Good morning anipals and welcome to the next part in our series on Cat Adoption! Today we are going to be talking about kitty’s first day home and what you need to have to ensure our comfort!
Cats are pretty low maintenance... get us food and a litter box and we are pretty happy. However, when preparing for our arrival home there are definitely some things we would suggest purchasing… to ensure our happy transition!
Follow this list and you will be on top of the world!
This is an essential piece of the puzzle! You wouldn’t want to come home to a new apartment only to find out you had no bathroom, would you? I don’t think so! The litter box is a wonderful contraption and we would much appreciate having one waiting for us when the time comes! Litter boxes come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. There are ones with lids, without lids, automatic cleaning, etcetera. There is no need to get super fancy. So long as you get a spacey box with decently high sides that should do well! You wouldn’t want to be stuffed in a tiny bathroom where you could barely turn around, would you? Well neither do we!
As essential as the litter box is… it is of no use unless there is actually litter in it! Again, there are insane amounts of varieties of litter out there. Just make sure that the litter is a low dust unscented formula and we should be quite happy!
You as well as I know that coming home to food is one of the greatest comforts available! But in order to have this we need somewhere to eat it from! A food and water dish are of the utmost importance!
There are many different kinds made in different materials such as plastic, glass, ceramic, and stainless steel. I prefer the stainless steel bowls as they are easiest to clean and best at getting rid of bacteria that could be harbored there. I am especially sensitive because I, my friends, have chin acne. I know, it is awful. Stainless steel dishes are best for me so that I don’t break out all the time! All in all, you just want to make sure you have a good sturdy dish that you will be able to clean daily!
What is a food dish without food? When we come home we are going to be hungry, so it is a good idea to have some noms waiting! You may want to find out what we are currently eating before you pick us up. That helps to ensure an easy transition into your household. I would also suggest buying a smaller bag because it is very possible once you bring us to the vet for our check up we may need to eat something else. Vets know best anipals, so follow their advice!
Ladies and gentlemen, not only will this addition to your purchases make us feel right at home, but it might save a lot of heartache by saving your furniture! We are cats… we need to scratch! Consider it our daily manicure! With a scratching post, we will have no need to scratch elsewhere (do keep in mind you may have to teach us how to use it first!). It will be most appreciated by us!
Don’t forget this, ladies and gentlemen! This is something you will be using all the time! You will need it when you go to pick us up… otherwise you won’t be able to get us home! You will also use it to bring us to our vet visits or any other place we might need to travel! It is the best way for us to travel, so don’t be shy! Make sure you pick up a nice sturdy carrier that you think we would feel comfortable in. Make sure there is enough room for us in there too! Check the weight restrictions on it, just in case a particular carrier wasn't made for our curvaceous figure!
Humans, we are beautiful and handsome and we know it! In order to keep us pampered and comfortable, it is important to have these tools around! Nail clippers are a must for our well being! If you don’t know how to clip nails, feel free to check out our previous blog on that here.
A grooming brush is also good to have. It helps keep our shedding down! Depending on whether we are long or short haired cats there are different tools for each! Short hair cats (like me) don’t require as much grooming… but a brush here and there is always much appreciated!
Fun extras:
That pretty much takes care of the essentials, but there are a couple other things that might make us feel more at home.
The sky is the limit! Buy a couple different types of toys to see what we like! Or just one that we can focus our attention on! We are active and need something to entertain us, so having a welcoming toy is very nice!
We would much appreciate having a “lounge area” set aside just for us. Mom likes to call this the “don’t bother me” place. When I came home she bought me a bed. I quickly shunned that… it was not my style. But THEN she bought me a cat tent and I loved it! She made the rule that if I was in that tent, I was not to be bothered. Thus I quickly learned that if I needed to be by myself I could go into this tent and like magic… no prying fingers! This is a nice idea for us because although we love you guys with our whole hearts… sometimes we just need “me” time! You understand!
A little treat upon arrival can help us warm up to you and our surroundings quickly! Just make sure not to overfeed us… tummy aches on the first night home are never fun!
Hope this helped human friends! Trust me, your new feline friend is going to think you are the coolest person ever when she or he comes home! You rock!
Tune in next week as we continue our series on Cat Adoption!
Much love, purrs, and nosetaps,
