I strongly recommend that anyone who is wanting to add a kitten or cat to their life, do so by adopting one from a shelter or rescue organization. I have done this often and have found the following tips helpful when bringing home a cat or kitten from a shelter. I am offering these tips, not as a professional, but as someone who has provided a forever home for numerous shelter animals.
When you bring your newly adopted cat or kitten home, have one room of your home set up to be its personal domain. Have food, water, toys, and a litter box in that room. Allow the cat or kitten to become comfortable with you and with its new living quarters before allowing it to explore the whole house.
In some cases, a cat or kitten may hide immediately after you release it into the room. Rather than frantically trying to remove it from its hiding place, let it come out on its own. Speak softly to the cat even if you can't see it. Sit in the room quietly reading or watching TV until the cat comes out and approaches you. There have been times when I've had to visit quietly in the room with a cat numerous times a day for several days before a really frightened cat would make contact with me. It has always been worth the patience it required.
Once the cat is allowed to explore your home, let it find a place of security and always have that space available to it. Set limits and rules as the cat begins to explore your home. It's easier to set rules than to break inappropriate behavior that you have allowed to go on for a while.
I personally believe every cat should have a scratching post. Each time they start to scratch on furniture, redirect them to their scratching post. Sprinkle catnip around the post to attract the cat's attention.
Kittens are playful and should be given a selection of toys to keep them occupied. Playing with the kitten is a great bonding opportunity.
If you have other pets in your home, introduce the cat to them slowly. Never leave them together unsupervised until you know they have bonded or accepted each other.
The rewards for saving a shelter animal's life are immeasurable. It's as if these animals know that you did indeed give them a second chance by providing them a safe, secure, and loving forever home.
By VeronicaHB from Asheboro, NC
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Great advice on rehoming a shelter kitty! The only thing I would add would be to encourage people to consider rehoming an older cat if a kitten seems too much to add to a household. Older cats are often lovely, well behaved, litter trained, and longing to feel the safety of a furever home again after having lost theirs.
First, before you bring your adopted shelter animal home, please, please have an appointment scheduled with your vet. Have your vet check the animal for worms, parasites, and other health problems.
We always get both cats and dogs from the local SPCA. By getting them there I am assured they have been looked at by a vet and, depending on the age of the pet, they have been spayed/neutered. We usually get two cats at a time. We have found that cats who are used to each other in the pound are easier to get used to their new home. I usually put the two cat carriers in the downstairs bathroom with their food, water, litter boxes and the carrier doors open. The last time, one of the cats came out immediately and ran under the couch. (We never had any trouble knowing where he was because the dog was always looking under the couch or the chair.
Great advise! My last several cats have been from Human Society Adoptions and what a treat! They have been extremely grateful. Right now, while writing this, my last two from different shelters, are playing, running and pouncing on one another -- too FUN!
I have checked into cats/and/or dogs from shelters and rescue organizations. Around here they are too expensive for someone like me that is on a limited income. My neighbor passed away leaving an older dog and cat. I would have loved both of them. They were both fixed. His son took them to a no kill shelter before I could talk to him. I was informed that they cost $75 for the cat and $100 for the dog to adopt them. I could not afford either. They still have them. Yet these places wonder why they are full and can't find homes for them.
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