You've done your shopping. You have your supplies. You have your first vet visit scheduled. You're about to bring your new pet home, but what do you do with all of the stuff you just bought? Is your house ready for your newest family member? Think about it. People spend months prepping for a new baby. They get the nursery ready, just so. They safety-proof their home (even though a newborn won't be mobile for months). Whether your new pet is a kitten or a cat, don't they deserve almost as much welcome and care? After all, they WILL be mobile.
1. Place the litterbox in a quiet area if you can, preferably tile floor.
2. Place the food and water dishes in an easy to reach area, but again preferably a tile floor. Fill them with water and dry food as appropriate.
3. Place the scratching post near that piece of furniture you most treasure.
4. Place the beds in areas that are quiet, warm and out of the way. Sprinkle them liberally with catnip.
5. Wash out and clean your spray bottle. Fill it with fresh water.
6. Place the toys in areas through out the house.
7. Anything breakable that is on a shelf or in a precarious position, you may want to move or pack up for a bit until you get to know your new pet better.
8. Move plants to safe places and research plants that may be poisonous to cats. You might want to take these plant (if you already have them) into work or gift them to someone without a cat. Here are some sites to check:
www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/
www.myhealthycat.com/plants-poisonous-to-cats.html
9. Pick up your clothes. Laundry baskets with freshly washed and folded clothes are a cat favorite. If you don't mind the cat hair then disregard this, but if you're fussy about it, put your clothes away.
(Which reminds me, I forgot to have you pick up a lint brush. The ones with the sticky paper are inexpensive and typically work the best. Stock up! They work for more than just clothes. I will talk more about that when I talk about cleaning with pets.)
10. Look for anything else you don't want damaged, don't want cat hair on or seems like it could be a choking hazard (needles with thread on them sitting in a sewing basket, perhaps?).
11. Select a drawer or a basket to keep the miscellaneous cat supplies in.
12. Set the cat treats you've bought out in an area they will be easy to reach when you return with your new pet. You might even want to hide a few through-out your home. A treasure hunt is a great way to keep your pet occupied and you can do it in a way that will lead your pet to the food, the litterbox and bedding. Be creative. BUT! Don't place treats in areas that you don't want your pet going to. Shelving, kitchen counters, tables, cupboards, closets. The treat is a reward. Don't start off by rewarding your pet for going to areas you know you don't want them to go.
Go get your new pet!! (Don't forget your new pet carrier!)
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