Settling In
Last updated
Last updated
TIP: Moving from the shelter to another place can be stressful for your cat or kitten/s.
You can help them settle in, by providing a safe and quite space for them.
To make the transition into the new environment as minimally stressful as possible, cats and kittens should initially be confined to one room of the house. This is to allow the cat(s) to acclimatise to the new environment and to facilitate toilet-training in young kittens and previously untrained cats.
Cats/kittens should be confined to the designated area until they are displaying normal behaviours including eating/drinking, grooming, toileting and willingness to play or investigate their environment further.
For most cats this will take at least 2 days, however, it is not uncommon for some cats and kittens to take longer than this, particularly if they are timid.
Fostering can sometimes involve the whole family and we want everyone in your household to enjoy the experience.
Gentle interaction between children and kittens is encouraged but we ask that children are appropriately supervised. Young children should not carry kittens around, in case the kitten struggles and is dropped.
Interact with your cat/kitten in their quiet room frequently and encourage them to get to know you and members of your family. Providing toys and novel palatable foods are good ways to build a bond.
Once acclimatised and after the quarantine period, your foster cat/kitten can begin to explore the rest of your home, but for their safety they should always be returned to the designated area when they cannot be supervised (e.g. at night-time or when you are out of the house)
