New Baby? How to Help Your Cat Adjust

It’s something we’ve heard about - a new baby arrives home and the resident senior kitty gets surrendered to the local high-kill shelter.

It’s a never a good thing for the cat, but it doesn’t have to be that way. 

A cat can live harmoniously with the new baby. It just takes a few tricks and tips for making sure your kitty is at ease with the new addition. You also want to get all the right cat supplies for your new family friend before they arrive.

1. Make Your Kitty Feel Good.

Any changes to a cat’s environment can cause chaos. They are territorial animals and anything new can create imbalance. 

The best way to ensure that your cat feels okay is by making them feel special by giving them extra love and attention. They’ll then associate the new family addition as a positive thing!

2. Add Positive Things to the Cat's Environment.

There may be some things happening in the home that the cat may interpret as negative such as loud noises or a change in schedules. 

By adding positive things into their environment, the kitty won’t really pay much attention. Adding a perch near a nice big window, or some high quality cat toys, your cat will be more interested in hunting than stressing over the new baby.

This baby's toy is way more fun to play with!

3. Give Positive Reinforcements 

If you’re hanging out with the baby and your cat wants to check him/her out, slowly ease them into the introduction.

Animals know how fragile a baby is so they will be extra careful. They’ll want to smell it’s crib or check out those wiggly toes, but the last thing you should do is punish your kitty for being invasive.  

Cats are naturally curious so let them explore at a safe distance. If they act appropriate around the new baby, reward them with a tasty treat to let them know they did a good job. 

Cats are highly food motivated so they will tend to repeat good habits if they know treats are involved. A great kitten food to add to their diet is the Royal Canin - Kitten Dry and Wet Food.

4. Add Pheromones

Any changes in a cat’s environment will cause some stress for the kitty so prepare your home with some pheromone sprays and/or diffusers. The Feliway brand is a great way to help your kitty stay calm during stressful situations. It also helps prevent spraying, improper urination and scratching, which are all signs of stress for a cat.

5. Spoil the Crap Out of Them.

Buy the best treats, cat toys, and bed/trees so that they know they are still number one. There is nothing wrong with spoiling your cat to make them feel special!

What are some other ways to help your cat during this transition? Comment below with your tips on what’s worked and hasn’t worked for you!