Bringing a kitten home and their first week with you

The new sights, sounds and smells in your home, and the separation from their mother, may make your kitten feel stressed. So keep your house very calm and quiet.

When you arrive home, put the cat box in a room you’ve prepared for your kitten and open the door. Let them come out to explore in their own time and resist the urge to cuddle them straightaway.

After your kitten’s explored their room, they may be ready for a nap so show them their bed rather than trying to play with them. Make sure they are also aware of where their litter tray is located too.

Your kitten may be timid initially but will soon want to explore further. If your home’s kitten-proofed, allow them to do this while watching them. Or keep them safe in their own room, with windows and plenty of social contact, for the first few weeks.

Until your kitten’s four months old, they shouldn’t be left alone for long periods of time during the day. Get them used to being alone by leaving them for five minutes each hour and gradually extending it. With some breeds, it may be beneficial to consider adopting two kittens for companionship.

Cats need their territory organised in separate areas for feeding, resting, cleaning (going to the toilet) and playing. Watch how your kitten uses the space and make changes if necessary so they’re comfortable. You may, for example, need to move their bed higher or their litter tray further from their food.

Your kitten will need to see a vet after a few days settling with you. As well as giving them a general health check, they’ll set up a vaccination schedule and can advise you on worming, nutrition and more.

Your kitten may need to travel in a car for visits to the vet, so it’s important they get used to it. If you didn’t collect them in a car, it’s worth taking them on a car journey during their first week with you. Start by making sure they feel comfortable staying in the cat carrier, then introduce them to the the car without the engine on. Once they are settled, start to familiarise them with the engine and motion.

It’s always safest to collect your kitten in a cat carrier. If you didn’t, it’s important to introduce them to a cat carrier sooner rather than later so they’re comfortable with it during visits to the vet. You may even want to encourage your kitten to use the carrier as a safe sleeping place.

It’s your responsibility to help build your kitten’s confidence and get them used to their environment. By gradually introducing them to new experiences and giving gentle encouragement, you can help to socialise your kitten.

Sounds can startle kittens and make them anxious, so keep introducing them to new noises while reassuring them. This could include sounds such as a washing machine, music or hairdryer. Be sure to only introduce new sounds as long as the kitten seems comfortable with it.

Your kitten will need to cope with a variety of terrains. You can help them become acclimatised by carefully introducing them to stairs , an indoor climbing tree and a range of surfaces.

Your vet will want to give your kitten a thorough check. To prevent this agitating them, it’s best to gently accustom your kitten to being picked up and handled all over their body.

Spend time playing games that gently encourage your kitten to display natural behaviours such as stalking, pouncing and swiping.

Many kittens learn to use a litter tray by watching their mother. If your kitten’s not housetrained, put them in their tray and scratch the litter with one of their front legs. Do this after each meal and when they wake up. Make sure the litter tray is somewhere quiet, always accessible and away from their food and water bowls.

Follow the same routine as your kitten’s previous owner for the first week. Then you can gradually transition to your own routine. There are three main options:

• Put your kitten’s daily ration of dry food out and let them nibble on it as they choose.
• Feed them several small meals a day.
• Put out a smaller ration of dry food for grazing on and feed them wet food at set times.

Whichever option you choose, you should stick to it so your kitten learns what to expect.

Make sure each family member spends time playing and bonding with your kitten. Their play area is the most important part of their territory and they need space to run, climb and hide. Cats particularly love being up high, so if there aren’t enough places for them to perch it’s worth buying a cat tree.

While it’s important to always be gentle with your kitten, they need to understand boundaries. One of the best ways to address unacceptable behaviour such as digging in the rubbish is to distract them with a toy and repeat a simple command.

One of the most active times for cats is dusk. Your kitten will appreciate you playing with them at this time and it will help to tire them ready for bedtime. Another active time for cats is dawn. If you’re not an early riser try a puzzle feeder to entertain them in the early morning.

Put your kitten’s bed in the place you intend to use throughout adulthood because once they’ve begun sleeping somewhere it won’t be easy to change the location. Although your kitten’s bed needs to be in a quiet place, it’s best to be fairly close to your living area as they’ll enjoy watching you.

Make sure your kitten has everything they need such as access to the litter tray, fresh water, food, a favourite toy and a blanket. Then use a signal such as turning the lights off or down to show it’s bedtime. They may cry during the first few nights, but they’ll soon learn that you’ll return in the morning and feel secure in the routine.