Tips For The First 30 Days Of Cat Adoption
Sara Kent
Be prepared should be your mantra when bringing a new pet into your home. Cats are particularly sensitive to new surroundings and some may hide under a bed or in a closet for days or even weeks.
You can avoid pitfalls with your new critter and help him or her adapt more easily by following these guidelines:
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Before You Bring Your Cat Home:
First Day:
Now, you are ready for your cats homecoming. Preferably, bring her home in a cat carrier. It will feel safer to her. She has seen a lot of excitement, so take her directly to her new room. Ideally, you would restrict her exposure to the whole family, but naturally, everyone is going to want to see her. Remind them of the ground rules youve set up.
- Sit on the floor and let her come to you. Dont force her. Just let her get acquainted on her own time. If she doesnt approach, leave her alone and try again later. Some cats are particularly frightened, and she may retreat to her hidey hole and not come out when youre around at all. She may only come out at night when the house is quiet. Give her time.
- Your newly adopted cat may not eat much or at all at first. Its best to give your cat the same food she had at the shelter or in her foster home, at least at first. Keeping some things familiar will make her feel more secure. Be sure to change her water frequently and make sure that she is drinking. If your cat hasnt eaten for a few days, call your vet to ask for advice.
Following Weeks:
Thinking About Rehoming Your Cat Find Out How We Can Help
Giving up your cat is never an easy decision after all, we know theyre beloved members of the family. From moving home to changes in relationship and family situations, there are many reasons why you may decide it would be best to rehome your cat.
Weve created this guide to help you decide if and when you should rehome your cat. It can also help you decide if there are any circumstances under which you could keep them, for example by addressing problem behaviour to prevent rehoming a cat that sprays.
Cats Remembering Other Cats
Do you wonder if cats can remember others of their kind? Yes, they do. Although, cat experts are not sure for how long.
Their socialization that started when they were litter mates allowed them to exchange scents so that they can recognize each other in case they get separated.
Cats use the same trick throughout their duration of existence. The most probable theory, however, is that the cats memory of another cat may be dependent on the length and the impact of their relationship with each other.
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Cats and Where They Live
The story about Missy and her owner, as inspiring as it was will still have us ask the same question. If cats have such an excellent homing instinct, how come many of them still get lost?
As with dogs and most animals, cats acquire a certain kind of homing instinct, however, too often they get trapped or injured that causes them to be unable to come home.
In some scenarios, the cats homing instinct become re-centered and miscalculated after a move. This is why when they try to find their way back, they end up being hopelessly lost.
Although some cats can pull feats to reach home no matter how far they have gone, a lot of them just cant make it very long.
There are also scenarios when a newly rehomed cat misses their previous owners that they try to get and find their way back to them.
Aging and Memory Loss in Cats
So, How Long Will A Cat Remember You?
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How Old Is My Cat In Cat Years
Consult our Cat Age Chart, which converts cat years to human years. Are you surprised at your cats human age? The old seven year rule is simple but not quite accurate because cats age more rapidly during the first two years of life. In a felines very first year, he or she reaches the human age equivalent of 15.
What Is The Best Way To Give A Cat Away
If youre planning to give up your cat, its best to bring it to a local shelter or a rescue organization. Trying to rehome the kitty on your own has lower success rates than going through proper pet adoption. Please also read How old do you have to be to adopt a cat
Rescues and shelters often perform home visits to potential adopters. This is to ensure that they are fit to bring the cat home. It ensures that your cat will go to a loving family.
Aside from that, the shelter and rescue staff can advise you about the process. It will give you peace of mind and reduce the stress to your pet.
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How Long Do Cats Remember Things For
Memories are ingrained for cats the same way they are for apes, monkeys, humans, and squirrels.
Did you know that goldfish dont have a several second memory? Further research has taught us that most fish can remember things for the long-term, and even recognize patterns and people long after they have seen them.
Cats will remember their owners as kittens even years later.
Theres no limit on how long a cat might remember their owner, mother, or siblings for.
Set Up Your Cat’s Room With Everything They Need
Try and ensure that all your cats essential items are purchased and/or in place before they arrive. Your cats litter tray should be placed in one corner of the room, away from the door, their feeding area, water, beds and hiding places. Food and water bowls should be separate from each other but within easy reach of the hidey holes you have created in the room. A tall and rigid scratching post will help your cat to maintain their claws and allow them to deposit familiar scents from glands in their paws to help them settle in. You can leave toys in the settling in room, but only those that your cat can safely play with when youre not there. For example, small toy mice rather than fishing rod toys with string attached.
