Your kitten
will come to you once it trusts you.
Bringing home a new kitten may seem like an exiting venture to you, but to the kitten, it can be a traumatizing experience. When you take a kitten away from its litter and its trusted environment, it can take weeks, if not months, before it is fully adjusted to its new home. Gaining your kitten's trust is an essential part of making it feel at home. Instead of overwhelming your kitten with affection and attention, take a gradual approach and have patience and understanding.
Instructions
1. Cat-proof your house before bringing your kitten home. Remove easily accessible electrical wires and cables because if your kitten bites on them it can get injured or potentially die. Get rid of household plants because some plants, such as azaleas and rhododendrons, can be poisonous to your kitten if it eats them. Place child locks on cabinets that contain harmful items, such as insecticides or cleaning chemicals.
2. Place your kitten in a small room that can be closed off from the rest of the house. Avoid rooms with cracks in the wall or small hiding spaces that your kitten can crawl into. Place your kitten's carry case in the room, within easy access, so your kitten can crawl into it whenever it's scared. Put kitten food, water and a litter box in the room.
3. Allow your kitten to acclimate to its new surroundings. Leave the room to allow your kitten time to explore. If you want to stay in the room, pay no attention to your kitten. Sit down on the floor and read a book. Your kitten may hide behind furniture and avoid you at first, but as time goes on, its curiosity will get the better of it.
4. Avoid touching your kitten or picking it up at first. Let it explore the room and allow it to come to you by itself. Let it smell you or climb your legs as it explores.
5. Talk to your kitten in a soft voice. Avoid talking loudly because loud noises can scare your kitty. Once your kitten seems more comfortable, pet it with one finger and observe its reaction. If it runs off, it is not ready yet for full interaction. Give it more time. Eventually your kitten will understand that you mean no harm and it will start trusting you.
6. Turn on the television or radio in your kitten's room so it can get used to hearing people's voices.
7. Spend as much time with your kitten as you can every day. Once it is more comfortable, play with it. Avoid introducing your kitten to other family members or pets right away, because this only adds to your kitten's stress. Once it is used to you, bring in another family member. Expand your kitten's access to the house gradually as you see fit. Some kittens take longer than others to get used to new people and environments.
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