PREPARE AND INSTALL BASIC CAT EQUIPMENT

Some equipment has to be ready for use before the arrival of the kitten. Your basic list of equipment that needs to be available before the kitten is brought home: cat food, feeding bowls, a litter box, a sleeping place, a scratching post and some cat toys.

CAT FOOD AND WATER BOWLS

A small bowl for dry kitten food is just fine to start with. Choose a bigger one for fresh water. Water needs to be available at all times. There are bowls in all kind of materials but glass, crystal or ceramic bowls are just great and often recommended.

Do not place these bowls near the litter box, because your cat’s food and water might be contaminated with dirt and cat poop.
The bowls are best placed in a different corner of you cat’s room. It is a good idea to place the bowls on top of a mat so that you can easily clean up if the can spilled some water or food.

CAT LITTER BOX

Make sure that you have provided a litter box for the kitten. Place the litter box where it is easily to access and can be seen by your ragdoll kitten. Litter boxes come in different models and sizes. Select a container that is deep enough and also has a scoop to remove droppings.

A covered litter box to avoid accidental spills and limit odors is often recommended. Some kittens don’t like covered litter boxes. Casper for example doesn’t mind. We introduced the cover after he got used to the litter box.

So you will need to train your kitten to get used to the litter box, and the top if any. We will come back on this later in another blog post.

CAT SLEEPING PLACE – BEDDING

Cats will very often choose their own sleeping place.
If you want to limit the kitten’s moving space during the night, especially in the beginning, it is important to provide a warm comfortable place where the kitten will feel safe and relaxed.
Sometimes people use the carrying crate, used to bring the kitten home, for the first couple of days.

Make sure that your ragdoll has a comfy place or bed where she can sleep. It is preferable that your ragdoll cat has her own private sleeping space. A spot where she can stay during nap time, or where she can stay when she is still trying to get used to the new home.

It should be a place where your cat can stay alone, so she will not get bothered with the normal activities you have at home, especially when there are children or other animals under the same roof.

The cat bed should be large enough to fit her in and try to place the bed far from the litter box and her food.

A SCRATCHING POST FOR YOUR CAT

Providing appropriate places to scratch will help to avoid damage inside your home. Cats instinctively scratch to sharpen their claws and they do it even more if their claws grow long. A scratching post gives the cat the opportunity scratch when there is no other suitable surface to do so (better than your couch).

The best scratching posts are typically made of sisal fabric or sisal rope, which gives the cat a pleasing sensation. Scratching post come in all different sizes and prices, but a small one will do just fine to start with.

CAT TOYS 

When you look at what cats do in the wild, it is obvious why they need to play. They sleep many hours each day and when they’re awake, they need the exercise that play provides. And for playing toys come in handy. Toys can be either bought or hand made. We will make another interesting blog post on toys for cats.

Remember that when your kitten has just been brought into totally unknown surroundings, it is best to curb your enthusiasm, move gently and don’t shout out loud at the kitten. A noisy or agitated atmosphere could cause your kitten to become a nervous and fearful adult.

REMOVE ALL DANGERS IN YOUR HOME

After installing all the basic needs for our ragdoll kitten, we need to inspect our home for potential dangers. Without realizing it, there are many dangers that exist inside your home, and oversights can jeopardize your kitten’s safety.
New habits and certain arrangements will help you to protect your kitten from possible household accidents. By kitten-proofing now, you can avoid a lot of heartache later. Just as you would with a baby, you need to make sure the whole house is safe from anything dangerous to the kitten.
By getting down at the kitten’s level you can assess potential hazards.

Hide any exposed electrical wires and block unused electric outlets. Put all pesticides, weed and rat killers and all medications out of the kitten’s reach. Put away small items.

Don’t leave plastic bags or things made out of foam lying around. Close the trash can lid and the toilet seat cover. Be careful with hot irons.

Remove all indoor plants that are in reach of your new kitten as many household plants are toxic to cats. Ask your veterinarian for a list of poisonous substances.

Kittens have a tendency to lurk in cupboards, drawers and laundry baskets, and very often get inside washing machines and dryers. Look for possible hiding places to minimize the risk of accidents. Watch where you walk and take care to make sure your kitten is not in the doorway when you shut doors… I know it sounds obvious but it happens.

THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF YOUR KITTEN IN THE NEW HOME

After installing all the basic needs for our ragdoll kitten and the removal of all potential dangers, we are ready to adopt our ragdoll kitten in the family and into our home.

Here are some useful tips on how to do it!

When you arrive at home, introduce your kitten to your home one room at a time. A good way to do this is to place his open carrier in whichever room you are introducing him to, so he has a retreat if he wants it, and let him walk around while you sit quietly. Talk to him softly as he explores. He may hide under a bed or scoot behind a refrigerator, so you need to be vigilant.

EXPLORING THE FIRST ROOM

The first room is best the room with the litter tray, food, water and a comfortable bed. Give your kitten some time to become familiar with its surroundings. Most kittens are curious, so chances are the kitten will start exploring the room. If not, don’t rush it and force him to do so. Let him explore at his own pace.

If you have other pets in your home, make sure that they are not allowed in your cat’s introduction room, so that your ragdoll cat will still have her own private space that only she can enjoy. Don’t worry… your pets will get along eventually. However, they need some help from you, especially young ragdoll kittens.

After a while in the room, you should show and introduce the litter box to the kitten. Do not force her to use the litter box. Instead, teach her where to go. Lift her up and place the kitten in the litter box. Repeat this the first couple of days. There are guidelines you can easily find online that you can use, in order to teach a kitten or a cat to use the litter box.

EXPLORING THE REST OF ITS NEW HOME

Once the kitten seems to be well settled in one area, you can gradually increase the area your kitten can explore. Repeat the introduction process in each room of your home until he has explored every place in your house. It is a good idea to let the exploring cover a couple of days. That will make the kitten more confident about its environment. Always make sure that the litter box is accessible at all times.

During the day, let your ragdoll kitten explore her new home. Do not call her every now and then, because she needs to see every corner of the new home, in order to get accustomed.

TAKING CARE OF YOUR NEW KITTEN

Ragdoll cats are generally sweet and love to be cuddled most of the time. Make sure to give this kind of attention to your new cat, so that she will be comfortable easily, and she will feel that she is loved.

Getting a new ragdoll cat means you are also agreeing to give her everything that she needs. This will not only include the necessities, but the luxuries as well, like toys, premium food, vitamins, and more.

Introduce your ragdoll kitten to each member of your family, every time you can. This will allow your cat to know her new family easily.

Make sure that you have contacted a vet already, before even starting your search for ragdoll kittens for sale to make sure that your cat will have proper health care regularly.

Taking home a new ragdoll kitten is a big responsibility. It is like bringing home a new baby, where you need to make sure that you can give proper care not only for comfort and shelter, but also when it comes to proper food and nutrition, as well as with her medical health care needs.

VIDEO OF KITTEN CASPER ARRIVING IN NEW HOME

Hope this information will help you to introduce your new kitten into its new home in a less stressful way. Good luck!
And please let us and all other cat owners know what your experiences were. Leave your reaction in our comment section below!

In Jun 2018, Binx our Seal Bicolor Ragdoll has joined our family. Here is a blogpost and two videos about how we have organised first day introductions.

ANOTHER INTERESTING READ

Next, if you want to learn more about my cat pictures, then you also should read :

• Making better pictures : How to Improve Your Cat Photography drastically – Trips & Tricks.
• Info about the Cat Photography made easy Guide I wrote.

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