Are You Ready For A New Cat?

This article highlights what you need to know when you bring a new cat into your house. Cats are wonderous animals which with proper care and training can become loving and loyal companions.

Are You Ready For A New Cat?

So you are going to get a new cat. Here are some very important considerations you will want to think about when getting your new cat.

Each and every cat is amazing and those we choose or those who choose us, can become a wonderful and delightful part of our lives. Each cat has it's very own individual personality, it's own likes and dislikes, just as we humans do. Accepting this fact will help you to accept your cat's behavior and how to alter and refine it's possible naughty moments.

Adopted, rescued and hybrids bred for profit cats all come with their unique set of needs. Much like adopting a foster child, each one has a wagon to pull of having been loved or unloved, possibly abused and then abandoned. Many abandoned cats have faced terror, hunger, hardships and are then locked in a small cage at a shelter or store awaiting rescue. They are badly in need of your love and help.

It is necessary to understand that new cats have their memories of what has happened to them in their past. With love and special care you can win the cat's trust, heart and love. They will soon try hard to please you and do things your way. You must realize that they have to learn a whole new set of rules while they are trying to decide, if you and your home are safe for themselves and that doesn't happen all at once. If you think of teaching a two year old frighten child what it needs to know and work that way with the cat, you will soon have a great relationship. Think of how you react to being in a new and uncomfortable situation.

Figure out which food they prefer, flavors - wet or dry. Lots of love and gentle play. Give the cat some space and letting it come to you for attention can add to the cat's sense of calm and ease it's fears. Let it know you are open to it's affection. Gentle grooming is necessary for the cat and for you to keep down the loose hair. It is also great for bonding with the cat.

As part of cat training, gentle discipline is necessary from the very beginning, so that the cat will understand what is acceptable and what is not. Cats are very intelligence and will learn quickly.

If you already have a cat, territorial disputes may arise. Putting the new cat in a quiet room with it's food, water and a litter box will give it a chance to settle in quietly and get use to your smells and sounds while dealing with it's fears of a new environment. Introduce the new rooms and it's full territory, family and friends slowly. Let it decide when it is safe to get to know them. Forcing the issue will only cause the cat to be frighten and not trust you to do what is best for it's comfort level. Give the cat a place of safety to run and hide when it is frighten. A door bell is a good example.

The cat may come to you with fleas, ticks and other things that need to be dealt with at once. Schedule a visit to the vet, as soon as you can, to get a health checkup, shots, neutering and declawing, if you choose to do it. The cat will not enjoy it, but it is necessary for the cat's well being and your sanity, if the cat is to stay inside where it is safer. The sooner it is done the easier it will be for you to trust each other and form a loving bond.

Work with your cat to establish a trust and friendship, just as you would with a human friend and you will have a wonderful companion for a long time. The cat will always be dependent on you for it's food, water, a clean litter box, it's health and safety. It will reward you with it's love and entertainments. Having a cat is a wonderful thing to do with your life.