Hey friends and family of the furry! It’s Pixie and I’m back
again to talk to you about the first night after adoption and what you need to make
your home a comfy fur-ever home! If you want to know more about my complete
adoption story, you can find it here!
Adoption day was one of the best days for me and my sister Leah’s life even if
we didn’t really realize it at the time. All we knew at the time when we were
about 9 months old were the places we stayed temporarily and then the shelter.
That was it! When they put the two of us in separate crates to be transported
to our fur-ever homes with our fur-ever home families, we were in a panic! Although
our fur-ever family was so nice and warm towards, it was only one visit before
it was decided that we would leave with them and live with them permanently. On
our adoption day, we were okay up until we left the building. We meowed once we
got out of the door and yet kept going! We meowed all the way to our new home
and Leah had sprayed inside her carrier because she didn’t want to go anywhere
at all! It was a very fortunate and lucky thing for us that we had certain
items for the car ride home and our fur-ever family cared enough to take good
advice from the shelter about what they should get to make the transition from
the shelter to our fur-ever home easier on us kittens. As trying as the ride
home was for Leah, trust me, it could have been worst. It was very comfortable
for us but scary because we didn’t know what was going on. So, preparing for the first night home really
starts with the car ride making sure that the transport home is comfortable for
both you and your cat (or cats). Try to purchase these items a day or two
BEFORE you bring home for your delicate and precious fur-baby!
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ITEMS FOR THE CAR RIDE HOME |
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Travel Carriers
(Per Cat) |
Travel Wee-Wee Pads |
|
Blankets |
Catnip
and/or Catnip Spray |
|
Toys |
Water, Food &
Treats |
|
Collars |
Clean Your
Car |
Travel Carriers (Per Cat)
Do not rely upon a shelter to provide you with a comfy
carrier to transport your animal(s)! Some shelters might have a store to
purchase items from. If they do, then great because the proceeds will go to the
shelter in directly helping the other animals needing to be adopted. Just visit
a few days ahead of time to purchase a quality travel carrier. If the shelter
doesn’t have a store, then go to a local pet store or buy one online. I
recommend a sturdy travel carrier with a strap that has mesh built into the
body so that we cats can breathe. The inside should have a fleece or soft
carpet lined removeable bottom for cleaning. Buy one that you can keep for a
long time, not one meant only for a small kitten unless you must. We don’t stay
small for long and it would be a pity to buy one again too soon because it
wasn’t durable enough or because it was too small. Remember, the carrier is
used for travel purposes such as Vet visits, trips, and transportation, etc.
You would need to purchase one per cat. Tiny kittens can share for a time but
us having our own stuff is inevitable!
Blankets
Travelling anywhere is a stressful time for cats because of all
the new sights, sounds, and smells. It can be quite overwhelming to the small
and furry. To help, make sure that we stay calm and have two blankets on hand:
one for inside the carrier and the other to drape over the carrier. The purpose
of the blanket is to keep then comfortable because we like to hide in order to
feel safe. A word of caution though. Make sure you check on us often so that we
have plenty of air to breathe. If you drape a blanket on top of the carrier,
make sure that one of the breathable mesh sides is NOT covered.
Toys
Small travel sized chew toys or felt toys inside our carrier
for play to keep us calm and distracted can also help a stressful situation. Four
to five on hand would be great and some catnip inside the toys would be even
better! The good news is you can find toys like these anywhere that sells pet
supplies. Even discount stores such as one dollar stores carrier these items
too. Just inspect the toys for flaws and manufacture defects before purchasing
and giving to your cat. Even small kittens with tiny claws and teeth can shred
the most durable looking toys meant for pet playtime.
Collar
A very important purchase but one we can easily forget is a
good collar! Should we get lost, we can’t speak up and recite our family’s name
and address. Get us a collar that will stay on and secure around our tiny neck.
And also, one that will clearly display our tags. Get one with a tiny bell so
that you have an idea about our whereabouts when we hide (I’m looking at you
Leah)! You never know what might happen particularly when no bonds have
developed yet between the new parent and fur-baby. It is highly recommended
that before you leave the shelter, to put the collar around our little necks.
