Tips to help your kitten settle into their new home

As kitten season is approaching, many are now wanting to welcome kittens into their homes and family-it is such an exciting time! Kittens' temperaments can vary greatly, some can be excited, some cautious, some adventurous and others more reserved. This can influence how quickly and well a kitten will settle. We raise our kittens close by and indoors in our female nesting areas. Due to this, they are often accustomed to things such as louder noises, people walking around and more aware of things like the vacuum (though they still don’t like it!)

It is important to check with your breeder how they keep their kittens and ensure they are both socialised and exposed to different things around the house. When bringing a kitten home, it can help to do some of the following:

-Have an area (such as the laundry) where it can be cut off from the rest of the house and can house a litter tray, food and water with a bedding area. This means the kitten can be slowly introduced and integrated with a safe space to sleep and reduce night time adventure accidents!

-Have toys, a scratch post, 2 litter trays and plenty of stimulation to support the kitten to settle in and engage with you and its environment. 

-Supervise exploration whilst you figure out hiding spots. Be VERY CAREFUL if you have sofas with movable parts. Kittens can get under and climb up and be caught. 

-Do slow introductions with other animals and ensure they are healthy, vaccinated and flea and tick treated (and worms!) 

-Ensure you keep the same food schedules and do a slow transition to new foods to avoid stomach issues. 

-Ensure windows and doors are fully enclosed and fly screened. 

You also need to consider your living setup. Out in the Central West we have more spread out homes in Cowra or Young than other places such as Orange or two story duplexes in the ACT and Sydney areas. This means you may need to consider if you need barriers to reduce upstairs access for a time, as kittens can be prone to falling and being slightly clumsy!

It also helps to cordon off areas if you have other animals and to allow a slow integration, though often many of our kittens have no issues in settling with another cat or small dog. This is also useful to have their own sleeping area for security and comfort.