Content
- 1. Take him to the vet
- 2. Provide a shipping box
- 3. Provide good reception in the new home
- 4. Allow contact with nature
- 5. Respect your time
- Can stray cat run away from home?
have you become attached to a Street cat who visits your backyard or lives near where you live and decided to adopt it? Whether for this or any other reason that you have taken such a decision, we at PeritoAnimal would like to congratulate you for the great step you are going to take.
According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), there are more than 30 million abandoned dogs and cats.
Although we know that cats are natural-born survivors, their quality of life will be significantly increased if they have a home to live in and receive quality care, love and food. However, and especially if the feline is an adult, we must follow a series of steps to adapt as best as possible to our home. That's why we organize these tips for adopting a stray cat. We hope they are useful!
1. Take him to the vet
If you've decided to adopt a stray cat, the first thing you should definitely do is take it to a veterinarian. Whether a kitten or an adult, the cat should be examined by an expert to find out if it have any disease, if you have fleas, if you are injured or if you suffer from any other health problem.
Keep in mind that the cat has been exposed to all kinds of dangers, including cat fights, eating bad food, poisoning by cat repellent products, wounds from cars or other vehicles, etc. Therefore, he can suffer from diseases such as leukemia, feline infectious enteritis, poisoning, AIDS and a long disease list that only a veterinarian can identify and treat.
Also remember that your new partner requires a number of mandatory vaccinations that you must give him to keep his health in top condition. Finally, we recommend that you should neuter him. Especially if the stray cat is an adult, it is used to seeking a mate during heat if it is female, or going to the call of a female cat if it is male. Therefore, it is very likely that your cat runs away frequently.
2. Provide a shipping box
Taking a stray cat to the vet is no easy task.To make this situation as comfortable as possible, you should get a shipping box for cats. This tool will also be very useful to take you home if you haven't already done so. Unless it's a kitten, an adult cat that has lived on the street will rarely let you hold it in its arms.
To select the appropriate shipping box, it is best to go to the veterinarian or a specialized store and explain the situation to them, as they will be able to advise you. On the other hand, it is essential that the cat understands the shipping box as a positive, not negative. If we force our new feline friend in, he may associate her with negative stimuli and adopt an aggressive attitude whenever he sees her.
Arm yourself with patience, get some cat food or snacks and use a soft, friendly voice to encourage your feline to enter. You can also put a toy inside and leave some food to keep it entertained while it's inside the carrying case.
3. Provide good reception in the new home
Preparing our home for the arrival of the new member is a crucial step in adopting any animal. Cats are much more independent animals than dogs, so it is advisable that the feline has its own space at home.
In this sense, you have two options: give him an unoccupied room or let him explore freely and let him choose his own corner. When something in your daily routine varies, the cat tends to hide and pass for its own adaptation process. And, of course, adopting him and offering him a new home is a big change for him. Hence the importance of having a corner or space just for him.
The basic utensils that every cat - whether a stray cat or not - should have at home are as follows:
- Food and water: Depending on the age and weight of your cat, you should choose one type of food or another. See our articles on what cats eat as well as how to choose cat food and provide him with the diet he needs. However, if your stray cat is already an adult, it is advisable to buy moist food for the first few days, as it has a much more appetizing smell that will catch your attention quickly and help you adjust to your new environment. Remember: food will be your great ally in gaining your trust. Also, if you've selected the space your new companion will occupy, place the food and water bowls in place so that he can move closer and begin to get acquainted with him. Otherwise, if you prefer that he explore and choose his corner, leave the food in a visible place; when he has decided on his preferred space, place the bowls there.
- Sandbox: Remember that cats are extremely clean animals, so don't place food and water bowls near the litter box. Even if they share a room, there should be some space between them.
- Bed to sleep: After a period of time living outside, your cat will appreciate a soft, comfortable bed to sleep on. It should be close to food and water and away from the sandbox.
- Scratcher: Cats are animals that are characterized by having sharp nails, and love to have them well maintained and ready to defend themselves if they feel threatened. Therefore, it is essential to get a scraper so they can sharpen them and avoid causing damage to furniture or to you.
Let the stray cat, who now has a home, get used to his new home and don't be surprised if for the first few days he prefers not to leave his room or chosen space, as he needs to find his stability and feel secure. Enter your space several times and share moments for him to get to know you and start trusting you, always without forcing him to do anything. If he won't let you pet him, give him time.
4. Allow contact with nature
If the stray cat you want to adopt is an adult, know that it is used to living in constant contact with nature, hunting its own food, interacting with other cats, etc. Therefore, you must adapt your new environment to meet this need and maintain your connection with nature.
Look for windows that connect to the outside and put up boards so your cat can sit in them and watch the street. If your house has a patio, yard or porch, decorate it with plants so she can sniff, explore, and notice the house move a little less.
Cat trees are extremely useful as they cover two basic needs for him and you, his new companion: he can sharpen his nails on them and climb. remember that a Street cat he's also used to having to climb trees and other structures to observe what's happening on the ground from a higher perspective or escape the dangers that might lurk.
Finally, to satisfy their need to hunt, toys designed for that purpose must be provided. The cat is an animal with highly developed hunting instinct To ensure your survival, that's why you have to buy hunting toys that also exercise and help to channel the energy accumulated during the day.
At pet supply and accessory stores, you will find a variety of toys that will satisfy this need, such as mice or fake sticks with strings and dolls at the end of them so you can play with them. With this last type of toys, not only can you keep your cat happy, but also strengthen your bond with him.
5. Respect your time
This advice is intended for adult or elderly stray cats, since the puppy can adapt to your rules without problems. Keep in mind that the stray cat is adapted to be the one who imposes his rules, schedules and routines, or to follow other cats more authoritative than he is. patience and respect is what he needs on your part to get used to his new habits and become a house cat.
Especially if he has lived through traumatic situations, at first he may be suspicious of you and always be defensive. Therefore, it is essential that we treat him gently, that we go little by little and that we cannot force him to do anything. Let him see how you provide him with food and water so he can associate your presence as something positive and essential for survival. Approach it cautiously, small steps and a soft voice. As the days go by, he will become more and more receptive and you will be able to increase your approaches.
Respect your time and space. If he's the one approaching you, let him caress you and lie down with you. Once he's gained confidence and adapted to his new home, you can start making rules. Of course, don't confuse respect with fear. Don't show him fear, because then he will feel that you are afraid of him and he will try to dominate you; he needs a person who is loving, kind and gentle, but at the same time firm and authoritative.
Can stray cat run away from home?
A stray cat that is adopted will most likely try to escape during the first few days in its new home. To avoid this, the first step you should take is keep windows and doors closed. If you have a patio, yard, or porch, you should put a fence high enough to keep him from jumping over it. Remember that it is highly positive that your new partner has the freedom to visit the courtyard, so denying him entry is not the solution, you should look for an alternative such as a canvas.
As we mentioned in the first section, sterilization considerably reduces the need to escape to reproduce, so don't rule out the option of castrate the feline.
Have you taken these steps and your cat still insists on running away? So what you should do is educate your feline to take him out for a while every day. buy him a collar and train him to listen to you during your walks. We do not advise you to let him out on the street, he may run away again.
In the following video you will see 7 things that pet owners do wrong when caring for cats. Don't miss it!
If you want to read more articles similar to Tips for Adopting a Stray Cat, we recommend that you enter our What You Need to Know section.