Helping your cat to adapt to her new home: When your cat comes home, she will initially need to be kept in a separate room with food, water, litter tray, and bed. Over a period of a few days, gradually introduce her to the rest of the house. It is very important that your cat remains inside for at least a week or two, even if you plan on allowing her to go outdoors. Cats have a great sense of smell, so after some time in the house, they will know where “home” is, and if, for any reason, they stray, they will be familiar with finding their way back.

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Introducing another cat to a household with an existing cat: Follow the above procedures first. Give extra attention to your original cat, so he doesn’t feel as though he is being threatened by the new arrival. After a few days, swap their food bowls and bedding so that they can get used to each other’s scent. Once they appear to be comfortable with each other’s scent, let them explore each other’s territory without coming face to face.

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Then let them meet each other formally at mealtime, placing their bowls in separate parts of the room. Inevitably, there will be a lot of hissing and staring. This is normal. Be prepared to separate them if they become out of control. Repeat this process at subsequent mealtimes until you see improvement and they get along with each other or, at least, tolerate one another.

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Remember cats are territorial.

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Introducing a cat to a household with a dog: Keep the cat separate from the dog until the cat seems to be secure in her surroundings. Cats can feel threatened by dogs, so make sure the dog is introduced gradually and from a distance. Do not crate the cat so that the dog can surround her. This method works for the dog, but your cat will be totally stressed and feel threatened by this “stalking.” If using a crate for introduction, prop it inside a door opened just a few inches, so the dog cannot get too close.

If there are children in the household: Allow your young children to approach the cat slowly and gently. Kittens can be fragile, while adult cats can frighten easily and do not react well to grabbing and chasing.

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Food and water: Depending on the age of your new cat, she should be given the appropriate food, both wet and dry. It is a good idea to leave dry food out all day long. This is especially important for kittens up to 12 months old because they need to eat small portions at a time. Leave water out for your cat and change it daily. If you decide to change the cat food, do so gradually, mixing the new food in slowly over a period of weeks, since a sudden change can lead to diarrhea.

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NEVER give a cat: raw chicken; cooked chicken bones (they splinter and may cause your cat to choke); cow’s milk (most cats are lactose intolerant). Lactose-free milk may be given occasionally.

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Caring for your cat’s health: Keep track of all vaccination requirements. Use flea preventative medication monthly. See the vet for any health concerns.

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Grooming: Cats are very good at grooming themselves, but they should be brushed on a regular basis. Long-haired cats should be given a specially formulated paste to swallow which is designed to help them get rid of fur that forms a wad in their stomach (fur balls). Put a small amount of the paste on one of her front paws and she will instinctively lick it off. Cats also like to chew on grass which causes them to vomit, which is normal; it helps them with digestion, stomach pains, and hair balls. If you do not have access to grass, we recommend you give your cat alfalfa, parsley, cucumber, spinach, or catnip grass.

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Safety: Make sure your cat always wears a name tag with your information on it, even though she will primarily be inside. She might inadvertently get out of your house and having a name tag on her will help to insure that she will be returned to you.

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Other resources: YouTube (www.youtube.com) has videos on many cat-related issues. Use key words to search the Internet for useful articles. Check the library for helpful books.