You’ve just recently committed to taking a cat home with you, and you want to make it right. Regardless of the age of the cat you are taking to a new home, it can be overwhelming. During these transition times, stress happens on both sides, the cat and the human.
My Own Experience Taking Mia Home
I have moved 5 times since I brought Mia into my life.
Each time I’m moving, I go through the process with Mia's comfort in mind. I want to make it as easy and accommodating for her as I can.
Here's my personal guide to moving with my Bengal cat. I hope it will also help you bring your new cat home for a better experience for everyone. However, note that there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy when introducing a cat or a kitten into a new home. Every cat is different, as well as their circumstances. What I'll share is what has helped us, but be mindful of your cat's and your own needs when carving your own moving process.
A Few Basics You Must Get Right
There are a few things that are super easy to get right and will make a difference.
- Cat-proofing your home
- Getting everything you need upfront
- Picking up the cat and taking the cat home
- Introducing the cat to your home, the 1st day
If you are a visual learner, all these are covered in the video below:
Cat proofing your home
Just like humans prep their homes for a new baby, proofing the home for a cat is also necessary. Cats will climb, chew, and fit through holes. These behaviors can be dangerous for the cat and for the rest of the home inhabitants.
A few basics to get right:
- Remove toxic plants, or move them out of reach
- Reduce visible cords
- Close gaps and trap zones (like behind a washing machine)
- Window and balcony protections
I won't go into detail here because I have a full article talking about cat proofing and catifying your home. You can read more below:
Getting everything you need upfront
Your cat will appreciate it if the trip home is quick and eventless. Going to a pet store to get supplies with your new, nervous cat is far from ideal.
Make sure you buy a litterbox, a cat tree, and cat food, litter, and a cat bed before you take your cat home.
Your Cat's Food
Understanding what the breeder or the shelter has been feeding your new family member is key. Some cats can be picky with their food, and others struggle with change. Some cats may become ill or stop eating if their food changes abruptly because cats have sensitive stomachs.
Gut bacteria are crucial for digestion and obtaining nutrients from the food your cat eats, and not all bacteria can digest all food. When a new food is introduced, it alters the intestinal environment. This means that if you produce an abrupt change of diet, there won’t be enough bacteria of the one that is capable of digesting the new food, and the existing bacteria that are good at digesting the old food are not going to have enough food to survive.
This is a complex topic I’m not an expert about, but long story short, changing food abruptly may lead to a bacterial imbalance with symptoms as diarrhea, vomiting, and a refusal to eat. A good idea is to ask the shelter or breeder what food the cat is eating beforehand, and have some of that food ready at home for when the new cat arrives.
Cat Litter
The litter they were using was to have some at home ready. Some cats might have problems identifying where to go if nature calls, and having the same litter with the same smell is a very easy thing that we can do to avoid surprises.
A Blanket or Similar
Also, asking for a blanket or a toy, or something with your cat’s smell. This is important because Cats find their own scent reassuring, so we will use this to our advantage to make the carrier first and home later feel more familiar.
Picking up the cat an taking the cat home
To take the cat home, it is recommended to use a carrier, particularly if you are traveling alone. A loose cat is dangerous and could cause an accident.
If you are taking a taxi or an Uber, you may choose a harness and a leash instead, but for safety, I would use a carrier.
We are currently using the Zeppelin™ cat carrier, and we love it.
- ✓ Made for Airplane Travel
- ✓ Peek-Out Window
- ✓ Built-in Litterbox
- ✓ Multiuse Pockets
- ✓ Computer Compartment
Introducing the cat to your home, the 1st day
At home, you should have a room ready to host the newcomer, a safe place. If you can choose, it is ideal to pick a room that is mid-sized to small. Bigger spaces will be more overwhelming, and we want the cat to conquer the house little by little as they spread their smell.
If the room doesn’t have any soft surfaces like a sofa, carpet, or towel, we should at least add one cat pillow or the blanket we took from the shelter/breeder. We want the cat to impregnate those surfaces with their pheromones, creating that familiarity we were mentioning earlier. That room should have at least a litterbox with litter, water, their carrier, and the soft surface we were mentioning before.
We have a room and the room has everything the cat needs, so it’s time to open the carrier. We are going to let the cat exit the carrier on their own. Some cats might jump off the carrier right away, and some will need to take their time and get a hold of the situation from the safety of the carrier. Once the carrier is open and your newcomer is out, we can stay there but we are going to try to minimize interfering with their first exploration phase. Let them peacefully explore the room, and if they are in the mood for playing, you can gently engage with play. If the cat is too agitated, I would recommend that you leave the room.
Opening Your Cat to the Rest of the House
You can check in every fifteen minutes to half an hour, and if you see that there’s curiosity to know more about your home, you can leave the door open and let them explore the rest of the house. If your house is big or it has more than one floor, try to keep spaces separated and let them explore only one floor at a time, to prevent them from getting lost or overwhelmed.
Some cats are more of a hider than others, and if that’s the case with your newcomer, they can spend a couple of days under a sofa, under a bed, or inside the carrier that you provided. It’s okay, and it’s completely normal. In those cases, when you open the rest of the house for them, I would highly encourage you to offer safe spaces to hide in the areas where you hang out so that they can get a hold of your smells and your voice. I have personally placed a safe space for Mia next to my working desk so she can hide or hang around me without interfering with my work.
A Few Mistakes To Avoid
There are a few mistakes people often make when bringing a cat home that you want to avoid:
Don’t push your cat to be with you
Quite the opposite, the last thing you want is for your cat to create an association between being with you and being stressed. Therefore, it’s so important both in the car and when first arriving home that you leave the cat alone, particularly if they are asking for that space.
Don't procrastinate
Not having the litter, the food, or a soft surface for your cat when they first get home, and the last thing you want to do is to get to a pet store with your stressed-out cat to get the supplies they need. If you can anticipate and ask the shelter or the breeder about the food or the litter, it is a good idea to have them ready before you go pick up the new family member.
Double-check your cat-proofing efforts; a mistake can be deadly
Review if any of your plants are toxic to cats. Some of them are toxic or even lethal, and you want to avoid having them in your home. I’ll add a link in the description below with a website that allows you to check if your plants are toxic or not for your cat.
Training your cat is the best gift you can give your new family member. It will improve your bonding, reduce friction and misbehavior, and help you understand your cat better.
See you outdoors!
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