How To Get Your Home Ready For Your New Cat
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If you are a new pet owner, then the idea of welcoming a new cat into your home might be daunting as well as exciting, especially if you have children too. If you haven’t lived with cats before, it might be hard to figure out what is essential and what is not. Here are some great ways you can make your home welcoming for the new addition to the family.
Get A Cat Flap
If you have not previously owned a cat then it is unlikely that you will already have a cat flap in your door. If you want your cat to be able to play and toilet outside, then you should consider altering your door to make way for a cat flap. A cat sliding glass door is an innovative way to put a cat flap into a vinyl door frame. The flap is also useful for people who may wish to control what time of day their cat can go out and about and when they should be kept inside.
Local Vets
Be prepared for any unexpected emergencies. Cats can suffer from illness and injury just like humans. Find out the number for your local vet and whether you can register your new cat with them. If they do not deal with out-of-hours emergencies ask them to provide you with a number of another vet they recommend for these occasions. Keep the number stored on your phone or written on the fridge so you know exactly where it is, and you don’t need to panic if your cat gets hurt or falls sick.
Comfortable Hiding Spaces
Cats can be nervous and like to know that they have somewhere safe to retreat to. Safe hiding spaces are crucial if you have noisy children or other pets. Try to make spaces that are warm, comfortable, and where a cat will feel safe. Cats often prefer to be up somewhere high, think of a cat running up a tree to get away from a dog. Try to create spaces, where they will feel less vulnerable and where they could comfortably curl up to sleep.
Scratching Posts
Cats need surfaces to scratch on. Scratching helps them remove dead layers of their claws and also to mark their scent around their home. If you do not want your upholstery to be shredded then offer them alternatives that are fun and better to scratch on. Scratching posts can be simple bits of rope tightly wound around cardboard tubing or they can be intricate structures for your cat to interact with. Chose a post that you are happy to have in your home, and that won't take up too much of your living space.
Plug-In Spray
Finally, remember some cats will feel very nervous in the new environments. Plug-in diffuser sprays are odorless to humans but will help to calm a cat that is feeling anxious. The diffuser spray might not be needed for every cat, but if your cat is timid or prone to excessively scratching, spraying, or hiding then this is a good option.