Safe Room for your kitten..

Prior to the arrival of your new kitten/cat, set up a safe area for your new companion. This area will be a safe room/quarantine area where your kitten/cat can be confined This area can be a spare bathroom or even your master bath/bedroom. The safe room should not have a lot of places for the kitten to get stuck behind or under.

We do not recommend a laundry room because of the noises of the dryer, washer or freezers..
A closet is too dark and confining, no air flow.
A safe quiet place where the new family can visit is best.
This area should have a bed, litter box, food, water and some SAFE toys for playing.. The kitten can become frightened and hide from you. A small area allows the kitten to get used to you and will come to you for play and comfort. Moving to a new home is stressful for a kitten/cat.. Please keep that in mind as you transition a kitten/cat to a new home..

When you come to pick up your new companion, please bring a hard side carrier for him to travel safely in. A towel or lite blanket to cover the carrier for the trip is a good idea.

When you first bring the kitten into his new home, keep him in the carrier until you get him in his safe place. At that time, take him out of the carrier and put him directly into the litter box which is in his safe room. This way, he explores the new surrounding from his litter box and always knows how to get back to it.
To prepare your safe room, you will want to have a cat tree with sisal rope for scratching on a portion of it, the litter box – large and uncovered, a water and food bowl, and toys that are safe to leave in the room. We recommend metal or glass bowls because plastic can carry a bacteria that causes acne on the chin of cats. A cat tent or the carrier he came home in, can be made into a nice little bed for him/her.
This is another reason we recommend a hard side carrier to transport your new pet. Besides providing more protection in a vehicle accident, it can be uses as a little playhouse in the safe room. Doesn’t seem important right now but it also makes getting the kitten/cat into the carrier to go to the vet later, a lot easier because he is not afraid of the carrier.
Remember toys can be choking hazards, feathers, mylar, bells, strings, hair ties and small pieces of toys that can be swallowed. Anything smaller than a quarter should not be given to your new companion. A trip to the vet for surgery will be life threatening and very expensive. These types of cat toys are great to play with your kitten if they are supervised. Usually they are the kitten’s favorite toys. Just remember to remove them from the safe room when you are not there to watch them. Pick up all the little pieces.
Practice safe handling of your new companion. Do not chase the kitten or reach under things and pull him out. This can cause trauma to the kitten and lots of scratches for you. Let the kitten come to you on his terms. Using food or treats to get him close to you, so that you can gently touch him with a quick pet. As he understands that you are not going to hurt him, he will come running to you for play or comfort.
Do not allow children to talk loudly and run around in his safe room.. This is important because the bond between a child and a new family pet can be damaged forever during this transition time.. Teach your child to respect the new family members safe space.
We will write another article on safe and rewarding ways to introduce your new companion to the rest of the family. Human family and pet family each have their own rewards and disasters, I will try to explain the best ways. I will reference that article here but until then, research it online.
Visit the kitten/cat often and SPEND LOTS OF time with him/her. Just reading a book or an article online out loud to the new companion will get him or her used to the sound of your voice. On one of your visits to spend time with him/her take a special toy in the room. Something like a feather teaser or Cat Dancer Interactive Cat Toy.. The toy does not have to be expensive to entertain your new companion. What matters is the time you spend with him/her.

When the kitten learns who you are and begins to trust you, then you can introduce them to the rest of the household. Start out with small steps. One new area of the house at a time.

Safety for you and your new companion

If you have other cats, we recommend two weeks of quarantine because your new kitten/cat could have little germ that could be harmful to your resident cat or vice a versa.. Medicine and a vet visit for one cat is a lot less than treating two or three animals. It is better to be safe than sorry.

If no other cats are in the household, use your judgment, and take the kitten/cat in other parts of the house for short supervised visits.. There are several reasons for this recommendation:

A new house can seem very large and be very scary for a small kitten/cat.
There will be so many new smells and noises that you are used to but can cause the new resident of the household to be scared. He does not know what the noises and smells are and what they are going to do to him.
The kitten/cat will not be able to find its way around, the litter box will be lost to it.. MORE THAN ONE LITTER BOX IS RECOMMENDED.. If you live in a two-story house, have a litter box on every level. As the kitten gets used to his surroundings, he will use the litter box that he likes, and you can remove the others.
Be careful where you walk, your Bengal is likely to be just where you were going to put your foot. I suggest shuffling your feet at first, so you can gently push him/her out of the way until they get the idea.
Even after the kitten/cat has adjusted to his new home and the person that cares for him.. We suggest that you have a quiet place set up for your new Bengal or yourself, whoever needs a time out. They can act like a toddler and drive you nuts.. A time out is not a bad thing.. Most Bengals want to be involved in whatever you are doing. They like to be close to you and want lots of attention..

Please contact us if you have any questions.