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Do Cats Remember Their Old Owners Memory & Experiences
Anytime you have to give a cat away, it can be sad to lose that bond. Its true cats dont recognize the idea of having an owner, but surely they remember all the good times right? Despite that, they are very capable of bonding with their caretakers and appreciating them. But, do cats remember their old owners?
Cats can remember their old owners. Cats thats were reliant on you for their needs such as food, water, and social interaction will remember you. Painful experiences and fear also remain in a cats longterm memory. A cats memory can last for months to several years.
This doesnt mean that a cat cannot form another bond with a new owner. Cats are adaptable, like most animals, and, if shown the proper amount of respect and love, a new owner can develop a strong, affectionate relationship.
Do Cats Remember Their Parents
What if a kitten came across their mother after a year or so? Would they recognize them? Well, strangely, no if they have been separated from eight weeks old, it is very unlikely that a kitten would remember or miss their family.
Cats are very independent creatures and once their new owner has filled the void left by leaving their family, it doesnt appear that they retain historic bonds. New bonds have been formed.
The exception to this is if kittens remain with their family or a family member. The family bond in this case will remain and will influence the hierarchy of their social interaction with each other and other cats.
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Do Kittens Miss Their Parents After Leaving The Home
It might seem unusual to us as humans, but it is rare for kittens to meet their fathers! There are occasions where a breeder may own both the mother and the father of a litter, but the majority of feline pregnancies are either unplanned, with unknown fathers, or planned, using a stud cat from another breeder. Therefore, as a rule, kittens do not meet or miss their fathers.
Kittens should not be weaned before six to eight weeks and should remain with their mother and littermates until eight weeks. If they are taken away from their mother before this age, they will certainly spend some time pining for her as well as looking for her as the source of their next meal.
Kittens learn a lot from their mothers until eight weeks and gain confidence and sociability, so removing them early can lead to behavior problems.
Once a kitten is successfully weaned and leaves their mother at the age of eight weeks or more, there will always be a period of adjustment. But this period is usually short-lived. The kitten will have already gained some life skills and independence and will be able to feed and toilet without the mom. Although they may seem sad for a few days, they will soon move on and begin to identify with their new owners as family.
Tailor The Search To The Situation
One of the biggest mistakes related to advising pet caregivers how to search for a lost pet is to provide “one type fits all” lost pet recovery advice.
Lost dog incidents require different sets of advice from lost cat incidents because dogs behave very differently than cats do when lost. In general, dogs run and cats hide.
In addition, how people perceive loose dogs is very different from how people perceive loose cats. People pull over and rescue dogs, but most people ignore cats. Thus the search for a lost cat truly involves searching for the cat.
The search for a lost dog, on the other hand, usually involves searching for the person who has self-adopted/rescued the “homeless stray” dog that they found. In addition, the most effective methods that should be used to search for a missing outdoor-access cat are very different than those that should be used to search for an indoor-only cat who escaped outside.
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How Is A Stray Cat Different From A Feral Cat
A stray cat is a pet who has been lost or abandoned, is used to contact with people and is tame enough to be adopted. A feral cat is the offspring of stray or other feral cats and is not accustomed to human contact. Feral cats are usually too fearful to be handled or adopted.
Stray cats may be reunited with their families or adopted into new homes, but feral cats will find it difficult or impossible to adapt to living as pets in close contact with people. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do to improve feral cats’ health and quality of life.
Focusing On Your Other Responsibilities
Most likely, you have other responsibilities to look after once your cat is gone. This could be other pets, your family, or your career. You can spend some time focusing on these, as they will help distract you from your loss.
Just avoid forcing yourself into distractions 24/7. Feeling sad or guilty is a necessary part of the grieving process. Attempting to suppress these feelings may leave you feeling worse than before.
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Search Means Physically Look
It is critical to encourage cat caregivers to obtain permission from their neighbors to enter their yards and conduct an aggressive, physical search of their property, looking under and in every conceivable hiding space for their lost cat. A Missing Cat Study conducted in 2017 revealed that 40% of lost cats found by their guardians are recovered by conducting a physical search of the missing cat’s territory. The median distance for outdoor-access cats that were lost and then found was a 17-house radius of their homes . For escaped indoor-only cats the median distance of where these cats were recovered was much closer-within a 2 house radius. In spite of these cats being so close, handing a flyer to a neighbor and asking them to “look” for a missing cat will just not do! Most neighbors simply will not go out into their yards, get on their belly, and look around under their house or deck for someone else’s cat. And yet many times neighbor’s yards are the areas where a sick, injured, or displaced cat is likely to be found.
