Meow! Meow! I don’t recognize this house… and where’s my Mummy and siblings? This is all very different – the only thing I recognize is the old sweater that my pet parent brought to me when I was still with my litter. That does make me feel better as it’s now familiar to me and they have put it in that lovely cozy bed – I expect that’s to help me adjust to my new home.
The sweater was also in the cat carrier that I travelled in. But what was that huge thing we all sat in to get here? They called it a car, but I’ve never seen anything like it before. There are so many new things that I’m discovering and it’s difficult because cats don’t like change – cars, new people, new sounds and now a new home.
Come to think of it, where am I going to sleep? Kittens need to take a lot of naps during the day, you know.
Sleep is important for a kitten's development, so having a good night’s sleep will help me feel strong enough to explore my new home.
I’ll be honest, I am feeling a bit nervous as I’m used to cuddling up with my siblings, but there are a few things that I think will help me to sleep on my first night.
Although we are tiny (and cute!) there are a number of things pet parents need to prepare that will help us to sleep at night. If there are too many changes all at once, it will be overwhelming for us. My pet parents took a few steps to help me settle in.
Remember, cats like to sleep in different places. That could be on top of a cupboard, under a bed or even in a cardboard box.
When my pet parents brought me home, they allowed me to get used to one room first, and put all of my belongings in this room, including my bed, food and water. That was a wise move, as I think I would have been overwhelmed by all the different rooms and I probably would have gotten lost!
They also plugged FELIWAY Optimum into this room, which really helped me to settle in quickly. It’s a new pheromone complex which they have recently discovered and it helps cats and kittens, like me, feel more serene, helping me to cope with all the changes.
I think this will be my favourite space and probably the room I’ll sleep in most of the time.
Kittens look for somewhere warm and cozy to sleep, in a spot where they feel secure and away from draughts – somewhere elevated off the floor works well. My bed is in a corner of the room on stool – and that’s great because I can see what's going on all around me.
My bed also has high sides so I feel nice and cozy. Sometimes in the winter, my pet parent puts a hot (not too hot) water bottle underneath my cushion – which I love!
Some pet parents allow their kittens to sleep on their bed. Personally, I prefer to jump into their bed when they get up in the morning when it is all warm and cozy – when they turn over in the middle of the night it disturbs me, as does their snoring! But every cat is different and some like to sleep alongside their pet parents while others are happy to be in the same room, but in their own bed.
Cats are crepuscular, which means we get very active at dawn and dusk. Some of us also like to go outside at night and explore our surroundings under the cover of darkness.
But, if you prefer that we stay indoors at night, here are a few tips to help us settle.