When introducing your new cat to children in your household, please try to remember that they’re in a new environment, with new smells and people, so they may be scared at first. Follow our tips for a successful Cat to Child introduction.

Begin by setting up both the cat and the child for success. Demonstrate to your child how to appropriately meet a cat.

Hold out one finger and allow the cat to sniff it. If she tries to rub your finger, that is a great sign! If she backs away or hisses, she is not comfortable. Never force a cat into a situation she isn’t comfortable with, this could spell disaster for the cat and the human.

Scratch interested kitties all over the head, neck and chin, and then along her back. If she remains relaxed and interested, gently place one hand under her belly and slowly pick up her front feet off the floor.

Have your child sit quietly on the floor or in a chair as you gently place the cat in his or her lap. Encourage your child to gently scratch the cat’s head and back.

If the cat becomes uncomfortable or demonstrates “unhappy” body language at any time, gently but quickly set her down or allow her to get down on her own.

Most cats do not like to be held for long periods of time, so do not expect her to tolerate it.

Many cats do not like to have their bellies rubbed, so encourage children to avoid this.

Do not allow children to grab at, squeeze or carry cats like footballs — cats can become injured or scared, which is dangerous for everyone involved.

Unlike a dog, when a cat is wagging her tail, this may indicate that she is irritated.

If a cat flattens her ears, she is unhappy and may strike out.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

When introducing your new cat to resident cats in your household, please try to remember that they’re in a new environment, with new smells and people, so they may be scared at first. Follow our tips for a successful Cat to Cat introduction.

Find a quiet room in your house (a bedroom or bathroom) where you can keep your cat safely separated from the resident cat for a few days and it can be easily accessed by all human family members for social interactions and playtime, and that it is set up with food, water, litter, toys and soft beds.

Place both cats’ dishes close to the door, on their respective sides. By having both cats experience something positive while they are nearby, they can learn to form positive associations with each other.

If both cats are eating well, and appear calm and relaxed on their respective sides of the door, then it’s time for the big scent exchange.

Now you can confine the resident cat in the room, while the new cat is allowed to roam the house for a few hours. Each cat should use the other cat’s (scooped!) litter box, food and water dishes, beds and toys, so the only thing being exchanged is the cats themselves.

While the new cat is exploring your home, you may want to close bedroom and bathroom doors at first so she does not feel overwhelmed. Over the course of a few days, open a door or two at a time and increase the amount of space the new cat has access to.

Do this a few time to ensure lots of scent exchange and desensitization.

If everything seems fine, and everyone is acting, eating and using the litter box normally, then it’s time to introduce them to each other.

There may be some hissing or swatting, but cats often will work things out by themselves. If there is a fight in which one of the cats is traumatized or injured (and you have followed all of the above steps), then the match will likely not work out.

If the cats seem to tolerate, ignore, enjoy or interact with each other – that’s great news!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

When introducing your new cat to resident dogs in your household, please try to remember that they’re in a new environment, with new smells and people, so they may be scared at first. Follow our tips for a successful Dog to Cat introduction.

Find a quiet room in your house (a bedroom or bathroom) where you can keep your cat safely separated from the resident dog for a few days and it can be easily accessed by all human family members for social interactions and playtime, and that it is set up with food, water, litter, toys and soft beds.

Across a few days, rotate which animal has freedom and which is confined to allow each animal plenty of time to investigate the other one’s scent.

The dog should be confined to a crate or another room to allow the cat time to roam free and investigate the smell of the dog.

If the dog obsessively digs at the separation barrier or barks at the cat for more than a day or two, the interaction likely won’t work without proper training. You may need the help of a professional.

When no one is home, the dog or cat must always be securely confined so unsupervised interactions are not possible.

Once the dog is calm (or at least not obsessed with the cat) and the cat is calm, eating and using the litter box normally, you can allow both animals to be in the same room at the same time, but keep the dog securely leashed.

Continue with this type of introduction until the dog is calm and ignores the cat, and the cat is calm, eating and using the litter box normally.

If there is any fear or aggression displayed on either animal’s part, go back to confinement and repeat.

Continue indefinitely until both the dog and cat seem happy and relaxed around each other.

When no one is home, the dog or cat must be securely confined so unsupervised interactions aren’t possible.

Unsupervised time together can occur after the cat and dog have been supervised around each other for a significant period of time (a month or so) and you are positive they will not hurt each other.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Why Do Cats Scratch?

Scratching is normal cat behavior. It isn’t done to destroy a favorite chair or to get even. Cats scratch to remove the dead husks from their claws, mark territory, and stretch their muscles.

Cats are usually about eight weeks old when they begin scratching. That’s the ideal time to train kittens to use a scratching post and allow nail trims.

What is Declawing?

Too often, people think that declawing is a simple surgery that removes a cat’s nails—the equivalent of having your fingernails trimmed.

Declawing traditionally involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe. If performed on a human, it would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.

It is an unnecessary surgery that provides no medical benefit to the cat.

Tips for Unwanted Scratching

• Keep their claws trimmed to minimize damage to household items.
• Provide stable scratching posts and boards around your home. Offer different materials like carpet, sisal, wood, and cardboard, as well as different styles (vertical and horizontal). Use toys and catnip to entice your cat to use the posts and boards.
• Ask your veterinarian about soft plastic caps (like Soft Paws®) that are glued to the cat’s nails. They need to be replaced about every six weeks.
• Attach a special tape (like Sticky Paws®) to furniture to deter your cat from unwanted scratching.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.