Before you buy a kitten, you need to answer a few questions for yourself, and answer as honestly as possible – are you ready to have a baby? Do you have time to take care of a kitten, play, educate him, take him to the doctor? Are you ready to spend money so that the kitten does not need anything? A kitten is also a child, only a cat. If you can firmly answer positively to all these questions – excellent, you can be calm for the kitten – he is in good hands.
And so you brought a kitten to a new home. Now it is not only yours, but also his home, where he should be cozy, calm and comfortable. And since you are the main one, then you will have to take care of the convenience of the kitten.
Kitten in a new home, where to start?
A kitten brought in the first days is usually confused and even scared. Still would! Just a few hours ago, he had a house and a mother, and now he was in the hands of a stranger, and even in an unfamiliar place. There is something to be excited and afraid of. Oddly enough, but now his mother is you. So you and the cards in your hands – to calm, educate, teach mind-reason. If you were initially ready for responsibility, then everything you need is already ready – there is a toilet tray for the baby, and toys, and brushes for wool, and, just in case, a first aid kit.
In your life together with a kitten, a very important, very first period in a new house begins – the period of adaptation of a small defenseless animal to your apartment, which is still alien and scary. It is very important during this period that the kitten immediately has its own cozy corner – with a couch, a tray and bowls with water and food. It is necessary that the kitten immediately realize the purpose of all these items and remember where they are, otherwise, in an unfamiliar environment, he may get confused and not find a tray, water, food, or a bed. Please note – the corner in which your kitten will settle should not be in a draft – small kittens catch cold very easily.
It is better to take a Maine Coon kitten to a new home before the weekend.
Try to take the kitten to a new home on the eve of the weekend or during the holidays, so that you can spend at least a couple of first days with him, and not immediately leave the baby to the mercy of fate. Firstly, he will simply be lonely and uncomfortable without his mother, and secondly, education should begin from the very first minutes. In addition, the kitten will rather get used to you and understand that you are its owner if you are together in difficult times.
The first days of a Maine Coon kitten in the house
During the adaptation period, give the animal as much attention as possible. Remember that a kitten is the same child, he needs warmth, affection and, of course, a game. Kittens are naturally very mobile, so do not be too lazy to play with a kitten in a small ball or something else. It is important that the kitten cheer up, stop being afraid, get positive emotions.
Of course, during the game, the kitten can drop something – a cup, a flower pot, glasses. Don’t scold your pet. It is much better to take care in advance that valuable things or objects dangerous to him are not available to the baby.
Close attention should be paid to windows. As soon as the kitten gets comfortable, he will certainly begin to explore everything around, including window sills. And if the window is open, the kitten may fall out. Therefore, it is better to tighten the windows with mesh.
Rubbish should also not be accessible to the Maine Coon, where small bones, other sharp objects, plastic bags smelling of meat or fish can come across to him – the kitten may choke. In addition, many indoor plants pose a serious danger to cats, including such popular ones as violets, cacti, difembachia, geraniums.
Electrical wires, if possible, should also be hidden from the kitten. It will be interesting for a kitten to play them, and if he bites through the wire, he will inevitably receive an electric shock. The same goes for needles, pins, nails and other things – hide them away. Out of pure curiosity, the cat will want to chew on them, and this can end very sadly.
With all this, do not limit the freedom of the kitten. Let him carefully and slowly examine his new home meter by meter, room by room. After all, he will live in this house for the rest of his life. You should not grab a kitten in your arms every minute. Although the baby needs tenderness, it also needs personal time – for new discoveries. Therefore, just keep an eye on the kitten in order to avoid trouble.
If you already have male or female, they may not be completely loyal to the new tenant, even begin to offend him. There is a little trick that might be helpful. Wipe your old-timer cat with a piece of cloth, and then stroke the kitten with the same cloth. The older cat will not touch the baby, which has the same smell.
Oddly enough, but Maine Coon kittens have a much warmer relationship with dogs. As a rule, dogs do not show aggression towards small kittens, but rather treat them with curiosity.
Separate conversation about nutrition. Be sure to find out what kind of food your kitten is used to, otherwise you can suddenly change foods, portion sizes – and harm the kitten. With a sudden change in diet, the baby may have a tummy ache, and there may be problems with the stool. The nutrition of a small kitten should be approached as carefully as the nutrition of an infant. And, of course, make sure that the water in the bowl is always clean and fresh – the kitten should drink plenty. It is also important that the kitten could eat in peace and quiet, when nothing disturbs him.
It is very important not to scare the little Maine Coon kitten in the first days.
Try not to turn on a terribly buzzing vacuum cleaner, a loud hair dryer, a drill, a food processor next to it. Watch the volume of your voice yourself – do not shout directly into the kitten’s ear, especially – do not scold him so that the neighbors can hear. So you can forever lose the trust and friendship of the kitten.
Cats are very vindictive, independent, proud. If in the first days of communication you cannot win the trust and love of a kitten, then that important animal that grows up from him will not be devoted to you with all his heart. Therefore, you should not be lazy, you need to devote time to the baby, show your love for him and really take care of him. Only in this way, in practice, will you be able to prove that you are worthy of the love of an animal, you will become for him not a reprimanding and strict owner, but a true friend with whom the cat will feel good and calm all his life.