How long does it take a cat to adapt to a new house?

The cat is an animal not only of customs, but also still retains much of what would be their habits and instinctive behavior in the wild. That is why, either because you have decided to adopt one or because you are going to move with your furry companion, you must take into consideration the time that the cat will need to adapt to the new house, doing everything in its power to facilitate the process. Here are some tips and recommendations in case you ask how long does it take a cat to adapt to a new house.

The adaptation period of the cats

Of course, this will depend on the feline’s personality and, more importantly, on the experiences that the kitten had before, because in cats that have suffered traumatic moments with humans it is normal that they feel distrust and it costs them much more to feel safe.

Usually, in a cat that does not drag traumas and has not had socialization problems, a week or a week and a half They will be more than enough for you to feel completely at ease in your new home. Perhaps some timid kittens require a little more time, but following our recommendations you will be able to provide peace of mind even to felines who have gone through painful experiences. To do this, here are some tips to get the cat to adapt to your new home quickly.

If after this period of time your kitten continues to startle, growling and trying to hide, it is very possible that it will drag a severe trauma, so we suggest you go to a specialist.

The first approach

Cats are animals very attached to the routine, so a small change in daily activities affects them. If you have just adopted one, it is normal to be suspicious and surly. Besides not knowing who you are or what your intentions are, you will suddenly find yourself in a strange environment, full of unknown smells and without a single brand of your own aroma, so important for felines to feel comfortable.

The arrival at home is crucial to get used to the new environment as quickly as possible. Some cats will feel at ease from the beginning, exploring and taking over everything quickly, but this is not the most common.

When you adopt a cat It is important that you anticipate your arrival and prepare everything for such an event. For this, consult our article on “How to prepare the arrival of a cat at home”. Regardless of whether you live in a house or apartment, it is better that for the first contact you allocate a room in the home so that the cat can stay for a while without being bothered by anyone. Remember to place in this room a box with clean sand, the containers of water and food and what will be the bed of the pussycat from that moment on. Of course, the sandbox must be as far as possible from the trough and the bed, since cats are very neat animals. Let him be in the room for as long as he needs, smelling, exploring or even if he remains sulking, when he feels ready he will explore his surroundings, you just have to give him time and respect his rhythm.

Relationship with the family

The good relationship with all the members of the family must begin to be built from the first day. Obviously, the first approach is with the person who takes the cat home. Ideally, pick it up on a pet carrier, where you can feel safe, without being forced to be carried by an unknown human being. On the way home, uses a soft and reassuring tone of voice to chat with the feline. Allows you to smell through the grid of the carrier and respects your decision if you want to stay at the bottom of this.

When you get home and leave it in the room we have described, let it decide when to leave the carrier, do not force it to do so. Stay tuned when you do it, letting it sniff, and retreat if you notice it too tense. Give him time to explore the room alone and then come back. If you notice it more calm, sit on the floor so as not to intimidate it with your height, and stay still so that it approaches you only when you want it.

It is likely to approach to sniff. Let him do it a couple of times before trying a caress. Keep some delicious food nearby to offer as a reward, in this way you will interpret that being with you brings good things. And when the cat is comfortable with you, the other members of the household can apply the same method to identify their smells and do not take it by surprise to meet them in the rest of the spaces.

Give it its own space

Once the kitten has decided to explore the whole house and you perceive that he feels more secure and confident, it is time to move his belongings to the areas where they will be from then on. Of course, if you consider that the newcomer will be better in the room that you enabled for him, you can let him continue sleeping there. In the end, the most important thing is get to know the animal and adapt to its needs to get the cat to adapt to his new home and, most importantly, live happy.

If you decided to remove your belongings from the room because it is best for him, remember to place the containers of water and food in places easily accessible to the feline, but not so heavily traveled by humans. The same with the litter box, keeping in mind to place it away from the food. Place the bed in a warm and protected place, where the cat can rest but without feeling isolated. You can not forget a scraper and toys, preferably in the areas where family life is made, so that the cat can share and have fun with everyone.

Tips for moving with a cat

As we pointed out at the beginning of the article, if what happens is that you already live with an adult cat and you are going to make a change of address, it is logical that you ask yourself what steps to take and how to get a cat used to his new home. Well, for these cases they must follow exactly the same steps already mentioned. That is, move all the furniture to the new home before taking your cat, enable a room just for him with all his belongings and leave it there with the carrier so that he only leaves when he feels prepared, sniff and explore.

It is very important that you do all the mundanza before taking the animal to the new home for a very simple reason: avoid more stress. Cats are animals that get stressed very easily, and noises, strangers and sudden movements are some of the factors that cause anxiety in them. Therefore, we recommend avoiding this situation to the cat and take it when everything is in order. So, in addition, you can recognize the smells of furniture and adapt to your new home much faster.

As we have repeated throughout the post, patience, affection and respect are the key to getting the cat used to his new home. A) Yes, do not force it, let him just explore every corner and move his belongings when the animal is ready.

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