Preparing For New Kitty, First Time Cat Owner

[Bauer25]

Hi everyone! I am hopefully bringing home my first cat Saturday which I am super excited for!
I have done quite a lot of research but thought it would be good to get some of your experienced opinions and recommendations, any info is welcome!

I have all the basics ready set up in a "cat room" I will be keeping her in for a week to adjust to the new surroundings, i'm trying to keep everything as calm and low stress as possible, I will forever be the kept it as her own little sanctuary, away from my dog. She has been dog tested and was fine, but i have no idea if she has properly lived with one or not. my dog is totally fine with cats so no worries there.
How long do you guys like to do a "shut down" period? ie. keep her in the room. I have heard from many people that at least a week but what do you guys find is best?

I have a flyway diffuser set up right now, currently watching it to make sure it doesn't get too hot, i'm also thinking of getting Rescue remedy cuz i'm nervous of fire issues, do you guys find that they work? I have the feliway spray for the carrier when i pick her up, hopefully it helps.

Any general tips on bringing home a adult (3 yrs) cat home? plus tips on dog intros? i will be separating them for a while while she settles in, then taking it slow, dog on leash/undercontrol, so she can chose to approach or not.

One thing I am worried about, and the shelter mentioned that she will probably do is door dashing, any tips on training her out of it would be greatly appreciated

Also best cat litter recommendations? any holy grail brands you guys swear by?

 

[abyeb]

Congratulations on your soon-to-be new kitty! I'm glad that you found TCS, we'll be there to help you every step of the way, whenever you have questions. This article gives a rundown of what to do when bringing home a new cat, and links to some other articles that get into more specifics: First-time Cat Owner's Guide

Introducing cats and dogs can take some time and patience, but it can be done! This article is a great guide: How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog

Please do keep us updated! We love pictures around here, so please do post some when you bring your kitty home!

 

[Bauer25]

Yes I did read those articles while doing my research! great information that I will be using for sure
Just thought I would ask to see if anyone has any personal experience must do tips and tricks

Thank you! I will for sure be updating when I get her and using all the great info on this forum a ton for the first few months, thanks!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! She'll be indoors only?

Also best cat litter recommendations

Littermaid, Dr Elseys.
Door darting is tough. However in her case, she won't immediately know (?) where the door to the great outdoors is. In the meantime, try harness/leash training, maybe a cat mesh tent or even a catio.

 

[Bauer25]

Hi! She'll be indoors only?

Littermaid, Dr Elseys.
Door darting is tough. However in her case, she won't immediately know (?) where the door to the great outdoors is. In the meantime, try harness/leash training, maybe a cat mesh tent or even a catio.

As per the humane society adoption contract, all the cats must be indoor only. She has been brought to the shelter a couple times before, picked up as a stray and taken back by her pevious owners, thats all i know about her. Whether she was picked up as a stray again and the owners just decided to surrender her or they couldn't afford her vet bills (she had hepatic lipidosis) or not im not sure, i dont know the reason for surrender, although i was told it was "through no fault of her own" so she knows what the outdoors is and clearly loves it so I would really like to be able to take her outside at least on a harness and leash even though the contract does want it. Which is what i will probably end up doing. tent or catio is a great idea, i hadnt even heard of a catio before, thanks!

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[MoochNNoodles]

For door darting I would get in the habit of opening the door with your leg in the way. I do that for coming or going when we have younger ones or darters. Sometimes if I see Noodles with that look in her eye I say "eh eh" in a firm tone and give my foot a little stomp. Nothing hard or over loud; just a noise to say "no this doorway is not for you!" If we have people coming in and out I will put the girls in the bathroom or my bedroom and shut the door.

For intros we've always just watched the cat's body language to see if they seem ready to explore freely. Also the dogs. Keeping the dog on a leash for a bit is definitely helpful. We used to let our cats explore new houses in the evening when we were settled and quiet. I'd just open the door and let them go as they pleased. If they only wanted to sit in the doorway or the hallway; that was fine. They all eventually got comfortable. It took about a week usually. We used baby gates raised off the floor enough for the cats to go under or over to block off their safe space. Our dogs were big enough that they couldn't go under something raised up about 6". I would not try to restrain the cat when they meet the dog. It can backfire and you'll end up scratched. If your cat has somewhere up high to retreat to in the room where the dog is; that helps. One of our cats liked to watch from the top of a desk hutch. Tall, sturdy cat trees are a great investment. My mother and I have Armarkat brand trees and they've lasted for over 10 years. (None or our cats scratch on them.) Just be sure the tree has a good base to it so it won't topple if they jump. This is the one I have; though we removed the hammock. They never used it so we only ever kept cat toys in it. Instead I put one of their favorite beds in that spot because Mooch can't climb anymore. Classic Cat Tree A6202

I tried the Feliway diffusers when one of my girls was over grooming. I stopped when I noticed it getting hot too. It didn't seem to help our issue but I have an open concept house and at the time I had toddlers. So I was limited in my placement. We got through many intros growing up without aids; so I don't know that I'd invest a lot of money into it unless it seems necessary. It's very normal for cat intros to even take a few months. My cats have always taken to the dogs faster. Some cats just march in and that's that. Others need time. Giving them the freedom to choose seems to help. Let the cat get used to your voice and scents. You can try leaving a few socks and t-shirts around the safe room. Also a few of your dogs toys or something the dog lays on might be good after a few days. I wouldn't do that right away though. That could be overwhelming. I always let the cats initiate contact when possible. Let them smell your hands before petting. One of my girls still needs this at 13; but all my other cats we could pet freely once we got to know each other.

Good luck with your new baby! We are here for any questions you have! And we love pictures.

 

[Furballsmom]

Just in case, thunderease and sentry have diffusers.