We have decided to get a rescue kitten, any advice on how to introduce her to our home?

I was just wondering whether anyone had advice on how to introduce our rescue kitten to our home, she will be about 13 weeks. we have no other pets and a large flat, she will be an indoor cat.Any suggestions would be appreciated! i.e. where to put her bed etc.. thanks for your time!We have decided to get a rescue kitten, any advice on how to introduce her to our home?
Put the kitten in a quiet room where no one will bother her. Make sure there is water and food and a nice bed for her to sleep in. Slowly, maybe once or twice a day just go in quietly with a small treat and try to pet her. Be gentle and nice and after a few weeks maybe leave the door open a bit so she can venture out and explore. She'll be timid and probably shy away from anyone but it'll take time.We have decided to get a rescue kitten, any advice on how to introduce her to our home?
Hi Rebecca


First locate the grit tray possibly in the toilet. Have two pet beds for her so she has a choice where to sleep, she will probably use neither! I would put one in the bedroom and one in the lounge


A water bowl and food bowl located in the kitchen and some toys for her to play with.


When you get her home show her the grit tray and feeding bowls then let her explore at her own pace. Oh, remember to get her a scratching board to save your furniture.


Remember to get her neutered when she is six months old. Even though you intend for her to be a house cat their mating urge is awesome when they are on heat.


I think you are brilliant to consider a rescue animal. Good luck and best wishes.
I had a very shy rescue cat once so have experience in this.





Restrict him to just one or room at night and when you are out e.g. the kitchen and put a little bed on the floor for him, and for about a week. The rest of the time restrict him to 2 rooms.





A whole house can be a bit daunting for a little kitten and he can get lost and worried easily.





Then let him explore the rest of the house after about a week or two, depending on his confidence.
I agree. Keep her in a kitten-proofed room at first. At least for a few days. Make sure all cords are unplugged, small items removed from the floor, plants and breakables removed etc. Put her food, water and litter box as well as some toys like balls (no string) in the room. Bedrooms are a good place to confine a kitten or family/living room. Wherever you will spend the most time is a good idea to confine her to.





She probably will not want to sleep in a cat bed. Most cats prefer human beds. I have tried almost every type of cat bed and have yet to see any of my cats use them.
Yes it would be advisable to put her bed in an area where it will remain as not to confuse her, so choose the area well i suggest a nice quiet private area where she will be relaxed,





and place her feeding dishes where she will be left to eat in privacy as a nervous cat wont eat, so if given privacy she will,





and place her litter in a place where she will go but not too close to her feeding dishes as cats are fussy and clean,





and at first expect her to hide from you once you get her home as she will be in new surroundings and will explore and even investigate each room out of curiosity,many people close doors to confine them to one area but i always find this makes them nervous, so leave doors open around the home(but close any doors if there is anything that can hurt her),





and if she hides don't make a big deal out of it and follow her or it will make her nervous and she will hide more so if you relax around her she will be relaxed and come from her hiding place sooner,





and of course the best way to win any kitten around is toys and playtime so make sure you join in any fun games!





even a platform for her to climb is a good idea so she can go out of reach when she wants to be alone as all cats do from time to time,





and remember too that some house plants are toxic to cats,


and the following house plants are potentially harmful,





1.Azalea





2.Cyclamen





3.Diffenbachia





4.Hyacinth





5.Philodendron





6.Poinsettia





And one more thing enjoy your new kitten!
Well, one idea is to familiarize her with her territory. What I mean by that is if you don't want her in your bedroom, when she tries to follow you, tell her no firmly, and if she still walks in, pick her up and put her back where she is supposed to be. Repeat this until she understands what she is doing wrong. On the brighter side, let her know what is hers. Whenever I give my dog a toy, I encourage him to play with it, which is also something that would work for your cat, only you wouldn't have to try as hard.
What do I need to buy?





Before you bring your kitten home make sure you have all the necessary items it will need.





