How to Prepare Your Home for a New Cat
If you have never had a cat in your home before, it is going to be necessary to make some preparations for their arrival. For example, you are going to have to create a sort of “lavatory” area where their litter box is located. This is going to have to be in a quiet and protected area where passing foot traffic will not startle or upset the cat in any way. There is also going to have to be an established “dining” area that is far removed from the litter box. Many new cat owners make the mistake of centrally locating all of their cat’s needed facilities and this is something that cats dislike a great deal.
Apart from locating the litter box and food and water dishes in the optimal areas of the home, the owner is going to have to really take a look at any situations which might present the cat with the potential for harm. Consider poisonous or toxic houseplants that a cat will not recognize as dangerous, tablecloths and tall curtains that a cat might accidentally tear down or get tangled in, cords from blinds or shades that pose a serious threat to a playful cat, electrical cords that cats will often chew and get electrocuted from, and the various surfaces that are cleaned with potentially harmful chemicals too.
All of these issues must be addressed before the cat is allowed to explore the environment. Remember that it is best to monitor a cat as it first wanders the home, but it should not feel any sort of stress or pressure from those around it. For instance, if the new owner follows the cat closely from room to room the animal might not feel a sense of calm or ease. This means that it is vitally important to provide the cat with a completely safe environment to explore freely.
On the other hand, it is never advisable to instantly leave a cat alone in the new home and this usually means creating a space where the cat can be reasonably contained when necessary. Crating an animal is not an advisable course of action for the long term, especially where a cat is concerned, so choosing a room or collection of rooms where they can safely and freely wander is the best option. Consider putting a cat’s bedding, litter box and food and water dishes in a space like a large bedroom in order to allow the new cat some time to get used to many of the sounds and smells in the new home before leaving them on their own for the majority of the day.
