Bringing Home a New Cat or Kitten

Traveling to Your Home
Whether your cat is moving by car, bus or airplane, your kitty should always travel in style, in his or her own carrier. For long journeys, a water dish and a small litter box should be included, at a minimum. This serves two purposes. It contains a kitty who is scared and may wrestle free from your arms and run. It also provides a safe area for a kitty to be protected from sudden stops in a vehicle , and from entanglement with the driver.

Arrival at Your Home
Once your new kitty has arrived at your home, keep him or her in a closed room with free access to the carrier, water, food and litter box. Visit him or her frequently, allowing him or her to accustom to new sounds and smells gradually. If kitty wants attention during your visits, let him come to you and ask for it. Do not force him or her to cuddle with you or play if he or she is not yet ready. Don’t be surprised during this transition period if he or she hides, acts nervous, or meows. Offer reassurance, fresh food, a little taste of butter on your finger. In time he or she will come around. When he or she appears to be curious to explore outside the first room, open up more of your house, until he or she moves comfortable around it and among your family. With your patience and understanding, your new kitty will claim his or her territory as his or her own.

The First Ten Days
Your kitty must be observed very closely during the first ten days.

Watch for the following signs:
Must be eating well, with strong appetite and firm stools.
Nose and eyes should be clear
Water Consumption should be minimal, if any (but always have fresh water available)
Lots of purrs and self-cleaning. These are signs of a well adjusted kitty.

Food
There are many grades of cat food on the market. We recommend a high quality grade that may be purchased in pet stores, rather than supermarkets. Canned food is more preferable than dry. Cats should be fed twice a day, and food should not be left out after your kitty is finished his or her meal. Recommended brands are Wellness, Innova, Felidae, California Natural, and Nutro. Avoid foods that list their main ingredients as meal and by-products as these are very low quality fillers that provide very little nutritional value. A little extra money spent on food will be rewarded in the long run with lower veterinary bills.

Vaccinations
Vaccinations are vital to the good health of your kitty. However, yearly revaccinations are not required and in fact are strongly discouraged. The prevailing medical journals recommend vaccinating every three years. We recommend after the initial round of vaccinations, a procedure called “titering.” A blood titer is a test performed on a sample of blood to determine the antibodies your kitties carries against diseases. The cost of titering about is about the same cost vaccination, and can allow you to maintain good health and protection without unneeded chemicals in your kitties system. It is suspected by some that the over-vaccination of companion animals has lead to the catastrophic increase of cancer and other diseases in the last 20 years, that long age were very rare.