If it is your first time collaring a precious fur-baby, then ask one of the
shelter attendants to show you how the collar should fit around the cat’s neck
so that they are comfortable and won’t fall off. By rule of thumb, you should
be able to fit two human fingers inside the collar between the neck and the
collar.
Wee-Wee Pads
Accidents can happen particularly when traveling. And of
course, because we are not at home, we tend to be the least prepared for
certain situations. In the case of cat spraying, let this not happen to you and
be prepared well. Cat spraying is one way a cat will mark his or her territory
by urinating on a specific area. Since cats use scent as their primary way of
communication with other cats, it indicates that this area has been claimed.
But cat spraying can also occur when the cat is stressed or scared. This is
what happened with Leah but instead of urine, she sprayed poop in her carrier.
What can I say? Leah really couldn’t be bothered with the move to a new area.
It was a real lucky thing that the carriers we got from the shelter had wee-wee
pads setup inside of it and the carriers were made out of plastic. But it took
weeks for the smell of cat feces to finally leave the car. This may not happen
to you and your fur-baby but why risk us “going” or spraying inside your car
unnecessarily? To be prepared, make sure you have a wee-wee pad meant for
travel and some pet friendly clean up supplies on hand because those kind of
pet smells can be hard to remove after a while if not cleaned up thoroughly and
immediately.
Catnip and/or Catnip Spray
Dried catnip and/or catnip sprays can help to keep a cat
calm while under stressful conditions. Catnip is an all-natural herb and is a
part of the peppermint family. It can be grown in your garden or backyard as
well and is considered to be the equivalent to creating the good feelings a
human receives when using incense, aromatherapy candles, air freshener, potpourri,
etc. You can get dried catnip, catnip toys and/or catnip spray. Just note that
sometimes it may not affect very young kittens much if at all. However, it is
worth a try and worth having around for its overall proven calming effects on
felines in general.
Water, Food & Treats
This should go without saying but I will say it anyway as a
friendly reminder. We cats can get hungry and thirsty particularly if it is
going to be a long car ride home! Get us little travel bowls for our cat food,
water, and treats. Make sure you got plenty of the three on hand for us hungry little
creatures! Fancy Feast (Star’s favorite) and Sheba have half portions for
purchase so that very little food goes to waste and helps makes it easier to
store. But perhaps the best food for such a trip that will cause the least
amount of waste and can be stored better for freshness would probably be our dry
food. Ask the shelter attendant for advice on what dry food the cats have been
eating so that you’ll have the right kind of food that they will actually eat.
Have these things ready and thank me later!
Clean Your Car
Believe it or not, even if we are tiny, transporting us can
take up a lot of space, so get your car picked up and organized! We don’t need
stuff shifting and falling on top of us even if we are in a secure carrier. Our
teeth and claws might be sharp, but we are still fragile and delicate all the
same especially a young and tiny kitten. Treat us with great care from the
beginning and you’ll have a loyal and loving friend for life. Also add a final
touch by spraying the area with catnip and you might find a highly enjoyable
ride home!
So that was the drive home with your new fur-baby! If you
need more information, you are more than welcome to check out the online
resources indicated below in my Blog Article Resource section. However, before
you go, getting your fur-baby home happy, safe, and calm is just the beginning,
right? But of course, there are the preparations to be made about the night
home. Get your favorite drink and snack and then join me for Part
2 of Adoption Day: The Night Home! You can find this (p)awesome article
here!
Also, I got a grrreat PDF checklist
that covers both the ride home and the first night home! You can find it here
and it is for free!
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Blog Article
Resources: |
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https://askmycats.com/do-cats-poop-pee-when-they-are-scared-or-stressed/
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https://www.omlet.us/guide/cats/bringing_a_new_cat_home/driving_with_your_new_cat/
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Got a question, comment, or a
cat-astrophe on your furless paws?
You can always
reach me at pixiespetcorner@gmail.com.
And remember that no problem is ever too big or too small for this little black
kitten!
Hugs & cat
kisses from the luckiest black cat you know!
Until next time… Make
Every day the Best Cat-urday!
Pixie
Pixie’s Pet
Corner™
The Luckiest Black
Cat… Truly Beloved!™
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