her front paws in the litter, and she figured out the rest on her own. (You may want to keep the litterbox away from the dog … some dogs think there is nothing better than snitching snacks from the litterbox.)

Good luck with your new house and your new kitten!

[Simkie]

I start cats in a room on their own. If it can be the room where the litter box stays, that’s great. If not, it’s not a huge deal to move it later. Cat gets to stay by itself in the room for half a day or a day or a couple days, depending on how the meow is acclimating. If they seem stressed, they stay on their own for longer. If cat is totally not stressed at all, or if keeping cat by itself stresses it MORE, I might go straight to the baby gate step, below.

Once they’re ready to join the rest of the house, I open the door and put up a baby gate. They will jump out and back as they please, and this gives them a “time out” zone to retreat to. After a few days or a week (or whenever I get tired of going over the baby gate or taking it down) I remove the baby gate for good.

For kittens, I’ll return them to the litter box every 30 minutes or so during the first day they’re allowed free rein of the house, just to remind them where the box is and that they need to go there to go potty.

If you haven’t had a cat in awhile, I’d give the www.catinfo.org website a once over, as the general consensus on how to feed a cat might have changed since you’ve had a meow in your life

Have fun! Kittens are such a blast. Take lots of pictures

[oliverreed]

I have had lots of cats in my 53 years, and have never had a kitten that didn’t remember exactly where the litter box was after being put in it once.

I’d make sure the dog has no access to the litter box, though. They get into nasty “snacking” habits. Ew.

[Simkie]

@oliverreed;6008398

I have had lots of cats in my 53 years, and have never had a kitten that didn’t remember exactly where the litter box was after being put in it once.

I’ve had a couple! Both young kittens, on their first day.

I’d make sure the dog has no access to the litter box, though. They get into nasty “snacking” habits. Ew.

Indeed. Baby gate can be handy for this, too

[Canaqua]

I do the same thing Simkie does…set the new kitty up in their own room, with food, water, litter and frequent visits. They stay in there until they start demonstrating that they are comfortable…could be a day, could be a week, depending on the cat. Adult cats take longer, usually. They are pretty easy to read, when they are hiding under the furniture, they are still scared of the new environment, when they are trying to escape the room, they are feeling pretty secure ;).

I introduce dog to cat by first just letting the dog sniff around the closed door and smell me when I come out from petting kitty. Then, I’ll open the door a crack and let them look at each other. Then baby gate, for full smelling and viewing access, but no touching. If neither seems too freaked out, I’ll take the dog in the cat’s room on a leash so they can see each other in person. The last adult cat I adopted was really upset about the dog, hissing and spitting. I doped him up with catnip and THEN brought the dog in…he was so “stoned” that he forgot to be frightened, rolled over on his back and let the dog sniff him, they’ve been buds ever since.

[danceronice]

I try to have a ‘cat room’. Litter box, kitty tree (but have lots of scratchy pads if they decide they’re a scratcher), toys, food, water, and something to sleep on. Make sure they’re okay, then let them alone, able to come and go (prop the door if you have to).

You might consider having a table to put their food on that the dog cannot reach. (Also beware litterbox-surfing by the dog.) We pulled an old table from the garage and put the cat bowls on it when my dad redid the room (hard floors–MUCH easier to clean hairballs and scattered litter) so my dogs couldn’t eat the cat food.

I am of the “let them sort it out” school, but my dogs are fairly nonthreatening to cats nad also good at “leave it”, while the kitten adopted the dogs (she likes to rub on them), one cat is indifferent, and one randomly hits them but they’re trained to just take it. It depends on the dog. If I had one I knew was never around cats or liked to chase small animals, I’d keep it leashed until I knew HE knew cats were not for chewing.

[mvp]

Congrats on your new house and your decision to install a cat. A cat is the first minor appliance any home owner should acquire.

Canaqua’s instructions sound pretty good. Give kitteh a chance to know where “home” is, unmolested.

Some cats get high on catnip; it has no effect on others. I don’t think you need to get a cat stoned to have it meet a dog like yours.

Just supervise and keep a lid on anything that looks like it might result in bloodshed. But cats and dogs are sort of like horses: No one wants to die and they’ll spend some time wondering if they just might die while being as dominant toward the other animal as they’d like to be. You’ll be able to read their interaction just fine.

As to making sure your cat does its various jobs-- peeing/pooping in the right place, giving you love, not wrecking your house while you are away, there is one difference between cats and horses (at least as unsophisticated trainers think about horses). While a horse can be convinced to do something because the “No” is strong, a cat must be offered something in order to want to do something.

You negotiate with a cat the way you would with a good mare.

The good news is that cats want attention from us. You offer that. A clean litter box will seal that deal; a nice bed that you’d like to sleep in will be a magnet for any cat that’s not profoundly stupid.

