Deciding to add a pet to your household.

▪ Discuss with all members of your household the time and financial considerations that adding a new pet will bring. Do you have enough space for a new pet to have their own area or secure room to decompress in?

▪ Consider all current pets: do they have behavioral concerns or health conditions that could be exacerbated by the stress of adding another pet?

 

Cat- Proofing your home:

▪ Secure cabinets, drawers and other storage areas that hold things such as food and cleaning supplies.

▪ Wrap curtain/blinds cords up around the top of any blinds so they are out of reach of kittens.

▪ As much as possible, keep electrical cords unplugged, so if a kitten chews on it, they won't get an electrical shock.

▪ Cats are great climbers and jumpers, so even items on high shelves can be reached. Hide your valuables until the kitten has learned what is off limits.

▪ Secure areas in the house that kittens could become stuck in such as laundry chutes, closets, under furniture, unfinished areas and chimneys.

▪ Cats can also explore areas and become trapped in and under appliances such as ovens, washers, dryers, and fridges.

▪ Cats may try to escape so make sure the windows are secure and use caution when coming in and out of doors.

▪ Make sure to remove toxic plants. There is a list of toxic plants and other household items in this packet.

 

Items to have:

▪ According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners you should have one more litterbox than the number of cats you have.

▪ Food and water bowls.

▪ Cat toys, scratchers, beds and other cat enrichment items.

▪ Cat brush and nail clipper.

▪ A cat carrier – You should have a carrier for every cat in the house in case of emergency.

▪ If you have a resident cat, the items used for the new cat should be new or unused because the scent of the resident cat can trigger more stress.