“What greater gift than the love of a cat” Charles Dickens

Cat & Kitten Adoption FAQs

How can I get my new cat adjusted to my home and my other pets?

Developing a peaceful relationship between new and existing dogs and cats requires time, patience and work. It may take a few weeks before all your pets are cohabitating peacefully.

If at all possible, isolate the new cat is a separate area that is closed off from your existing pets. This will give the new cat time to feel safe and adjust to his new home and will also give your current pets time to get used to the new cat’s smell and the idea of having a new occupant in the house. During the first week, the only interaction that your new cat and resident cats should have is playing paws under the door. Provide a litter box, scratching post, toys, food, and water in the new cat’s room.
After introducing smells for a few days, put the new cat in his carrier and let the resident cats come into the “safe room.” This will give you an opportunity to observe the interaction among the cats while the new cat is protected in his carrier.

Usually with this initial meeting there will be some hissing and/or posturing. If the cats all appear to be curious or simply wary with no outward signs of aggression, then you can open the carrier door and let the new cat walk out into the territory of the resident cats. Do not rush this process. It is very important to the long term harmony of their relationship that the introduction process proceed at a pace comfortable for each of the cats.

Is it harmful to declaw a cat?

We feel very strongly about this issue! Cats use their claws to exercise, play, stretch, climb, hunt and mark their territority.

The declawing operation itself is the human equivalent of removing the first joint of all your fingers. Many vets feel that the lack of these joints impairs the cat's balance and can cause weakness from muscular disease. Declawing also makes a cat feel defenseless and can affect their personality, making them skittish or nervous biters. In rescue work, we see many declawed cats that have been given up by their owners. Why? Because these cats still had behavioral problems that were worsened by not having their claws.

There are alternatives to declawing. Exercise and play with your cat regularly. Give him a scratching post and teach him to use it. Trim your cat's nails on a regular basis.

Don't all male cats spray?

No! If you adopt a young male cat who has been neutered at two or three months of age, 90% of the chance that he will be a "sprayer" has been wiped out.

Female cats may also spray. If you are one of the unluck owners of a cat that sprays, you should have your cat checked by your veterinarians to determine what factors may cause this behavior. There are numerous reasons that a cat may spray indoors including territorial territorial anxiety, when they are threatened or insecure or if there is something going on in your house the is causing the cat to be stressed such as a new baby.

What is microchipping?

Microchips are small computer chips about the size of a rice grain that a veterinarian injects the chip under your cat’s skin. The chip contains the owner's name and address and can be read by a special scanner.

Most shelters will scan a lost animal looking for a chip. The information on the microchip can help get your pet home if they ever get lost.

What can be done about scratching the furniture?

Since scratching is a normal behavior, it's unrealistic to try to prevent them doing this. Redirect the scratching onto acceptable objects such as a scratching post corrugated cardboard, or even a log.

Looking for some training tips?

Click on the image below to get to hundreds of expert training videos from Animal Planet covering "introducing your cat", "litterbox issues", "spraying", "scratching" and more.

Yesterdays’ Kittens, Inc.
P.O. Box 901 • Deep River, CT • 06417-0901
860-526-8358