The day of arrival is eagerly awaited by the family. For the kitten, it is also the sudden disappearance of its smells, its mother, its siblings and its habits. The best welcome is therefore calm, predictable and without the obligation to “get to know each other” immediately.
Prepare a shelter room
Before his arrival, set up a quiet room with water, food, bedding, hiding place, scratching post and litter box away from the bowls. Put down the carrier, open it and let the kitten go out alone. Some explore in minutes; others need several hours. Both reactions are normal.
Expand the territory gradually
When he eats, uses his litter box and comes into contact willingly, gradually open the other spaces. Check windows, balcony, plants, wires, small objects and places where it could get stuck. With children, favor short, seated meetings. The kitten must always be able to move away.
Introduce another animal without haste
Start with smells, then brief eye contact from a distance. Each animal must conserve its own resources. Blowing or observing from afar is not a failure: we simply slow down the pace. A cohabitation built in several stages is often more stable than an imposed meeting.
- Keep the same food and litter at the start
- Limit visitors for the first few days
- Respect sleep and withdrawals
- Schedule recommended veterinary follow-up
- Contact us if a kitten's habit worries you
Useful sources
To go further, here are the official or veterinary references used to verify the general points of this guide.
Updated 24 August 2026 · Maillard'Coon / Pretty Lynx, Courtételle (Jura, Switzerland)
