Summertime is here, which means long, warm days, family bonding time and a perfect opportunity to welcome a new pet into your life. June marks National Adopt a Cat Month, a time dedicated to promoting cat adoptions and encouraging people to consider bringing a furry feline friend into their homes.
At Operation Kindness, we are thrilled to see the love blossom between a cat and their new family. Whether you’re a first-time cat parent or learning how to balance a multi-cat household, we are here to give you training tips for your newly adopted friend.
Encouraging Gentler Play in Kittens
Bringing home a fluffy kitten is exciting but can quickly become overwhelming adjusting to their energy levels. Kittens love to play and it’s not uncommon for young kittens raised as singletons to use their teeth and claws more frequently. It is important to show your furry friend appropriate ways to play with humans.
Kittens love pretending to hunt using their claws and teeth. A great way to show your kitten how to play hunt appropriately is by using a wand toy. Dedicating 10-15 minutes multiple times a day and encouraging them to chase, stalk, wiggle and pounce on the toy helps kittens learn what they can hunt after. Read our guide on other interactive toys you can use to teach your kitten how to play gently.
Preventing Destructive Scratching
Scratching is a natural instinct for cats of all ages and can be a frustrating – plus costly – behavior to train. While regularly trimming your cat’s nails will reduce the damage scratching can cause, you can also teach your cat acceptable spots to scratch.
If your cat tends to scratch the same piece of furniture, put a scratching post next to it to redirect them. You can also use Feliscratch, a product that mimics the pheromones cats naturally leave behind once they have scratched something, to increase the likelihood that your cat will scratch in the area it is placed.
Introducing Cats
Having multiple cats means more napping partners and adorable moments, but if it is your first time introducing cats to one another it can be a daunting task. However, with patience your cats will learn to live comfortably together.
The first step is to make sure both cats have a comfortable space away from each other by providing them with separate toys, food and beds. You should then introduce them slowly, separate them by a door and let each cat get used to the other’s scent. Feeding them near each other, but still separate, can help cats gain a positive association with their new housemate. Once your new cat is comfortable, allow them to explore their new home by themselves and start incorporating supervised interactions with both cats. Check out our guide for more tips on how to introduce new cats.
Welcoming a new cat into your home is an exciting time for everyone, visit any of our locations to meet your new feline friend today!
