Bringing your new furfriend home is one of the most exciting things you’ll experience as a cat owner! However, moving to a new home with a new family can cause a lot of stress not just for your new cat but also for yourself. A little advanced planning can go a long way in making the transition easier on both of you. Here are some things you can prepare before and on the day your new dog takes its first steps into its new home.
Mesh Your Doors and Windows
There’s a saying that cats have 9 lives. But in reality, cats have one life just like any other living creature. According to the SPCA, there are up to 5 cases of cats falling from great heights every week in Singapore, and these cases often result in shock, traumatic injuries and also death. Although cats are intelligent, they can accidentally leap off a window if they get distracted by birds, lose their balance on a window sill, or get shocked by loud sounds from thunder or vacuuming.
Certain adoption centers require your house to follow their meshing requirements before you can adopt one of their cats. Here are some examples of how to properly mesh your house to protect your cats:
https://kittensanctuarysg.org/catproofing/
https://www.arkc.sg/how-to-cat-proof-your-home/
Protect Your Furniture
Cats loveeeeeeeeeeeeee to scratch. They can scratch anywhere anytime, and all this scratching can cause a lot of damage to furniture! In order to stop your cat from scratching, the best way is to provide it with appropriate, cat-attractive surfaces and objects to scratch, such as a scratching post. These scratching post should be placed around areas where your cat likes to hang out, such as near windows. You can also try to make your furniture unattractive to your cat by covering the sides of your furniture with aluminium foil and metal mesh, or covering the surfaces in smooth plastic and spraying cat repellent substances on your furniture.
Prepare a Safe Space for your Cat
A place with new sights, sounds and smells can be very intimidating for a cat. Unlike dogs, a slight change in their environment can throw them off. It is thus important to get a small room for your cat to live in where there are basic necessities, such as water bowl, litter, bed etc, prepared for them. To avoid overwhelming your cat, confine it to a small space first before gradually introducing it to the rest of your house.
Get your Floors Cleaned
Sweep your house thoroughly and remove any loose items on the floor such as strings, rubber bands and plastic bags. Store these items in secure containers instead of open shelves and surfaces as these items can become choking hazards for your cat.
Get Rid of Loose Ends
Your cat will highly start playing with loose ends around the house like curtains, blinds and electrical cords, which will not only cause damage to them but may pose a risk to your cat. Be sure to wrap them up or purchase inexpensive conduits for your electrical cords in order to keep them safely out of reach from your cat.
Prepare Toys
Whether young or old, a cat likes two things: sleeping and playing. When they’re not sleeping, it’s best that toys are available for them as entertainment. If not, your cat may decide to wreak absolutely havoc in your home if not provided with enough stimuli.
Remember! You have the responsibility as the chosen or appointed human guardians of your cat to make sure that its well-being is taken care of.
