Bringing A Kitten Home

How to Create the Perfect Environment When Bringing a Kitten Home

If you’re about to be bringing a kitten home, you’re probably pretty excited. Bringing a pet home is a fun time, especially when it’s a Maine Coon Kitten! You get to buy all of their supplies, come up with a name, and more.

There is a lot that you need to get ready for your new kitten, so don’t let your excitement distract you. With this guide, you will learn about everything you need to prepare for bringing a kitten home.

Introducing To the New Home

What Kind Of Food Should I Give my Maine Coon kitten?

First, you should make sure that you have the proper food for your kitten. If you have adult cats already, it’s important to note that you cannot feed the adult food to a kitten. Kitten food is formulated specifically for kittens and their needs.

There are countless kitten food brands to choose from. Look for a high-quality one or ask a veterinarian for suggestions.

Here are the top wet and dry kitten foods as Recommended by Sassy Koonz Maine Coon Cattery:

Wet Food:

Dry Food:

Keep in mind that these are not the only good kitten food options out there. They are just some of the best!

Food and Water for your New Kitten

You may feed your kitten a combination of wet and dry food. Kittens tend to do better with wet food because it’s easier for them to chew. Once your kitten gets his or her adult teeth at about three or four months, you can introduce them to dry food.

You can also ask the breeder, shelter, or previous owner what they have been feeding the kitten. You might continue using the same food. This is also helpful because you can then feed the kitten a combination of their existing food and the food that you want to feed them.

To help the kitten transition from food A to food B, you should gradually decrease the amount of food A and gradually increase the amount of food B in their bowl. After a few days or weeks, the bowl will be filled entirely with food B.

Next, you will want to make sure your kitten always has access to clean water. If your refrigerator naturally filters drinking water, you should use that. You can also buy a pet drinking fountain that automatically filters the water for your kitten. The PetSafe Drinkwell is a popular model.

What’s great about a drinking fountain for your kitten is that the water will be filtered for you. Additionally, it comes in a variety of capacities so you can choose the best one for your lifestyle or the number of pets. A larger capacity is best for someone who works long days or travels often. This can come in handy for multi-pet families.

This is our favorite water fountain. It’s rechargeable via UBS-C

Bringing Home a Kitten? Check Your House Plants

In addition, you should prepare the environment when you’re bringing home a kitten. You want your kitten to have a safe space to explore. Kittens are known to be agile climbers, so you should remove any potentially dangerous items on the floor or up on shelves. Make sure that any shelving or furniture is sturdy and won’t tip over when your kitten jumps onto it.

Plants are one common threat that is often present in homes. There are some houseplants that are toxic to cats. The way that each plant affects cats vary, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Your cat might experience anything from getting sick to death depending on the type of plant that they eat.

Here are some of the most common houseplants that are dangerous for cats:

• Dieffenbachia
• Lily
• Sago Palm
• Pothos
• Aloe Vera

This link will give you a more complete list of toxic plants: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants

You have a couple of options when it comes to houseplants. To play it safe just get rid of the plants completely. As an alternative, you can store the plants in a room where your kitten isn’t allowed and keep the door shut. You could also keep the plants on a high shelf, but remember that cats are climbers!

There are safe plants that can be planted too. You could even plant a few plants specifically for your kitten. Kittens love to chew on cat grass or catnip!

Make Your Home Kitten Proof

Take a look around your home and think about what your kitten might get into. Small objects should be put away so that the kitten doesn’t chew on them and choke. Glass or ceramic decorations might be knocked over. Try to kitten-proof your home to keep the new addition safe.

Wires and cables are often gnawed on by kittens. To keep your kitten safe, you should hide the wires behind the furniture. You can also buy wraps or sleeves to keep the cords away from your kitten.

It can be tricky to completely kitten-proof your home, so watch your kitten closely for the first few days. You will probably find yourself hiding things or moving things around that you didn’t think you would have to!

Introducing Your New Kitten to Another Pet

When your Maine Coon kitten comes home to resident pets, you must take your time introducing the newcomer. Your resident pets may feel threatened and causes unwanted stress.

Don’t just toss the new kitten in the room with your cats and dogs, thinking that they’re going to be excited. They’re not. Read these tips on how to do a Proper introduction with your Maine Coon kitty.

Helping your New Kitten Feel Right At Home

Kittens are very active and love to play! They usually sleep 15 to 18 hours every day, so don’t be surprised to find your little furball curled up on the sofa getting some beauty rest. The rest of their time is spent playing or just hanging out. Since kittens are so playful, you should give them access to plenty of toys.

By playing with your kitten, you will be able to create a bond with them. This will show them how to play in healthy ways too.

This is a great detailed article about bringing your Maine Coon kitten home.

Cat trees are a popular choice. Your cat can climb and explore as a kitten and will use the tree when they get older too. They might seem like a big investment, but they are definitely worth the money! If you’re getting a Maine Coon Kitten then keep in mind they get really big, so a nice sturdy cat tree in order for your new friend.

You should also buy a scratching post. These are very inexpensive, but they are extremely useful. Even a simple one will do the job! Without a scratching post, your kitten might destroy your furniture or carpet. You can use treats to reward your kitten for using the scratching post too.

Don’t forget to create a cozy place for your kitten to sleep. Buy a cat bed or tent for them to snuggle up in. Place blankets or pillows around the room for them to rest on. You can even buy a cat hammock to hang for the kitten! Be prepared for your kitten to join you on the sofa or in your bed though! Cats are known to be bed-stealers.

Choosing Litter and a Litter Box For Your New Kitten

Finally, you have to think about a litter box for your Maine Coon. Find out whether or not you will be litter training the kitten yourself. This isn’t too challenging anyway, but it’s definitely easier if a kitten already knows what to do.

Kittens and cats can be very particular about their litter boxes. If they’ve been raised by the breeder with a covered litter box, then you may want to consider providing your new kitten with the same type. The same goes with Non-Covered boxes or stainless steel pans.

My favorite litter box is the Litter-Robot. It’s perfect for any kitten that is 5 pounds or more. It’s a self-cleaning litter box that is low maintenance. Especially useful for multiple cat homes. Any kitten under 5 pounds should use a traditional litter box, one that he or she is used to from the breeder.

There are several types of litter to choose from. The most popular types include:

• Clumping
• Non-clumping
• Pine
• Crystal
• Newspaper shreds

If the kitten is already using one type at the breeder, you should try to use the same kind. This will help them to adjust easily to their new home and litter box.

Bringing home a kitten is an exciting time, but there are a few things to remember. By creating a safe and welcoming environment for your new kitten, you will be off to a great start! Maine Coon kittens are very special and there’s a lot to learn about How to Care for a Maine Coon. I hope that this article will help you prepare for when you’re bringing home a kitten!

In addition to these essential items, there are ten more items you may want to consider getting with your Maine Coon kitten. Looking for a Maine Coon Kitten? Read “How to Choose the Best Maine Coon Breeder” Did you like this article? Be sure to check out all of the articles about Maine Coons on the Sassy Koonz Blog, and SUBSCRIBE to make sure you don’t miss any new ones in the future!