I can hardly believe it’s already been almost two weeks since we adopted our new little fur kid Ted. I still get a solid giggle out of his name…since my older brother’s name is Ted (for some reason I don’t think he finds it as funny…). At first, we thought we might change it since we really were not wanting to own a cat named after my brother, but he looks so much like a teddy bear, it’s grown on us and we’ve started to call him “Teddy”. It just fits. Anyway, over these past few weeks there has definitely been some growing pains and a big learning curve (like, when you adopt a new pet, don’t just give them free run of the entire house!) so I thought today I’d take the time to first introduce you to our newest member of the family, but also give you a few tips and tricks if you ever find yourself bringing home a new furkid! Introducing Our New Furchild
INTRODUCTION
Don’t tell Teddy, but we were not really looking to adopt a new cat…We were looking for a dog, which led to us finding Teddy instead (everything always works out for a reason!). You see, a few months ago, I reached out to an adoption agency in Idaho which had a different animal we were interested in. That animal was quickly adopted, but after some lengthy discussions with the agency about what we were looking for, the director agreed to keep us in mind in case she ever had an animal which might be a good fit. Truthfully, the hubs and I were mostly interested in adopting an animal that might not otherwise be adopted. We’re forever rooting for the underdog, and to us that meant we were happy to welcome home a senior pet, a disabled pet, whatever… as long as they had good manners, and would be amiable to another animal in the future.
A few weeks went by after my initial contact with the adoption agency, and I received a surprise email from the director. They had recently taken in a adult cat which looked as though had been shot and after being in the animal hospital for almost three weeks at near death status, it looked as though the cat was going to survive and soon need a home! The plan was that the cat, “Ted”, would be released from the animal hospital into a rehabilitative foster family, and if he did well in their care (healing and indoor manners, etc) he would then be ready to be adopted. Would we consider being his parents when the time was right? Absolutely!
After his brief period in foster care, and a final vet check with a full release, we arranged to meet one of the agency’s volunteers at a half way point to pick up Ted! The hubs drove to Burns, Oregon, about 5.5 hours from our home in Eugene to pick up our new furkid, Teddy! The drive home went flawlessly, mostly due to a lot of prep beforehand! We had a large 36 inch metal kennel set up in the back of a large SUV we rented (we only have a small SUV). The kennel had a plush bed, blanket and disposable litter pan in it and I sprayed the whole kennel with feline pheromone spray to help Teddy feel more comfortable right away!
Now, two weeks later, Teddy has totally warmed up and is truly the perfect little addition to our family. He is still healing from his injuries and has a big spot on his rump which is still filling in with new fur (it was shaved for surgery), but he is active, playful and the sweetest little boy that just want to give you ALL the loves. We feel so blessed and happy he came into our lives!
TIPS + TRICKS
Below are a few tips to introducing a new pet into your home! I hope you find it helpful…don’t learn the hard way like we did! ha!
Prepare a safe room. A safe starter room or sanctuary for your new pet will provide the animal with the quiet and safety s/he needs while becoming familiar with the scents and sounds of your home.
Give your new pet a place to hide. New pets are often nervous and like to hide. Cardboard boxes or sheets draped over chairs make ideal hiding spots when you first bring a new pet home. If you’ve adopted a shy cat, for instance, I recommend removing large items of furniture from the room, such as beds and dressers. This will make it much easier to interact with your new pet.
Help your new pet get to know you. Place a t-shirt or a piece of your clothing that contains your scent in the safe room.
Equip the safe room with pet food, water and litter (if it’s a cat). Place food and water on one side of the room and an open (unenclosed) litter box on the other side. Shyer animals may not want to eat much during the first 24-48 hours. This is normal, however if it goes on longer please see your vet!
If you’ve adopted a cat, give your new cat a new post! Put a new scratching post inside the safe room. Scratching is a natural and comforting behavior for cats, and it’s important that the scratching post is new and has not been used by other cats. Your new cat does not want to be stressed by the smells of other cats while s/he is first adapting to his or her new surroundings!
Purchase a Pheromone comfort spray. If your new pet is an adult, natural cat or dog pheromones can help a new pet feel more comfortable. For example, we use this brand which comes in a spray and diffuser form. It worked wonders for both transporting Teddy, but also to calm him at his new home!
Toys. Give your new pet toys for entertainment. Provide toys such as mice and balls for a cat, or a durable chew toy for a dog, in the safe room for when you are not around.
Beds. Make sure your new pet has a bed which they can call their own! We purchased two heated pet beds, they have a hood on them and can be plugged in for a nice warm place to sleep. Teddy loves them as much as we do!
Spend time with your new pet. In the beginning, visit frequently for short periods of time. Visiting can mean interacting directly with the new pet in the form of play or petting, or quietly reading a book or chatting on the telephone in the same space as your new companion.
Transition beyond the safe room. When you and your new pet have established a trusting relationship, the pet is ready to begin exploring the house. Be sure to begin this process when you are home to supervise. and remember to close most doors. Too many new spaces at once can be stressful and frightening!
Ready to explore the roost. Remember, integration into the rest of the house is dependent on the personality of your new pet! Sometimes the integration process can begin in just two to four days, make sure to “feel out” what is most comfortable for your new pet! You do not want to overwhelm them.
I hope if you’re introducing a new pet into your home some of these tips and tricks will help you! And, if you’ve recently faced the loss of a pet, consider reading this post I wrote on how we said goodbye to our late furkid Nick.
XO,
M
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