How to Help Your Maine Coon Adjust to its New Home

If you’re looking for ways to help your Maine Coon kitten adjust to their new home, this blog post is for you!

When you bring a new kitten or cat into your home, you should expect the cat to need some time to adjust to its new environment. Cats aren’t big fans of change, and a move into a new home is a significant deal for them.

Some cats get stressed over the smallest change, like moving a piece of furniture or seeing another cat outside the window. It sounds silly but it’s just part of their character as cats.

Here are some general rules of thumb to help you better understand your cat and the changes they go through when adjusting to an environmental change.

All of the Magic Happens In Three Days

The major adjustment period is the first three days your Maine Coon kitten is in its new home. Everything is new, with stimulating space and new things to do. All of the people are strangers, and the smells and sounds are different.

This can be overwhelming to the kitten and worse for an adult cat. To keep your kitty as stress-free as possible, keep your Maine Coon confined to one room (a bathroom or bedroom) for at least three days.

While in isolation, you can monitor how well he eats, drinks, and uses the litter. Don’t be surprised if your kitten doesn’t poop for 24 to 48 hours. This is normal behavior for a kitten when it has a change of environment.

it is VERY IMPORTANT that you place the kitten in his/her new litterbox several times when they arrive at home. They will not use the litter box at that time. Instead, he will probably just jump out and carry on. But placing a kitten in the litter box will remind him of where it is when it’s time to potty. If your kitten pees or poops outside of the litter box – put the waste in the appropriate litterbox. Do not allow the kitten to come out of quarantine until he is using the litter box.

Yoou’ll surely want to hold and cuddle the kitten, but he might not be ready for that yet. Sit in the room with your kitten, at his level. Interact with him using a toy and offer gentle pets. Let the kitten come to you and build a level of trust before trying to hold and cuddle with him/her.

My New Kitten Is Hiding. What Should I Do?

You may be wondering how long will a cat hide in a new home? It depends on the cat. Some will not hide at all, some will hide for three days, some will hide for a week or longer.

You need to be patient during these first three days. Some cats are very nervous and may want to hide. Others will be more confident and act like they’re unfazed.

Regardless of the initial reaction that your cat gives, it’s essential to keep the kitten or cat confined to help him get used to his new home and his litter box location.

If your kitten seems to be acclimated after three days, it’s time to introduce him to the rest of the home, and other pets if you have them. Here are some tips on introducing your new kitten to other pets.

Three Weeks Later…

After three weeks, your Maine Coon is getting comfortable and settled into the routines in the home and is becoming familiar with when meal time is. He should have a full run of the house by now. Be sure to provide him with scratching posts in various locations, his beds, and blankets.

Your kitten will start to feel like he’s at home now, and you can enjoy the journey that you’re about to share with your new Maine Coon. Please note that not all cats will be on the exact schedule as written here. Some will be more comfortable sooner, and others may take longer to adjust.

Be patient and keep in the front of your mind that cats are their own little beings, and they do things on their own time. Eventually, they will all adjust if given the proper nurturing and will be happy pets forever. Be sure to kitten proof your home before your baby arrives.