You can let the cat know that the arm of your couch is not a claw sharpening station (despite all appearances), with the regular “3 seconds of death” method of training. But you’ll need to come back with an acceptable venue for claw sharpening, too. Otherwise, the wheels will turn in the cat’s brain and he will do the next mental task: Knowing he needs to sharpen his claws, he will apply himself to discovering what makes that possible and he will figure out that waiting for you to not be around gets the job done nicely. If you don’t want to teach a cat that different rules apply at different times, you need to give him something to do that solves his problem before he thinks of that solution himself.

Same for distinguishing between “toys” and “not toys.” But let your kitten show you what mundane objects can be toys. That’s part of why one owns a kitten.

Enjoy your adventure with this new species!

[HPFarmette]

Advice from a shelter…

The First Week with Your New Cat
Copyright 2002 Dorothy Goodno
Congratulations on adopting a shelter cat! By adopting, not only will
you have a loving and devoted pet to add to your household, but you are also
helping to reduce the amount of unwanted animals that flood animal welfare
organizations each year.
Cats by nature are wary of new situations. New places, new people, new pets and
new smells make even the most confident cat duck under cover. So, how can you
bond with a cat that is hiding under your kitchen sink? And how can you introduce
your new cat to the resident cat without a fight?
Believe it or not, CONFINEMENT is the answer. By separating the adopted cat in a
room of its own, the cat will feel more secure. A room can be a spare bedroom, a
bathroom, a den, or even your own bedroom. Just make sure the cat has a litter
box, dishes for food and water, and something to sleep on. Whenever possible,
spend time petting the cat and getting her used to your presence. We recommend
this method for a variety of reasons:
• Cats will hide until they can determine they are safe. Cats will feel safe when
their new family approaches them in a gentle manner. When they learn to
associate their new family members with love, food, and attention, they will settle
in quickly.
• People cannot bond with a new pet if they cannot find it. Cats are notorious for
finding the most inaccessible place and staying there until the house is quiet,
which means they will most likely come out at night. A new owner will only
know he has a cat when the food dish starts to get low. It can take up to six
weeks for a cat to come out of hiding and start to bond with a new owner once it
has been allowed to hide in the first place. This can be very frustrating to the
new adopter who is looking to enjoy a new pet.
• Although all the cats adopted from Lollypop Farm receive vaccinations against
upper respiratory infections, they can take 7-10 days to offer immunity. This is
important if the house is also home to another cat, as it is contagious from cat to
cat (but very treatable).
If your cat just underwent spay or neuter surgery, a confined environment will give
you a chance to keep a close eye on the surgery site. A small room also prevents
the cat from leaping around and possibly tearing out stitches.
• If you already have a cat, he will need some time to get used to another cat in the
house. Having them separated gives your resident cat a chance to smell the new
cat under the door without experiencing the shock of a face-to-face
confrontation. A week of this non-threatening association makes it easier for
your cat to accept a new addition.
• Think a room is too small for a cat? Just remember many of these cats have been
sitting in a cage, sometimes for a long time, while they wait for someone to take
them home. An entire room to themselves will seem like a sprawling mansion by
comparison!
When you first arrive home with your cat, set up the litter box on one side of the
room, and the food and water on the other. Gently lift your cat from her carrier
and set her in her litter box so she will know where it is. Most likely she will sniff
around and then find a place to hide. THIS IS NORMAL. Give her a cardboard box
tipped on its side with a warm towel for a bed, or just let her come out of her hiding
spot at her own pace, and she will gradually gather more courage to keep
approaching you. After a full week of this, she can usually be allowed out of the
room for supervised periods of time.
Once your new cat is comfortable in your house, feel free to move the litter box to
a permanent location. Place it in a quiet area, free of dogs, children or noisy
appliances (like washing machines or furnaces). Just make sure you bring your cat to
the box so she knows where it is now!
By following these simple guidelines, your new cat will be able to associate you with
all things wonderful. With a minimal amount of time, your new cat will act as if she’s
always been a member of the household.

[oliverreed]

“Congrats on your new house and your decision to install a cat. A cat is the first minor appliance any home owner should acquire.”

LOVE this!!!

[RedMare01]

Congrats on the kitty! They are addictive though, so when is the next one coming home? :lol: Seriously, the best toy or plaything for a kitten is…another kitten. Get them together when they’re young, and they’ll loff each other forever.

The kitty will train you for the most part. You’ll quickly learn what he likes (such as toilet paper…computer paper…tissue paper…okay, any kind of paper…iphone charging cords…laptop charging cords…electric razor cords…you get the idea?) and adjust and barricade the house accordingly. Enjoy!

[redkat]

Everyone has had great recommendations regarding introducing the cat to the home and the cat to the dog, so I won’t repeat those.

With my feral fosters I would get down on the ground with them and let them smell my hands to introduce myself. I don’t rush them. Sometimes that would be the only interaction we’d have for a day or two. I would just go into the room and read a book or talk on the phone, and they would watch me from wherever they were hiding. Slowly, though, they would become more comfortable and then I would start to handle them more, starting with play and then moving into putting them into my lap.

