My New Kitten

WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THE KITTEN WHEN I FIRST BRING HIM/HER TO MY HOME?

Choose one room in the house in which you can enclose the kitten for about a week.We always suggest the master bedroom because it allows the kitten to bond with the new owners at night, plus they can snuggle with you. Remember, unlike most cats, Maine Coons are very dependent on people. They need that human interaction, so being able to be with you, even if it’s while you sleep is so important for their socialization skills.

Place their food, water, litter box, and toys in the room with them. Remember, the first week away from their litter mates can be stressful, so we don’t want to stress them more by introducing them to a new and large environment. Even more so, you don’t want to risk the chance of the kitten not being able to find the litter box.

When you do allow them to roam the entire house, be sure to carry the kitten to each of the litter box locations and place him/her in the box. This will ensure that they know where the litter boxes are located.

I HAVE OTHER CATS AND/OR DOGS. HOW DO I INTRODUCE MY NEW KITTEN TO THEM?

Being exposed to other household pets should be quite easy for your new kitten, as long as your other pets are not aggressive or rough with him/her. Your kitten was exposed on a daily basis to our three small dogs. (a Brussels Griffon 11, a Brussels Griffon/Toy Poodle Mix 9, and a Morkieuahua 5), they also have been to other cats  (rescues) that show them the ropes.

Begin the introduction process by following the instructions above regarding to what to do with them when you first bring them home. Please read that section, and I will continue to add information to that scenario.

While the kitten is in the bedroom during the first week, rub the kitten’s fur with a dry hand towel or wash cloth. Take that wash cloth and place it in the area with your other household pets. This will allow your existing pets to “smell” the kitten without the kitten actually being in the room with them. Now, it is important for you to do the same thing with your existing pets. Rub them with a dry washcloth and then place the washcloth in the room with the kitten. By doing this process, it will allow both your existing pets and your new kitty to get to know each other prior to meeting face-to-face. We would also suggest when you first bring the kitten home to leave the carrier out so the existing animals can get used to the scent.

I cannot stress the importance of being very observant when you do introduce the kitten to the rest of the fur family. The kitten will be extremely vulnerable during this introduction time. Also, I strongly suggest separating the kitten in the beginning from any larger pets when you’re not home. This is just an extra precaution to keep your new kitten safe.