To be prepared for the arrival of your new cat, be sure to purchase these items beforehand.
HART has cat starter packs for sale at the shelter.

• Cat Carrier
• Food and Water Bowls
• Litter, Litterbox and Scoop
• Cat Bed
• Cat Food

START SMALL
Cats are creatures of habit. New surroundings can be scary and overwhelming. This is why we recommend keeping your new cat confined to a room with a door, such as a bathroom or den (with a litter box), so your cat can get acclimated to their surroundings, the new sounds and scents - especially if there are other cats in the house. Read below about introducing your new cat to your resident cats.

At first, it’s not abnormal for your new cat to initially hide under the bed or other furniture for a few days. This is okay as long as they are eating and drinking. Hiding longer than several days or refusing food is not normal and we ask that you contact HART immediately. Cats, unlike dogs, can develop irreversible liver problems when they stop eating for more than a few days.

LITTER
Don’t abruptly change the type of litter being used and understand that most cats prefer litter boxes without covers with unscented litter. Your cat needs a clean box that’s scooped daily.

We recommend making a veterinarian appointment for your new cat after adoption. Although your cat is checked out by a vet prior to adoption, animals can harbor diseases or problems that aren’t apparent at the time of the exam.

Getting an initial wellness check with your vet allows them to meet your newly adopted kitty and establish a relationship.

Check with your vet to see how soon they want to see your new cat, as vets have different time frames for the wellness visit. However, if you notice weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lack of grooming, no energy, or failure to grow, contact your vet immediately. There are signs of sickness that should not be ignored.

While some pets can tolerate such an abrupt switch in their diet without much issue, suddenly switching foods can cause stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhea, increased gas, and nausea. Your pet can also flat-out refuse to eat the new food. (It’s a big change, after all!)

In order to guarantee the best chance of a successful diet switch, it’s best to transition to the new food slowly. Generally speaking, it should take 3-5 days to completely switch from one food to another.

To introduce a new food, pet parents should first mix the formula with the old or current food. Over a period of days, slowly increase the ratio of the new food to the old. Cats on a special diet need to remain on the same type of food (grain-free, wet only, etc.) they were eating at HART.

HART DOES NOT CONDONE DECLAWING

Why is declawing bad? Declawing can cause paw pain, back pain, infection, tissue necrosis (tissue death), can lead to behavioral issues, arthritis, and lameness. Removing claws changes the way a cat's foot meets the ground and can cause pain like wearing a very uncomfortable pair of shoes. Improperly removed claws can regrow, causing nerve damage and bone spurs. Ouch!

Instead, we recommend keeping nails clipped short (just below where the nail turns pink-to avoid bleeding) with appropriate nail clippers. Provide plenty of adequate scratching posts - at least 3-feet tall to help with stretching. We LOVE cardboard scratchers with catnip - and so do our kitties!

We don’t recommend bathing your cat. Cats are self-cleaning animals who groom often unless they are sick, overweight and older.