Bringing your New Cat Home

The First Steps

Take one step at a time, be patient and always work at the cat’s pace before moving onto the next stage.

When you arrive home, leave your cat alone to explore their room for an hour or so before introducing yourself, although some cats may need longer. When you go in to see them, get down to their level, put out your hand and call their name softly – let them come to you.

If your cat chooses to hide, just sit quietly in the same room and occasionally talk to them gently in low tones – do not force them to come out. Give them plenty of time to adjust and continue to visit them so they can get used to your presence. As long as they are eating and using the litter tray, there should be no cause for alarm. If your cat is very timid, they may not want to come out to eat. In this case, try moving the food bowl closer to their hiding place and leaving the room.

You may want to try offering a small treat or try using an interactive toy, such as a fishing rod toy with feathers on the end to tempt your cat from their hiding place. Play is a good bonding tool because it is less intimidating than physical contact, relieves stress, and provides mental stimulation and an outlet for pent-up energy. You may find it is easier to encourage play at dawn and dusk when cats are naturally more active.

Some cats may not have had much contact with people, or may have had bad experiences in the past, so be patient. Bear in mind that not all cats will become lap cats.

Meeting The Family

Once your cat seems confident with you, introduce other (human) family members, one by one. Children are likely to be excited about the new arrival, but it is important to keep them calm. Let the cat come to them and when they do, show the children the correct way to gently stroke and interact with them. 

Children, particularly young children with little experience of cats, need to learn how to treat cats appropriately. Even the friendliest cat will defend themselves if they are pushed or pulled too much so make sure they understand they are not a toy. Avoid picking your cat up in the early stages – wait until they have settled in and know that you are not a threat. 

Introducing your cat to your child for the first time

It’s really important to teach your children how to safely and respectfully treat your cat from day one. Children need to understand that cats like to be left in peace when eating, drinking, toileting or sleeping, they are frightened by loud noises, and they don’t like to be grabbed or handled without warning.

To keep everyone safe and happy, you should always supervise interactions between kids and cats, and give your cat the option to run and hide.

When introducing your cat to your child for the first time, follow these six simple steps.

• Go slow! Once your cat is settled in, and is comfortable with the adults in the household, encourage your children to sit quietly in a neutral space, ready to meet your cat. It might be best to keep young children behind a baby gate to make sure they don’t suddenly lunge at your new cat.

• Encourage your child to let your cat sniff them (at their own pace) by holding out their hand. You might also wish to give your cat some clothing or a blanket belonging to your child ahead of this first meeting, so they can get used to the smell beforehand.

• Allow your cat to approach first. Don’t force your cat to come closer or keep them in the room if they’re scared, they should always be free to return to a safe space.

• It might take a few interactions like this before your cat is happy to go further. Build up time spent together slowly and allow your children to play with your cat if they’re willing.

• If your cat is happy to be touched, emphasise how important it is to treat your cat kindly and gently. You can also show your child where cats do and don’t like to be touched.

• Encourage different activities! Teach your child that they can do more than just pet. They could play with a fishing rod toy, throw bouncy balls for your cat to chase, and even give them treats in moderation. Children make great playmates for energetic cats, and vice versa.

Exploring The House

Once your cat is comfortable in their space, you can gradually let them explore more rooms. It may help to gently wipe your cat’s cheeks with a soft cloth – to pick up the facial pheromones – and rub it around points in the house at cat height to make the house smell more familiar. Let your cat come out of their room of their own accord and keep the door open so they can dash back to their refuge if they feel the need. Make sure all external doors and windows are shut so they can’t escape outside for at least the first month

The Big Outdoors

Don’t let your cat go outside until they have fully adjusted to their new home and knows where their food will be coming from – this usually takes between three and four weeks. If your cat has not been neutered, don’t let them out until the operation has been carried out by your vet. Kittens should always be supervised when outdoors. When you let your cat out for the first time, do it when they’re hungry before breakfast and just for 5 minutes, so that you can tempt them back inside with food. Do this for a week and then increase the time to 10 minutes, continuing until they are used to coming back to the house freely.

Even when your cat has full access to outside, their litter tray must not be removed as not all cats want to do their business outside, particularly when it is cold or if there are other cats in the area. Removing their litter tray removes their choice and can lead to inappropriate toileting, which is stressful for them and you.