I Recently Got A Cat But They Arent Settling Into My Home What Can I Do
There are lots of reasons why your new cat might be struggling to settle in. Cats are often brought to us because they havent got along with cats at home, as they are a very independent species. It can be worrying when your new pet isnt happy, especially if they are soiling in the house or hiding.
First impressions count, so take your time when welcoming a new cat into your home. Heres a few things you can do to make the transition as smooth as possible:
- bring home something familiar – If you can, take some of your new cats litter or bedding home, as a familiar scent can help them feel more secure
- create a sanctuary in your home – Start slowly by keeping your new cat in a separate room, with everything they need in one place. Providing a place to hide can make them feel safe too
- consider using pheromones – A Feliway diffuser can be helpful in creating a secure environment for cats, try spraying some in the area where they sleep and eat
- – Give them a piece of your clothing to help them get used to your smell, and if you already have cats at home, try using a gentle cloth to wipe their cheeks and swap between cats to familiarise them with each other safely
- give them space – One of the best things you can do is give your cat time and space, let them explore in their own time and approach you when they feel comfortable
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I Surrendered My Cat Can I Get It Back
If you believe youve made a terrible mistake, there are ways to get your cat back. Before you make this decision, however, you should thoroughly consider the repercussions. In the same way, a cat shouldnt be given away on a whim. You shouldnt reclaim your cat just because you feel guilty. Thats because the cat:
- Will experience a great deal of unnecessary stress if it has to be taken back and forth between homes
- May have already settled in and feel traumatized to leave again, even if its going back to its first home
- Might develop more destructive habits or aggression from the stress, making it less suitable to your home or the new owners than before
Consider the repercussions for yourself. If there was a good reason for putting the cat up for adoption, those wont disappear overnight:
- Do you have a new way of contending with your allergies?
- Are family members or roommates okay with the cats return, or will this lead to conflict in the future?
- Have other pets been removed or properly socialized to accept the cat?
- Are you prepared to deal with the same behavioral issues before, or even worse ones?
- Do you have a strong reason to believe your financial situation has or will improve so that you can afford the cat?
- Are you still prepared to take care of its medical or basic care needs?
However, if your circumstances have changed, there are ways to get it back. It will depend on where the cat was rehomed.
Surprising Reasons Why Do Cats Miss Their Owners
Cats havethe tendency to run away whenever there is an open door. As a pet,cats can make you question your credibility as a parent. But do cats miss theirowners? Well, they may seem super selfish from the outside, but the truth is,they miss their owners for a variety of reasons as well.
Thefour-legged fur buddy is less likely to express its affection. You might aswell learn to handle their little tantrums and mood swings by observing their behaviors.But are these nurturing and putting up time for cats worth it?
All thebites and scratches of a cat may feel like heaven once you find out how muchthey miss their owners, even when the owner is not around or gone.
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Important: Use A Cat Sitter During Your Holiday
Your cat can feel quite alone during the loss of their normal routine when you are away. So: If you go on a holiday, ask your personal cat sitter to not only give your cat their usual fresh water, food and cat litter, but also sufficient time to play and attention. A Pawshake sitter can come by your house once or twice a day or stay overnight.
A home visit by a sitter from Pawshake takes on average a half an hour to an hour and a half, during which your cat sitter can play with your cat, cuddle or simply sit on the couch together. Not all cats want to play with a cat sitter immediately and might run away and hide. This does not necessarily mean that your cat prefers to be alone, they just might need some time to adjust to their new human friend. Tips for when you go on holidays:
- Don’t move your cat to a new location if you can prevent it
- Keep to your cat’s normal routine, but:
- Don’t force your cat to do anything they don’t want to
- Let your pet sitter play and cuddle with your cat
- Let your cat decide when to interact – give them space
- Provide a scratching post and several safe hiding spots
And the most important advice: don’t be offended if your cat doesn’t show that they missed you. We often attribute human emotions to a cat But a cat is a cat – who experiences the world in their own special way. So enjoy your cat’s natural, special, stubborn and always fascinating cat behaviour for what it is!