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My daughter is coming to live with me, and she will be bringing her cat, Brucie. How do we get her cat used to living with us?
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Dean Hart answers your questions Dean Hart is a Clinical Behaviourist and Tutor at the Canine Studies College and specialises in helping mature students set up and develop their own business within the canine industry. Visit www.thedoghut.biz
We are thinking of adopting a kitten? We are thinking of adopting a kitten having lost our beloved 18-year-old Tabby, but he was very scared. Are there things we can do to make sure our new kitten is not so frightened?
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As with most animals, prevention is so much better than trying to cure so this is a good question to ask. Cats need to know about how we humans live and need to learn about all our different activities, sounds and smells, in edition to socialising with us. A cat’s socialisation period is much earlier than with dogs, around 2 – 7 weeks. I am not sure where you are getting your new kitten from, whether this would be a breeder or from rescue, however it is highly likely that you won’t have them until after this socialisation period – so be sure to ask what socialisation your cat has experienced. A major influence on how brave the behaviour of your new cat would be their genetic make-up. The temperament of both the mum (queen) and dad (tom) is important to note. How brave your new cat may be, can be assessed partly, from watching the dad and sometimes the queen interact with their environment, so if there is opportunity to see both then take it! So, in brief you need to select your new kitten from bold parents and avoid those that come from very quiet or isolated environments. Ask what people, other animals and experiences your new kitten has had as they should have been exposed to a wide range of living and non-living things without being overloaded or frightened by them. Cats can be trained and rewarded for appropriate behaviour, just like dogs and other animals so confident behaviour in your new kitten can be shaped by reinforcing with food treats and play. Allow your new kitten time to approach you, try to resist the urge to continually pick up and cuddle, I know how cute kittens can be! Lastly, read as much information on normal cat behaviour, particularly feline greeting behaviour that you can so your cat can be as comfortable at home with you as possible.
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29 JULY – 29 SEPTEMBER 2019 RESCUE AND ANIMAL CARE
Pheromones are important aspects of Brucie’s communication, so before your daughter moves in with you, ask her to collect some of Brucie’s hair and rub a cloth over his body and face so the cloth is impregnated with Brucie’s scent. Put this into a sealed plastic bag to be used when she moves in. Your daughter also needs to bring items with her that have her cat’s odour all over it such as bedding and garments where her cat spends its normal time. Before your daughter moves in, prepare a quiet room in your home and place as many of her cat’s belongings in it. This room will be the initial starting point for your daughter’s cat. Just before they move in, rub the cloth from the bag over the furniture to mask as many other scents as possible. Your daughter needs to allow her cat time to leave its basket and let them do this on their own, do not use force! Allow her cat time in this room, without access to the rest of your home, for a few days at least until they are relaxed, so they should be happily moving around, exploring playing and eating. Gradually allow her cat access to other rooms in the house, when you are confident that Brucie relates to your house as ‘a safe haven’ then he can be let outdoors for short periods of time. Observe his behaviour, if he is spooked in the garden then he should return to your home. Make sure he always has safe and obstruction free access to your home. Good luck with everything.
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