Litter tray %26amp; cat litter: There is a wide variety of cat litters on the market these days, some better than others. It is best to avoid clumping cat litter with kittens. Litter trays come in all shapes %26amp; sizes such as self cleaning, covered (or hooded), un-covered.





Scratching post, cats have a need to scratch %26amp; enjoy scratching. Providing your cat with it's own scratching post will reduce the chances of your cat using your furniture or carpet.





Food/water bowls: You can buy cheap plastic ones, metal ones, pottery ones, automatic ones %26amp; even drinking fountains. My personal favourite are the pottery ones as they are more sturdy %26amp; therefore there is less of a chance of the bowl being knocked over, plus they can be put in the microwave should you decide to warm the food before feeding your cat.





Cat carrier for those trips to the vet.





Toys





Cat bed: There is a vast array of cat beds on the market from relatively plain to fancy. A kitten will do just fine with a cardboard box %26amp; a soft blanket or a specially made cat bed, you are only limited by your own budget, taste %26amp; imagination.





Cat food: A premium quality brand is the best, and select one for the appropriate age of your cat. For example if you adopt a kitten, then buy kitten food etc.





Before the arrival:





Make sure you have kitten proofed your home. There's lots of tips on kitten proofing your home here...





Not only is it important to kitten proof your home but it is also strongly urged that you check out the list of plants which are toxic %26amp; non toxic to cats, if you have plants which are toxic to cats ensure they are out of reach. There are safe alternatives for your plant to nibble on should the kitten want some greenery.





Before the kitten arrives home, make sure you have set up a comfortable room for your kitten to be confined in for the first few days.





What should my kitten eat?





It is best to stick with the food your kitten has been eating in it's previous home. If you want to change to another brand, do so gradually so you don't cause a tummy upset.





There are many premium brands of food on the market which are especially made for kittens.





It isn't necessary to give your kitten cow's milk %26amp; in fact may cause a tummy upset. Instead, provide your kitten with a bowl of clean, fresh tap water.





Settling your kitten in:





Your kitten may be unsettled for a few days %26amp; miss her mum %26amp; littermates. So it is up to you to help ease the kitten's transition into your new home.





Once your new kitten arrives home, confine your kitten to one room with a litter tray, food, water %26amp; a comfortable bed %26amp; give him/her some time to become familiar with their surroundings. Cats are fastidiously clean animals %26amp; it is necessary to make sure the food %26amp; water bowls need to be kept as far away from the litter tray as possible. After a few days %26amp; when the kitten is well settled, you can gradually increase the area your kitten can explore.





Some ways to make the kitten settle in quicker include;





Put a ticking clock in the kitten's bed.





Give the kitten a hot water bottle. Make sure it isn't too hot, and wrap it in a blanket.





Your kitten may be reluctant to eat, you can encourage it to take food by slightly warming it in the microwave. Make sure before you give the warmed food to the kitten that you give it a stir to ensure there are no hot spots in the food.





Introducing the kitten to other pets:





Let your new kitten settle in before you attempt to introduce it to other pets you have. The introduction needs to be slow %26amp; at the animal's pace. Some pets will become firm friends almost immediately, however it is common for resident pets to be upset at the arrival of a new pet for weeks or even months. This is completely normal behaviour %26amp; needs to be met with sensitivity %26amp; understanding. The worst thing you can do is rush the situation.





Children:





As with introducing pets, introducing your new kitten to children needs to be done slowly %26amp; carefully. Let the kitten settle in before you introduce it to children. If your children are young, never leave them unattended with the kitten. Ensure you teach your children how to properly handle a kitten %26amp; provide the kitten with a safe place it can retreat to should it need to get away.





Explain to your children that kittens %26amp; cats should never be disturbed if they are sleeping or eating.





Vaccinations:





All kittens will require vaccinations at the ages of 9 weeks %26amp; 12 weeks. This applies to cats living in Australia, please check with your own veterinarian for information on vaccinations in your area.





Desexing:





If your kitten has been adopted from a breeder or a shelter there is a high chance that it will have already been desexed prior to you bringing it home. If this isn't the case then it is up to you to ensure the kitten is d