Bond With Your Cat Through Pampering

Five Easy Steps to Bond with your Cat through Pampering

You finally brought home your perfect new little feline companion and she has taken one look around the apartment and seems to like what she sees. What is there not to like? You have bought her a self cleaning litter box, porcelain food and water dishes, a warm and snuggly kitty bed, high quality food and even some canned cat food, and most importantly, you allow her to jump up onto the couch and bed! Your kitty has just landed in kitty heaven. Yet you wonder what you could do to bond even more with your little feline addition to the family. Follow these five easy steps to bond with your cat through pampering and success will be assured!

First and foremost, do not expect too much when you first bring home the cat. Do not overwhelm her with demands of attention or try to hold her against her will. Instead, when you first bring her home, make sure you have a small room prepared for her. This room should contain her litter box, a food dish, and a water dish. Additionally, have something the cat can use to hide in or under, such as a box with a couple of holes cut into it. Once you bring the cat into the room, simply close the door to the room and open the door to the carrier. Do not pull out the cat from the box or carrier you used to bring her home! Allow her the space and time to come out and check out her new environment when she is good and ready. Similarly, this is not the time to force introductions to other cats, dogs, or even small children. Pamper her by giving her space and time to adjust to her new surroundings.

Secondly, bring her gifts! While food itself is not a gift, a special treat of shrimp or tuna most certainly is. Bring a very small portion to your new cat and speak to her in a very calm and reassuring voice. Once she comes out of hiding to eat the treat you brought, don't try to grab her. Instead simply keep talking to her. If she comes up to you, very lightly pet her back or scratch behind her ears.

Third, one of the cat's favorite modes of being pampered is the receipt of little toys. A toy can be anything from a sock tied to a string, to a toilet paper cardboard roll. Store-bought toys are nice, too! Cats love to chase after something, so the little balls attached to fishing pole like toys are always a hit. Another favorite are the catnip mice that are readily available at pet shops everywhere.

A fourth tip is one that is practical as well. Groom her! Get a soft bristle brush and gently brush her back as she walks past you. She will most likely come back for more. This is a great time to groom her, talk to her, brush her, and let her know that you care for her. She will feel comforted by the sound of your voice and look forward to your grooming sessions. Additionally, she will feel confident to come closer to you than she might have felt before.

Fifth is really a common sense approach to cat companionship: make the time it takes to bond, interact, and explore together! Many of those who add cats to their households believe that because cats are so independent, it is not necessary to spend a lot of time with them. Nothing could be further from the truth! As a matter of fact, cats may begin acting out if left alone for too long. Additionally, they may get quite lonely and any bonding process that you successfully started may very well be hindered by long absences. Therefore, be sure to carve enough time out of your busy schedule every day to spend it with your feline companion. As you can see, it does not take a lot of pampering to bond with your cat, a little of the right kind of pampering indeed does go a long way. Furthermore, your cat will eagerly come to look forward the time you will be spending together, so don't think of it as a chore but as a joy!