With a cat that has been socialized, they will be more confident and curious, however I still recommend getting down on their level and letting them sniff when you first meet. If they rub your hand, great, talk to them and very carefully try and pet them if they look receiptive. Their body language will let you know what to do. Tail up = friendly, tail down = guarded.

The more you talk to a cat, the more the cat will talk to you, which can make for some fun interactions.

But for installing scratching post manners, my method has been to take their favorite toy and sew it to the top. The cat will go insane trying to get their toy back and in the process realize that hey, this thing is fun to climb/claw. It’s worked for me on many foster babies as well as my own two.

A cat with plenty to stimulate them, in my experience, is less destructive. Amazon.com also sells rattley mice in bulk. I purchased a cheese wedge over two years ago and they’re still working through it. My two LOVE these toys and one of them even loves to play fetch with them.

Also just make sure that kitty has somewhere up high to go to get away from the dog if he or she wants. A bed up in a high place that only they can get to, or the ability to traverse the room by bouncing from furniture piece to furniture piece will make the cat feel more secure. Many like to survey the room or snooze from above.

Thank you for giving a kitten a home and congratulations on your new home!

[kristinq]

Step one: Take numerous pictures and upload them to CoTH.

I’m sure there are some other steps to cat ownership but this is by far the most important. That, and get two.

[meupatdoes]

OK, so, just to make sure I have a very clear action plan here, could I just say what I interpret the advice to mean and make sure I haven’t gotten it wrong somehow?

My plan based on advice provided (thank you!!) is to bring the cat home and initially put her in the basement with her food & water, litter box, a catnip scratching post, and some toys.

When she is ready, put a baby gate at the top of the landing instead of shutting the door so she can come and go as she pleases but the dog has to stay out of the basement.

If I see her scratching something, I should say No and immediately take her down to the scratching post in the basement so she knows This Is the Scratching Place.

Getting two cats instead of just one is strongly suggested :lol:.

Am I right?

[oliverreed]

Yup! Have fun! Post pictures!

[Burbank]

I didn’t read all the posts, but when we got our cat, we had a very cat friendly dog so when we brought the new cat home (he was an adult and fully litter trained) he was put in the dining room with a baby gate at either entrance, toys, litter box and the carrier he was brought home in and food and water.

We also at night shut the dog in our bedroom so that the cat could roam the house and explore without feeling watched, once he was comfy in his new digs we took the baby gates down.

With the passing of our dog, and arrival of new puppy the cat was less than pleased not being the only and top supreme being of the house and the bathroom down stairs has a baby gate with all his food and litter box in a dog free zone and at night the puppy is crated and during the day he is either crated or outside in the stall that has been made into a puppy play pen.

We did make our own cat tree, not hard and the cat loves having his own zone where he can survey all that he controls.

[Frivian]

Pictures!

[rubygirl1968]

You might want to have a scratching post and a litter box in the living areas too. We just had two cats returned to us because the owner had a woodworking shop in part of the basement near their litter boxes and they were terrified of the noise - hence, wouldn’t use the litter box.

They wouldn’t put one upstairs, so they returned the kitties.

I just know that mine like to be in whatever room I’m in, so if their only scratchers were on another floor they wouldn’t get used.

Just a thought.

Congratulations on the new kitty! And in my experience with kittens, two are better than one.

A bored kitten is a powerful thing - a kitten with a playmate tends to get into much less trouble. lol

[SarahandSam]

You might want to try multiple scratchers, of multiple varieties, near things that you don’t want scratched… We have one cat who likes to scale the chair in the living room, for example, so we keep an upright scratching post next to it to distract him… and then the female cat likes scratching the rug in the dining room, so we get one of the flat cardboard-y scratching things for her (or at least, we should get a new one, because she’s back to the rug again now…). Sadly, it sometimes takes some experimenting/baseboards/furniture before you figure out exactly what they most want to demolish.

Fortunately, that’s why cats are cute. (:

You can also wear an old clean sock on your hand while you pet the kitty, then bring it back upstairs and pet your darling dachshund with it so she smells the cat, and vice versa… then they get used to the scent before they meet.

Yay new kitty!

[Kat_Renee]

You may also want to get a small spray bottle as well to use if kitty gets really naughty. Don’t spray kitty in the face, once one the body is usually enough.

Get a leash/harness and get kitty used it at an early age. Makes it easier when you take him/her to the vet. My cat loves to go outside on his leash, so it is also good for providing more stimulation.

You defintely want to spend time playing with kitty for their exercise.
My cat loves to play fetch with his fuzzy balls and loves any type of string. He’ll even drag my pants around the house by the drawstring if I am careless to leave them on the floor.

Good luck with your new addition! Cats are wonderful companions!